Admission
For Moroccan students wishing to join ETH Zurich, several pathways are available depending on their prior education.
The most common path is to join ETH at the Master’s level, after completing a Bachelor’s degree in a corresponding discipline. Admission is based primarily on the Bachelor’s degree obtained and the compatibility of the programme followed with the targeted Master’s at ETH Zurich.
Students holding a Bachelor’s from EPFL must also submit a standard application through ETH’s online platform. In certain cases, when the Master’s is a direct continuation of the Bachelor’s in the same discipline, admission can be guaranteed — provided that deadlines are respected and the Bachelor’s is completed before the start of courses.
Students coming from other universities (in Morocco or elsewhere) can also be admitted, but their application is evaluated in greater detail to verify that their academic background matches the profile required by the chosen programme.
For Bachelor’s admission, international students must meet strict academic criteria and demonstrate proficiency in German, as the majority of Bachelor’s programmes are taught in that language.
Useful links — Admission
Student Housing in Zurich
Finding housing in Zurich is often one of the most challenging steps for students. The number of student residences is relatively limited compared to the total number of students at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. In practice, student housing covers only a small fraction of demand, making spots highly competitive.
WOKO Studentische Wohngenossenschaft is the main provider of student housing in Zurich. This non-profit cooperative offers more than 4,000 rooms across more than 70 buildings throughout the Zurich region, generally reserved for students at local universities. → woko.ch
JUWO Jugendwohnnetz is another important organisation, renting mainly apartments and rooms to young people in training, often in shared housing arrangements. → juwo.ch
There are also a few well-known independent student residences within the ETH ecosystem, such as Student Village Zurich, a modern complex of nearly 500 rooms designed specifically for students. → studentvillage.ch
The universities also share a common housing assistance service — the Housing Office UZH / ETH Zurich — which centralises various listings and resources for students looking for accommodation. → wohnen.ethz.ch
These residences generally have the advantage of not requiring a guarantor, which is very practical for international students. However, given the high demand, rooms are often allocated through tenant-to-tenant handover — when a student leaving their room recommends an incoming one.
The private rental market in Zurich is known to be very expensive and extremely competitive. A studio can easily cost 2,000 CHF per month or more, while a room in a shared flat typically costs between 800 and 1,400 CHF depending on location. Shared housing (WG) is therefore the most common option among students, though landlords frequently require a Swiss guarantor.
The most widely used platforms for searching private accommodation in Switzerland are:
- Flatfox
- ImmoScout24
- WGZimmer
- Homegate
- Blueground (offers furnished apartments without a guarantor, ranging from studios to multi-room apartments suitable for shared living. This option is generally simpler administratively, but falls in the premium range and therefore requires a higher budget.)
Because the Zurich housing market is extremely tight, fraudulent listings circulate online. It is strongly recommended never to make any payment before visiting the property or verifying the identity of the landlord or agency. Be wary of unusually attractive listings — very low rents for well-located or fully furnished apartments are often too good to be true. Whenever possible, favour recognised platforms and official student residences.
Arriving in the Canton of Zurich and Residence Permit
Any student staying in Switzerland for more than 90 days must hold a residence permit.
After arriving in Zurich, the first step is to register with the residents’ registration office (Personenmeldeamt / Residents’ Registration Office) of your municipality of residence. This must be done within 14 days of arrival. At registration, you will generally need to present:
- A valid passport
- Confirmation of enrolment or admission at ETH Zurich
- A rental contract or proof of address
- Payment of administrative fees
After this registration, the authorities forward the file to the Cantonal Migration Office of the Canton of Zurich, which summons the student for biometric data collection. The student residence permit — generally a B permit — is then sent by post to the Swiss address a few weeks later.
Special case: students transferring from another Swiss canton
International students who already hold a Swiss residence permit — for example after completing a Bachelor's at EPFL or another Swiss university — must apply for a canton change (Kantonswechsel) before settling in Zurich. This request should ideally be submitted 8 to 12 weeks before arrival in the canton, to allow the authorities sufficient time to process the file.
