Accommodation

Information

• The Housing Office of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich guarantees you a student room, provided you apply by the deadline, arrive during the regular scholarship period and have not already been living in Switzerland for at least one semester.
  
• For administrative reason, you will need to apply for a student room at the Housing Office.
• Doctoral students are usually given a studio. Studios are fully furnished and have internet access. The rooms are generally intended for single occupancy. If you are allocated a normal student room in a shared flat, the room itself is for single occupancy, but you will usually share your bathroom, kitchen, living room and laundry facilities with your flatmates. Flatmates can be of any gender. external pageAn example of studio rooms can be viewed online.call_made
  
• The normal rental period is two semester (whole year).
• You can add special requirements in your application for a student room.
• Identify yourself as a Swiss Government Scholarship holder at ETH.
• While you can explore other options on the open market, the Housing Office most likely offers the most affordable housing options in Zurich.

Open housing market

Conditions vary greatly (with or without furniture, cooking facilities, cleaning, internet, etc.). Consider your needs and budget and address any unclear points before deciding on accommodation. In Zurich, the demand is very high, supply is limited, and rents are correspondingly high.

Search for accommodation when in Zurich

Because most people will want to meet potential tenants or flatmates before signing a contract, it can be easier to find accommodation in person. Stay in a hostel or hotel first when arriving and look for an accommodation on-​site. In addition to searching online, you can also use the many notice boards in the main buildings of ETH and UZH as well as in large shops such as Coop and Migros.

Look outside of the city of Zurich

• With the reliable Swiss public transport system, you can easily and quickly get to ETH from most surrounding communities – plus, the rent is often lower outside the city. This is particularly true for the north and west of Zurich, e.g. Dietikon, Dübendorf, Opfikon, Wallisellen, Winterthur, which are still part of the Canton of Zurich.
  
• It is not recommendable to live outside the Canton of Zurich unless you are af​filiated with PSI in Canton Aargau or are staying at a branch of Eawag, Empa or WSL in another canton and taking up residence outside the Canton of Zurich is inevitable.
• In Switzerland administrative formalities, e.g. the immigration process and health insurance registration vary greatly from one canton to another. You are advised to take residence in Canton Zurich – preferably in the city of Zurich – to get counselling on administrative matters.
• If you take up residence outside of the canton of Zurich, you must find the necessary information and carry out the respective formalities yourself.