Arriving as a family
This page provides useful information for those who have just arrived in Lausanne with their family.
UNIL’s family policy is described on a dedicated website: Families at UNIL.
The Welcome Centre also provides specific support to partners of UNIL staff arriving from abroad. Please look at the relevant page.
Do not forget to look at the other pages on this website for useful information on life in Lausanne and the region.
The Equal Opportunities Office can offer financial assistance to parents with one or more children when the price of daycare (at a private nursery or with a childminder) is unaffordable for the parents.
This support is available only on request and the parents must meet the required criteria.
All the necessary information is available online.
Childcare
It is difficult to find good quality childcare in Switzerland.
There are few public nurseries and private nurseries can be expensive. Time on the waiting list for a public nursery can be lengthy, depending on the period. You should register as soon as possible!
Baby-sitters, nannies and childminders offer some alternative solutions. Most towns and cities in the canton of Vaud have centralised waiting lists for all the services.
For information on childcare services in Lausanne, look at the website of the Bureau d'information aux parents [parents’ information office] or contact the UNIL Equal Opportunities Office.
There are three nurseries on the UNIL-EPFL campus: La Croquignole , La Croq'cinelle and Le Polychinelle.
These pre-school establishments accept children from two months to four and a half years old who have at least one parent working at EPFL or UNIL.
They are members of the Lausanne day care network. Places are managed and allocated centrally by the Bureau d'information aux parents de la Ville de Lausanne (BIP) [Lausanne parents’ information office]
UNIL free service (SOS Parents)
Is your child ill, is the person who usually looks after them unavailable or has something unexpected cropped up at work?
If you are working or studying at UNIL, you can contact our partner la Croix-Rouge vaudoise, who will put you in touch with a Red Cross assistant (minimum period of care: three hours).
For more information, please contact the UNIL Equal Opportunities Office.
The cost of childcare in a nursery varies significantly depending on the type of organisation, whether it is public or private, and the parents’ income.
The City of Lausanne website offers an estimate of childcare costs (in French).
The Equality Opportunities Office can offer financial assistance to parents who are students, doctoral candidates or post-doctoral researchers to help cover the extra costs of looking after a child during a conference or other scientific activity.
You will find all the conditions on this page.
Schools
Switzerland has an excellent education system, which is entirely free.
School starts at four and is compulsory for 11 years. Every child must be registered with the schools’ administration of the commune in which they live.
If your child does not yet speak French, the school will arrange additional French courses when he or she starts.
The organisation of the school system is governed by the commune. You will find the rules of the canton of Vaud under this tab.
The website of the canton of Vaud provides information in French on the organisation of local schools.
The CH.ch website also has information on the Swiss school system.
We suggest you read this PDF document, which contains all the necessary information in English.
Health and Care
The quality of the Swiss healthcare system is recognised to be high. Health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland. Make sure you take out insurance for your whole family without delay.
Pharmacists can offer initial advice and useful information if you or your child fall ill. You should note the location of your nearest pharmacy: the sign with the large green cross is easily recognisable.
Use these tabs to get further information.
The Société vaudoise de médecine [Vaud Medical Society] provides a list of local doctors.
Except in an emergency, the paediatrician is the first point of contact for parents. You will find the list of paediatricians in the Lausanne region here.
The Canton of Vaud website also provides a list of hospitals and private clinics in the region for information.
In the event of a non life-threatening illness or emergency or if you are unable to contact your doctor, an on-call medical helpline is available 24/7. Calls are free. A healthcare professional will help you assess the situation and give you advice about what to do: Medical helpline 0848 133 133.
There are several accident and emergency centres in the region. The list of accident and emergency centres in the canton of Vaud can be found online or via an app.
List of numbers for emergency services:
- Ambulance : 144
- Police : 117
- Fire : 118
- Rega (helicopter rescue) : 1414
- Empoisonnement : 145
- Roadside assistance : 140
- Psychological support (La Main Tendue) : 143
- UNIL emergency numbers : UniSep
There are several dental clinics in the Lausanne region and a very large number of small dental surgeries, offering very high quality dental care.
School dentists provide dental care for children. Here is the list of school dentists in Lausanne.
The closest dental clinic to campus is at EPFL. Dentists will also provide emergency treatment without an appointment.
Useful ressources
Leisure and social life in Vaud Canton
The Equality Office can offer financial assistance to parents of students, doctoral candidates and post-doctoral fellows to cover the extra cost of childcare during a conference or other scientific activity.
You will find the conditions on this page.
Université de Lausanne
Vieux Pressoir
1015 Lausanne
+ 41 21 692 20 59
egalite@unil.ch
Interactive map of recreational areas
Parks and gardens in Lausanne