Submit in person in Dhaka
Book an appointment with the Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka by email, then bring the complete file. The embassy accepts only complete applications and does not give status updates.
Student visa · National visa D
To study in Switzerland for more than 90 days you need a national visa D. Bangladeshi students submit it in person at the Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka once a university has admitted them and the tuition is paid. The canton where you will study decides in about three months, and the embassy then issues the visa within 5 days. You show enough money for your studies and living costs, and the embassy asks for IELTS or TOEFL, a police clearance and three years of tax returns.
Written and reviewed by Anisuzzaman Kiron, Founder & CEO · Updated
| Visa you need | National visa D for study |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | In person at the Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka, by appointment booked by email |
| Visa fee | Free of charge, says the embassy's student visa checklist; cantons charge permit fees |
| Money to show | CHF 21,000 a year in the canton of Zurich; other cantons set their own |
| Processing time | About 3 months for the canton's decision, then 5 days at the embassy |
| English test | IELTS or TOEFL is compulsory |
| Work on the permit | Up to 15 hours a week, from 6 months after you start |
From the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, the canton of Zurich and the University of Zurich · Last verified
The basics
It is a national visa D for study. You submit it in person in Dhaka; the canton where your university is decides on your stay, the embassy then issues the visa, and you register for your residence permit after you arrive.
Book an appointment with the Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka by email, then bring the complete file. The embassy accepts only complete applications and does not give status updates.
The migration office of the canton where you will study assesses your file, which takes about three months. After it approves, the embassy issues the visa within 5 days.
The University of Zurich warns that a tourist visa cannot be turned into a residence permit for study. Apply for the national visa D.
Money rules differ by canton. The canton of Zurich, for example, asks for CHF 21,000 a year in an account in your own name and does not accept parents' bank statements, while the Dhaka checklist asks for sponsor documents. Your counsellor checks the rule for your canton.
Sources: Embassy of Switzerland: student visa checklist, 5 Jan 2026 · Embassy of Switzerland: visa process · University of Zurich: entry and visa. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Step by step
Six steps, from admission to the flight. The hardest parts for Bangladeshi students are a complete, well-documented money file and starting early enough for a three-month decision.
Apply to the university; once admitted, pay the tuition so your admission letter confirms it is paid.
Months beforeApostille your degrees, get a police clearance under six months old, and collect six months of bank statements, sponsor documents and three years of tax returns.
Before the appointmentExplain why you chose Switzerland, your career plans, your commitment to leave after your studies and where you will live.
Before the appointmentEmail the embassy for an appointment and submit three visa D forms, photos and your documents in person; the embassy may test your language.
At least 3 months before you travelThe cantonal decision takes about three months; the embassy does not give status updates.
About 3 monthsBring your passport and the cantonal authorisation to the embassy; the visa is issued within 5 days. Register in your canton after you arrive.
After approvalSources: Embassy of Switzerland: student visa checklist · University of Zurich: entry and visa. Timing of the first step: Sunrise advice. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Documents
The embassy's checklist sets the list and the order. The right-hand list is what Sunrise prepares with Switzerland students in Bangladesh.
Bring originals and two copies. The embassy asks for two extra photocopy sets on A4, unstapled; originals are checked at the counter and returned.
Sources: Embassy of Switzerland: student visa checklist · Embassy of Switzerland: visa process. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Money and fees
The embassy's checklist says the visa processing fee is free of charge. The main cost is the money you show: CHF 21,000 a year in the canton of Zurich, on top of the tuition you pay before the visa.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa processing fee | Free of charge | Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, student visa checklist (5 January 2026). |
| Money to show | CHF 21,000 a yearAbout BDT 31.5 lakh | Canton of Zurich, in your own name; other cantons set their own amount. |
| Tuition before the visa | Paid, with proof | Your admission letter must confirm the tuition is paid. |
| Cantonal fee for the visa | For example CHF 95 | Zurich migration office (University of Zurich figure). |
| Residence permit | For example CHF 162 | Zurich registration office, after you arrive (University of Zurich figure). |
| Health insurance | Confirmed in counselling | Compulsory in Switzerland unless the canton grants an exemption. |
| Police clearance, apostille and translation | Confirmed in counselling | Bangladeshi authorities and translators. |
Tuition is separate. Swiss public universities charge international students CHF 580–4,000 a semester; compare them on our Switzerland universities page and see the full budget in the Switzerland costs section.
