Living Abroad

Whether or not this is your first time away from your country, you are probably thinking about the different aspects of living in a new culture. Most grantees find that they must make some adjustments, since many things are new or unfamiliar. The process you will go through may be difficult, but it is also exciting and contributes to your personal enrichment and understanding of other ways of life.

Adapting to another culture may be frustrating at times, but there are people at your host university and at LASPAU who are able to help. Temporary problems should not discourage you. A growing familiarity with the new culture and with the resources available to you will greatly increase your enjoyment of your surroundings. You can read more about the process of cross-cultural adjustment by downloading this document in PDF format.

Immigration

Below, we have provided you with links to websites containing general information about immigration requirements. Please pay particular attention to the material on visas. It is critical that you obtain the appropriate immigration documents for yourself and your family prior to entering Switzerland. For further information on immigration regulations, please contact the nearest Swiss Embassy.

The Federal Office for Migration website can also provide you with information about what type of permit or visa you will need as a student in Switzerland.

Health Care

If included in your contract, LASPAU will automatically enroll you in the Virginia Surety insurance plan once you become a LASPAU-administered grantee, unless you inform us that you have alternative coverage. The Virginia Surety insurance plan, provided at no cost to you, is only for you and does not include any of your dependents. Please click here for more information on the Virginia Surety insurance plan, as well as on how to obtain coverage for your dependents.

Education and Culture

The following website provides useful information for international students in Switzerland.

Switzerland is Yours website and the Lonely Planet website provide information on the Swiss education system, as well as Swiss history, culture, climate, and cost of living.

Employment

If you or your dependents would like to work while in Switzerland, you must be certain that both your program sponsor and the Swiss government will allow you do so:

To verify whether your program sponsor will allow you to work, please contact your LASPAU program advisor or coordinator.
To verify whether the Swiss government will allow you to work, please talk to your international student advisor at your host institution.

If you work or receive grant funding in Switzerland, you may be expected to pay taxes. Please consult with the international student advisor at your host institution or the appropriate Swiss government agency.

Housing and Your Mailing Address

Local newspapers, websites such as craislist.org, expatriates.com, or clickflatshare.co.uk, and your host university's international office can often serve as excellent resources when searching for off-campus or on-campus housing.

Make sure your mailbox at your home, dormitory, or residence hall indicates your full name (first and all surnames).

You must register your address with the proper authorities in Switzerland. The international advisor at your host institution should be able to give you information on who you need to register with.

The Swiss Post Office may provide a mail redirection service if you move while in your host country. This is generally done by filling out a mail redirection form. There is sometimes a small fee for the forwarding service.

Please note that the external websites listed above are not maintained by LASPAU, and LASPAU is not responsible for any of their contents. Please let us know if you find other online resources that might be helpful to international students in Belgium.

Last revised: July 7, 2006