2. At arrival / first days

• First thing to do when you arrive to Switzerland :
• Register with the local municipal authority within 8 days of arrival !
• Check out the following webpage for more information: Check list of Arrival – Canton of Vaud. Check out the “Welcome” brochure, where you will find all the practical information you need !

You need a Swiss bank account to receive your salary.

Here are some options of banks you can check: List of Swiss cantonal and regional banks

Notice that there is a BCV branch in the campus, inside the "INTERNEF" building.

Are you a French resident ? There are generally two options for a bank account. The first (more straightforward) option is to open a bank account in Switzerland. Alternatively, it is possible to open a bank account in France which also includes a CHF account. In this scenario, you would have both a Euro and CHF bank card which can be used in both countries. This way, you do not pay conversion fees between a Swiss bank and a bank in France. However, the exchange rate is not fixed. This option is only available in some banks e.g. Crédit Mutuel (https://www.creditmutuel.fr/fr/frontaliers/suisse/comptes-virements.html).

Important : When your CHF account is opened, remember to send your bank account details (a RIB / IBAN) to the ISTE secretariat (secretariat-iste@unil.ch) so that your salary can be paid.

All foreign workers who do not have a C residence permit have the taxes payable to the federal state, canton and municipality deducted at source from their salary. Taxes payable depend on your civil status and whether you have children or not. Therefore, be sure to communicate any changes in your family situation to the ISTE secretariat as soon as possible.

If you want more information you can check this link on taxes in the canton of Vaud : Les impôts dans le canton de Vaud.

You have different options regarding the mobility in Lausanne and in Switzerland:

• Half fare or GA Swisspass: Pay half of the price!
• Lausanne public transportation: for local public you have special offers that enable you to travel within Lausanne
• Daily pass : Other interesting deals for train tickets are the day passes that you can buy for about 40 CHF at your municipality (exact price depends on the municipality you are registered at, search for “carte jounalière <municipality name>”) or the
• Super saver tickets
• Cars can be rented in multiple car rental offices in Lausanne, but you can also use the ‘Mobility cars’
• Bikes:
• ‘PointVélo’ at EPFL
• Facebook marketplace
• Other second hand websites.
• You can have your bike repaired for free at the ‘Atelier vélo’ located right next to Géopolis.
• Rent a bike. If you don’t want to buy a bike, you can rent the purple PubliBikes that are spread all over the campus (50 CHF per year).

After moving to Switzerland, you have three months to take out the mandatory (basic) health insurance. As an employee of the University of Lausanne, you are already insured against accidents and can therefore exclude accident coverage  when taking out a health insurance policy.

Health insurance for newcomers

If you want to compare different health insurance companies

Foreign Student Health Insurance Switzerland: swisscare