BDT amounts are approximate, at about BDT 149.9 per Swiss franc (Wise mid-market rate, 11 Nov 2026), and change with the exchange rate. Sources: Embassy of Switzerland: student visa checklist · University of Zurich: entry and visa · FOPH: health insurance for foreign students. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Success and refusals
We did not find an official grant rate for Bangladeshi student visa applicants on the embassy and cantonal pages we checked, so any percentage you see online is an estimate. What the embassy does say: it accepts only complete applications, it may test your language, and it gives no status updates.
Every document on the Dhaka checklist, in the order it asks, with two copy sets; incomplete applications are not accepted.
Bank statements, sponsor documents and three years of tax returns that match each other, in your own name where your canton asks for it.
Your reasons for Switzerland, your career plan and your commitment to leave after your studies, in your own words.
If you are refused, read the reasons in the decision before you do anything else, and talk to a counsellor before you apply again.
Sources: Embassy of Switzerland: student visa checklist · University of Zurich: entry and visa. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
Timeline
The Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka says the process takes about three months, and the University of Zurich asks students to contact the Swiss representation at least three months before entry. Plan backwards from your semester start.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Up to a year before | Shortlist universities and check each one's country rules and deadlines; ETH Zurich's master's window for autumn 2027 is 1–30 November 2026. |
| After admission | Pay the tuition and get an admission letter confirming payment. |
| At least 3 months before you travel | Email the embassy for an appointment and submit the complete visa D file in person. |
| About 3 months | The canton assesses your file; the embassy gives no status updates. |
| Within 5 days of approval | Bring your passport and the cantonal authorisation; the embassy issues the visa. |
| After you arrive | Register in your canton for your residence permit and take out Swiss health insurance within three months. |
Sources: Embassy of Switzerland: student visa checklist · University of Zurich: entry and visa · ETH Zurich: application dates · FOPH: health insurance. Month-by-month plan: Sunrise advice. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
After you arrive
Register in your canton, take out health insurance and keep your funds and enrolment in order. After graduation you can get a six-month permit to look for a job.
From six months after you start, up to 15 hours a week during the semester, if your university confirms it fits your studies; your employer applies for the permit.
Insure yourself within three months of arrival unless the canton exempts you. In Zurich you show your funds again when you extend the permit after one year.
Graduates of a Swiss university can get a six-month permit to look for a job if they have money, housing and their diploma; EPFL says it cannot be extended.
Not sure your file is ready? A Sunrise counsellor checks it before you book the embassy appointment. Book a free consultation or message WhatsApp 01611878274.
Sources: Canton of Zurich: students and graduates · University of Zurich: entry and visa · FOPH: health insurance · EPFL: stay after graduation. Last verified 11 Nov 2026.
FAQ
Ask a Switzerland counsellor directly if your question is not here.
WhatsApp 01611878274Yes. For study of more than 90 days you need a national visa D, submitted in person at the Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka.
In person at the Embassy of Switzerland in Dhaka, in Gulshan 2, after booking an appointment by email. The embassy's checklist does not mention VFS.
It depends on the canton. Zurich asks for CHF 21,000 a year (about BDT 31.5 lakh) in your own name and does not accept parents' bank statements. The embassy asks for six months of statements, sponsor documents and three years of tax returns.
The embassy's student visa checklist says the visa processing fee is free of charge. Cantons charge their own fees, such as CHF 95 at the Zurich migration office and CHF 162 for the Zurich residence permit.
Yes. The checklist says an English test such as TOEFL or IELTS is compulsory; Swiss Federal Government scholarship holders are exempt.
About three months for the canton's decision; the embassy then issues the visa within 5 days. It does not give status updates.
Yes, a police clearance certificate no more than six months old on the day you submit.
No. The University of Zurich warns that a tourist visa cannot be converted into a residence permit for study.
From six months after you start, up to 15 hours a week during the semester, if your university confirms the job fits your studies.
You can apply for a six-month permit to look for a job if you have enough money, housing and your diploma. EPFL says it cannot be extended.
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