Information for visiting professors, academic guests, scholarship holders and compulsory interns
Registration in Switzerland
If your guest stay lasts longer than 90 days, you must register in Switzerland. You can find more information on the website registration in Switzerland.
Compensation
Academic guests and visiting professors who receive a compensation from ETH can collect it in cash at the cash desk from the 25th of each month upon presentation of an identity card. If you wish a transfer to a Swiss bank account, you can report your bank details via via ETHIS > Persönlich > Persönliche Daten > Change salary account.
Note: If the last compensation has to be paid out before the salary run (e.g. departure), you can contact your HR administrator for a pre-reception.
Insurances
Visiting professors, academic guests and scholarship holders are compulsorily insured by ETH Zurich with SUVA against the risks of occupational accidents. In addition, they are also insured against the risks of non-occupational accidents, provided that the weekly working time is 8 hours. Other conditions apply to seconded guests without ETH compensation (see point 5).
Health insurance from a Swiss insurer is mandatory for all persons employed and resident in Switzerland. This rule also applies to persons from abroad.
In many cases, no health insurance needs to be taken out with a Swiss health insurance fund for short stays in Switzerland (maximum four months with no registration requirement), provided that guests have good insurance cover against the risks of illness in their home country.
For longer stays, academic guest may now only be exempted from mandatory Swiss health insurance if they have an income of less than CHF 5,000 per month and are still in education. Their health insurance cover from another country must also be equivalent to the insurance cover under the Swiss Federal Health Insurance Act (HIA). For this purpose, the following documents must be submitted to the Health Directorate:
EU-/EFTA nationals with compulsory health insurance:
- application for external page exemption canton of Zurich (GERMAN)
- application for external page exemption other cantons
- Copy of European Health Insurance Card
- Confirmation as academic guest incl. compensation levy
- Confirmation of leave of absence from home university incl. compensation levy
Persons with private or equivalent health insurance:
- application for external page exemption canton of Zurich (GERMAN)
application for external page exemption other cantonsexternal page - Confirmation of insureance external page form A
- Copy of insurance card or insurance certificate
- Confirmation as academic guest incl. compensation details
- Confirmation of leave of absence from home university incl. compensation details
Please note: This list is only an overview. The Directorate of Health is responsible for legally binding information and decisions. Information and forms are available on the external page website of the Health Directorate.
Academic guests and visiting professors who have paid Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance (OASI) contributions for at least a full year can apply for a reimbursement in the form of a cash payment or, at a later date, in the form of a pension depending on the applicable social security agreement*. Detailed information can be found on the website "Leaving ETH Zurich" in the section "Leaving to go abroad".
* Countries with which Switzerland has concluded a social security agreement:
- Bilateral agreements: CH/EU agreement and CH/EFTA agreement
- Social security agreements: Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, India, Israel, Japan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Philippines, San Marino, Quebec, Serbia, South Korea, Turkey, Uruguay, USA
Academic guests and visiting professors posted by their home university who do not receive a compensation continue to benefit from the legal protection afforded by their home country’s social security system. Depending on the applicable social security agreement, they may also be entitled to exemption from mandatory Swiss health insurance. Their home university undertakes to ensure that their health insurance covers the benefits under the HIA for treatment in Switzerland as a bare minimum throughout the entire exemption period. The posting certificate from the country’s social security body should be sent to Human Resources when the visitor starts work at ETH Zurich.
Further information on insurance can be found on the Welcome Centre's Insurance and Pension website.