Mandatory education for children
Attending school is mandatory for all children aged 4 to 16 years of age. However, during the initial phase of the asylum procedure children living in a Federal Asylum Centre may have limited access to school programs. The stay in such a Federal Asylum Centre is limited to 140 days.
Public education is managed by the cantons. The canton to which a child has been assigned determines when they can start attending school and whether they need to attend preparatory or language classes first. Consequently, children may have to wait before joining regular school classes.
Check the overview of cantonal education structures (available in German, French and Italian).
Continuing education and training
After obtaining your F or B permit, you may wish to continue your education or consider other opportunities, such as vocational training or apprenticeship.
If you wish to continue your studies after completing your compulsory education, check the information on access to higher education in Switzerland.
Several cantons also offer the opportunity to undertake an “integration pre-apprenticeship” (Integrationsvorlehre (INVOL); Réapprentissage d’intégration (PAI); Pretirocinio d’integrazione (PTI)).
See more about general information on education, vocational training and occupations.
If you have obtained a professional qualification abroad and wish to find out if a recognition is required to work in Switzerland, please visit recognition.swiss. If you live in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, you can also reach out to the association découvrir. Residents of the German-speaking part of Switzerland can reach out to HEKS MosaiQ. Health care professionals can also find more information on the SRC website.