The request must be submitted in German using the official contact form of the Cantonal Migration Office.
The file must include:
- A copy of your passport
- A letter explaining the reason for the canton change
- A copy of your current residence permit
- Confirmation of admission or enrolment at ETH Zurich
- Proof of housing in Zurich (if available)
- Proof of financial means — for non-EU/EEA students, the authorities generally require proof of 21,000 CHF to cover one year of living costs. This can alternatively be replaced by a Verpflichtungserklärung, i.e. a declaration from a person residing in Switzerland who formally commits to covering the student's expenses if necessary.
Once the request is accepted, the student must still register within 14 days at the municipality of residence, as any new arrival, in order to finalise the update of their residence permit.
Official information
Health Insurance and Exemption Process
In Switzerland, health insurance is mandatory for anyone residing in the country for more than 3 months, including international students. Upon arriving in the Canton of Zurich — or after a canton change — students must regularise their insurance situation within 3 months.
Moroccan students generally have two options: either subscribe to a standard Swiss insurance (KVG/LAMal), or choose an insurance specifically designed for international students and then apply for an exemption from the mandatory Swiss insurance scheme.
More information: → ETH Zurich — Health insurance for non-EU students
ETH Zurich mentions several student insurances frequently used by international students:
- Academic Care (Groupe Mutuel)
- Coverio
- Scorestudies
- Student Care (SWICA)
- Swisscare, which offers notably the SPSS and HMIE plans
These insurances operate under contract insurance law (VVG) and not under the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG). When a student chooses one of these international student insurances, they must apply for an exemption from the mandatory Swiss insurance (KVG) with the cantonal authorities.
Exemption procedure
Step 1 — After arriving in Zurich (or after a canton change), register at the municipality to obtain or update your residence permit.
Step 2 — The municipality then forwards the information to SVA Zürich (Sozialversicherungsanstalt), the cantonal body responsible for verifying health insurance coverage.
Step 3 — Choose an international student insurance and subscribe to a contract.
Step 4 — Once the insurance policy is received, fill in the KVG exemption request via the official SVA form: → SVA Zürich — Compulsory health insurance exemption form
Step 5 — After submitting the form, the SVA sends a confirmation email of the exemption request. It is important to forward this confirmation email to the City of Zurich at: bva-kv@zuerich.ch
Special case: students transferring from another Swiss canton
If you have already resided in another Swiss canton — for example after a Bachelor's at EPFL — the SVA Zürich may request additional documents during the exemption process, notably:
- Exemption(s) issued by your previous canton(s) since your entry into Switzerland
- Confirmation Form A, completed, signed, and stamped by your current health insurer
If you do not have all your previous exemptions, you will need to contact the canton where you previously resided in order to obtain them. In some cases, that canton may require proof that you were insured during your stay — for example, insurance certificates or attestations. You will then need to contact your former insurer to obtain these documents. Once this proof is provided, the previous canton can issue the missing exemptions, which you can then forward to SVA Zurich.
This procedure applies equally to Moroccan students arriving directly from abroad and to those transferring their permit from another Swiss canton.
Indicative Timeline
- Submit your application to ETH Zurich (Master's or Bachelor's)
- Check the admission requirements of your programme
- Start researching housing options in Zurich
- Actively search for housing (WOKO, JUWO, Student Village, Flatfox, etc.)
- Finalise a housing contract if possible
- Compare student health insurances (Swisscare, Academic Care, Coverio, etc.)
- If transferring from another Swiss canton: submit your canton change request (Kantonswechsel)
- Register at the municipality (Personenmeldeamt)
- Bring: passport · ETH admission confirmation · rental contract
- Subscribe to health insurance
- If choosing an international student insurance:
- Fill in the KVG exemption form on the SVA Zürich website
- Forward the exemption confirmation email to bva-kv@zuerich.ch
- Prepare health insurance exemptions from your previous canton(s)
- Prepare Form A signed by your insurer
- Complete the SVA request within 30 days of their notice — contact them quickly if you need an extension