It is amazing how in an instant you find yourself having a beer with a friend planning to conquer the world in beloved Mexico and the next day you are already packing your bags to study a Master in Switzerland, but… how did this happen?
I embarked on a journey to what is now my reality, I will explain in simple steps to follow:
Source: yoinfluyo.com
1 Will – there is no other way to do things but having the will to do them and believe me the channels will open, it is not a fairy tale, it is a reality, when you seek to do something with all your being there will be nothing in this world that will stop you from doing it.
Once you have established that Will to do things, follow logical steps, know yourself and your capabilities, be realistic and work with it to your advantage, modify the way you see those doors of rejection or pessimism to transmute them into opportunities.
2 Look for Universities that fit your needs, goals and capabilities.
The devil is in the details, take a good look at the large number of offers from universities, I recommend you make a list as simple as you want putting the names of the ones you are most interested in, check the requirements of each of them, which usually ask for very specific things:
– Filling out a form with all your data (create your profile on their pages).
– Passport (VALID!!!)
– Professional photos of you (put your best smile and your best disguise)
– Your official transcripts and degree, certifying that you have successfully completed your studies (if they are in a language other than the official languages of Switzerland, such as Italian, French, Romansh, German and generic English, ask your university to reprint them in at least one of the last two languages mentioned).
(The university degree is very likely to be requested once you arrive in Switzerland).
– It is recommended and necessary that you have an updated CV, that you have practiced your career, remember that you are a professional looking to get a step further in your intellectual transformation.
– Language certificates, in general and it is recommended that you have an excellent command of English (B2-C1- +) and the most spoken native language “German” (B1-B2 at least) and also depending on the region you are applying to… in effect you are applying to a foreign institution, what do you expect? The point is that you can communicate, although you can be comfortable for a while with only English, but if your goal is to stay, live and work in Switzerland, you should start learning German ASAP.
– A letter of motivation, explaining why you want to take this important step in your life. (Keep your signature to what you write).
Once you have completed these steps and have everything in order we can move on to the next objective.
3 Migratory details, fun section, where you will continue to pray to your God to make everything perfect (by the way the process is… FREE!).
The Swiss embassy will ask you for the documents you can find in this link to avoid confusion.
Important! The economic solvency is in fact one of the sections that the embassy asks you and this is delicate, because you could have problems in the economic part.
-Make sure you have a scholarship from the government (they are usually very bureaucratic and time-consuming and you may even owe them a lot),
-A sponsor “your parents/family”, it could be difficult since it is not cheap to live in Switzerland and it is not because of the school, in many cases the institutions are Governmental/State and this reduces a lot the cost of education since they are subsidized, the issue is housing, this is where most of your economic resources can go, Also in COVID times you may think that it is an important expense, but making a comparison (from my beloved Mexico to Switzerland for the two years I save a lot of money in education, at the end I would be paying for education and housing here in Switzerland a ¼ of what I would be paying in my homeland in total.)
-Another way, your job (acting as a sponsor) gives you the opportunity to do a master’s degree abroad or you are going to work for a Swiss company which implies other documentation that they will take care of and send it to you.
-Or lastly, you have saved a lot of money… just keep in mind that you will be living for approximately 2 years in a country with a strong currency in relation to the Mexican peso (in this case) as well as with the rest of Latin America, I suggest that you be careful with your expenses.
3.1 Extra task – I know… I don’t like the task but it will be worth it, I assure you – Keep in mind that the borders of Switzerland are very active, there is constant traffic of foreigners entering and leaving, so I recommend you to be aware of any changes here.
While waiting for the approval of your visa or the opening of the borders depending on the case, start looking for a place to live in Switzerland, this is equally important, as I mentioned above, how you investment your money 😉 you could talk directly to your university to help you find places to live, the recommendation is to find a WG (Wohngemeinschaft) and I think they are the best option and are in high demand so you should be on the lookout for any opportunity.
There are certain facilities in COVID times, you could start your classes and study from home using technological tools (Google meetings, Zoom, Skype, etc.).
It is very rare that you will be denied the Swiss student visa, since for this point, you have the letter of acceptance from the university where you chose to study, so I ask you to be patient (I know! It can be stressful! But… you might as well take advantage of every moment you have with your family and friends before you make this important trip).
Important links:
Coronavirus: entry into Switzerland
*** Coronavirus: FOPH list of states at risk
(*** is the black list of countries that are on denial of entry or currently require a 14 day quarantine, in that case looking for an “Airbnb” is one of the options that I find more viable)
4 LOOK FOR THE FLIGHT!!!
The wait has come to an end and your visa has been approved and delivered (it was the most stressful 6 months as the pandemic had just started in my case… a lot of uncertainty).
I found Swoodoo very useful.
Be prepared to take a flight to Switzerland, if it can be direct, although it can be more expensive or nonexistent depending on the country you leave from, in this case, from Mexico, there were two options to leave from Cancun to be direct, but at higher cost or from Mexico City with a stopover in Amsterdam at lower cost, I try to make use of my economic resources as efficient as possible so I chose with stopovers, this brings additional steps to follow, which was to verify the restrictions of Holland for people from Mexico.
Documents to make this trip currently in 2021 you can see them in the following link.
For the Holland and Spain stopover option as the most frequent flight connections to Mexico, there are no documentation problems, since you are not going to enter the country as is and you are only in transition, but it is very useful to bring the following:
– It is important to bring the results of the PCR test 72 hours before boarding the flight or a quick test 24 hours before your flight (please STAY HEALTHY, WITH ALL SANITARY MEASURES WE KNOW, you are just a few moments away from fulfilling the main objective of STUDYING IN SWITZERLAND).
-Passport in hand.
-Student Visa Document.
-Acceptance and confirmation letters from the University.
-Life Insurance.
– (If applicable, the confirmation of the place where you will spend the quarantine).
You are done! You have made it, I wish you much success in this stage of your life, there are many challenges to overcome once you are on Swiss soil, but I assure you that you will be welcome and you will soon adapt, I offer you my sincere friendship and further guidance for your stay in Switzerland.
Nice! This is informative for students looking to study in Switzerland. Yes, will and preparation are very important! 🙂
Thank you, Mijail for this article! I think it will be very useful for those who are planning to come to Switzerland. It was very intersting to hear your story. Lookin forward to read the next post.