Before you get here

IMPORTANT STEPS Before You Arrive

 

  1. Submit your housing request Incoming students have priority from 10am on March 17th 2025 to 10am on April 11th 2025 (dates TBC). Then all students can register.
  2. Apply for your visa and/or residence permit from April 14th 2025. Please note that a Residence Permit is required for ALL non-Swiss nationals, but a Visa is required for some nationalities but not all. So in case your require a Visa, please submit your Visa application no later that mid-May since the procedure takes 3-5 months to be processed by the Swiss authorities.
  3. Register to the OPTIONAL Mathematics and Statistics Course in June 2025 (called the "Math bootcamp") (the course should start on August 18th 2025, date TBC).
  4. Register to the OPTIONAL Intensive French Summer Course in June 2025. The Intensive Summer course will take place from August 25th to September 12th 2025 (3 weeks, 20 hours per week, morning OR afternoon). The Summer course is for students with minimal (lower than B1) or no prior knowledge of French (the only levels proposed are beginners, A1 and A2).
  5. Activate your different digital accounts (create your OneLogin and your Switch edu-ID account) in early August 2025.

See details below.

1. Submit your housing request as soon as possible (from march 17th, 2025)

  • Consult the accommodation options in the Geneva Graduate Institute's Residences.
  • Consult the types of rooms available and select three options, in order of preference.
  • Apply for a room on the Geneva Graduate Institute's Accommodation Portal. IMPORTANT: Incoming students have priority from 10am on March 17th 2025 to 10am on April 11th 2025. Then all students can register. Since rooms are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, we advise you to apply for a room as soon as possible (ideally on March 17th, 2025 at 10am).
  • Note: Housing offers will only be made to students who have confirmed their admission and have paid the first CHF 1'500 tuition fees installment.
  • Note: Please consider applying to additional residences in Geneva, in case demand exceeds our supply.

Questions? Read the Frequently Asked Questions or contact our Housing team: booking.housing@graduateinstitute.ch

2. Apply for your visa and residence permit

 

Please follow the procedure described here and read all the information carefully and prepare the required documents well in advance.

Please note that a Residence Permit is required for ALL non-Swiss nationals, but a Visa is required for some nationalities but not all.

  • So unless you have a Swiss passport, you will need to apply for a Swiss Residence Permit.  The procedure can be made online (but as the OCPM website is only available in French, we recommend that you use your browser's built- in translator to help you with the application process.) Also, please note that EU/EFTA nationals can apply for a residence permit maximum 3 months before arrival, no later than 14 days after arrival.

  • In case your require a Swiss Visa, please submit your Visa application no later that mid-May since the procedure takes 3-5 months to be processed by the Swiss authorities. Who needs to apply for a visa? Please consult the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) website to check whether your nationality requires a student visa.

Please follow the procedure described here and read all the information carefully and prepare the required documents well in advance.

For any additional enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at admission@graduateinstitute.ch

 

When to apply: Mid-April if you need a visa plus a residence permit.
 

3. Math BootCamp

 

In June 2025, please register to the OPTIONAL Mathematics and Statistics Course, a math refresher course affectionately known as the "math bootcamp", to be taken before the beginning of the first semester (in 2025/2026, the course should start on August 18th 2025 - dates TBC).

Find out more about the math bootcamp.

4. French Courses

 

In June 2025, please register to the OPTIONAL French courses available at the Geneva Graduate Institute for the MAS in Sustainable Finance and Development students:

  • An intensive summer course will take place from August 25th to September 12th 2025 (dates TBC),
  • and an annual French course will be organised from September 29th to December 5th 2025 (dates TBC), during the first semester (followed by a second course in the second semester).

Please note that dates are subject to change.

Find out more about the French courses. SPECIAL OFFER: Please note that in 2025-2026, French courses will be free for the MAS in Sustainable Finance and Development students.

5. Activate your different digital accounts

 

Please follow the procedure described here. Thank you.

 

In summer 2005, keep an eye out for an email containing your Geneva Graduate Institute email address and instructions on how to activate your digital accounts.

This official email address will be key in your student life and even as an alumnus after you graduate.

Once this email is received, you will need to follow these simple steps:

1) Set your password by clicking on the provided link (only valid for 24 hours)

2) Once your password is created, log into OneLogin to accept the terms and conditions.

3) Also don't forget to create or update your Switch edu-ID account by following the instructions on this webpage.

 

Then please follow the procedure described here. Thank you.