Renewing a residence permit

This is the information for residents of the city of Zurich. If you live in another municipality, please contact the respective municipal administration directly.

You will receive the renewal form 5-8 weeks before your residence permit expires by post. Please fill in the form and take it to one of the external page 3 Residents’ Registration Office (Personenmeldeamt) within the city of Zurich or to your respective municipality.

The request for renewal must be made in person.

Usually the issuance of the new residence permit takes 2-3 months.

Documents

• your passport / identity card
• your Swiss residence permit
• for non-EU/EFTA citizens: your own bank statement proving sufficient financial means (i.e. CHF 21’000 for the following academic year)
• your extended confirmation of matriculation for the new semester (cf. information below)
• renewal fee:
      EU/EFTA: CHF 70;
      non-EU/EFTA: CHF 102;
      if the biometric data has to be re-entered additionally: CHF 20.
  
• if you changed accommodation: new rental agreement

Extension for Master's thesis

If you have already completed all ECTS credits for your ETH degree and only need to write and submit your Master's thesis, it is important to note that the Master's thesis is mandatory for your degree when applying for the renewal.

• Submit the "Extended Confirmation of Matriculation", which is also valid in case of a leave of absence (only possible if you have been enrolled and registered in myStudies in the previous semester for your Master's thesis already).
• for non-EU/EFTA citizens: your own bank statement proving sufficient financial means (i.e. CHF 10’500 for the following semester)

Often you will receive an L residence permit, which is valid for less than a year.

Students with a visa requirement

• Students with a visa requirement, who travel abroad during the renewal process: must apply in person to the external page Migration Office for a return visa (only available in German).
• If you remain in Switzerland during your extension process, you do not have to do anything.
  

Change of accommodation

Apply for a external page post forwarding from your old to your new address. Since your new residence permit will be send by registered post mail.

Study period in Switzerland

For Non-EU/EFTA nationals, the total period of study in Switzerland may not exceed 8 years. Exceptions are possible if they serve a purposeful education and training (e.g. MSc, doctorate, post-doctorate).

However, each case must be individually reviewed and approved by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), see external page Weisung Aus- und Weiterbildung (only available in German), p. 9, 2.8. Bewilligungsdauer (duration of approval).