HUMAN MEDICINE · A GUIDE FOR PARENTS
Medicine in Switzerland.
Understand the entry rules, compare the routes and plan your child’s next step.
Start with the essentials
01 · ELIGIBILITY FIRST
Can your child apply?
Medicine has strict entry rules. Your child’s nationality and residence situation come before the academic application.
- Swiss citizen
- Check the diploma, subjects, grades and language requirements.
- Foreign national with Swiss ties
- Certain residence or family situations may qualify. The university must confirm the applicable category.
- Applying from abroad
- Most foreign applicants without a qualifying Swiss connection are not eligible. Check recognised exceptions before choosing preparation.
A Swiss Maturité alone does not override these restrictions.
Diplomas, subjects & residence rules
Check the exact school qualification.
A foreign diploma must meet the chosen university’s requirements: recognition, subjects, levels and years studied, grades, and any additional examination or evidence. Preparation is useful only when it addresses a requirement the university accepts.
Explore qualification pathwaysSwiss Maturité and residence are considered together.
The national recommendation includes certain foreign applicants with Swiss legal domicile and a recognised Swiss Maturité. Universities apply their own admission conditions. A residence permit or certificate by itself does not establish eligibility.
Geneva’s published conditions also include defined situations involving a long-held Geneva cross-border permit. Confirm the relevant status and evidence with the university for the intended intake.
Eligibility evidence is normally due by national pre-registration. Permitted later submission of school certificates is a separate matter.
02 · THE STUDY ROUTES
Two stages of selection.
An aptitude test.
Basel, Bern, Zurich, ETH Zurich, Fribourg and the USI route use the AMS / EMS test to allocate limited places.
Selection to continue.
Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel do not use AMS entrance selection. Progression to year two is competitive.
Eligibility rules apply to both routes. Plan for French or German at Bachelor level; there is no complete English-only route from high school.
3-year Bachelor3-year MasterFederal examination
Compare universities & teaching languages
| University or track | Selection | What to plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Basel, Bern & Zurich | AMS before entry | Zurich also offers tracks leading to Lucerne or St. Gallen at Master’s level. |
| ETH Zurich | AMS before entry | Bachelor at ETH; Master at a partner university in Basel, Zurich or Lugano. |
| Fribourg | AMS before entry | Bachelor in Fribourg; the Master may be in Fribourg or at another Swiss faculty. |
| USI · Lugano track | AMS before entry | The Bachelor is taught in Basel or Bern. The USI Master is in Lugano. |
| Geneva & Lausanne | Selection after year one | No AMS entrance selection. Progression to the second year is competitive. |
| Neuchâtel | Selection after year one | Offers the first year only. Continuing elsewhere depends on the selection and allocation process. |
Check the language of every stage.
Bachelor routes require German or French; Fribourg uses both. Confirm the language evidence and level required. USI’s Bachelor route is taught in German at Basel or Bern, while its Master is in English with Italian used in clinical practice.
The teaching location may change between Bachelor and Master. A Bachelor alone does not qualify a graduate to practise as a doctor: the Master and federal examination follow, then specialist training.
03 · YOUR NEXT STEPS
Plan for autumn 2027.
National pre-registration
All routes, including Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel.
AMS registration closes
For routes using the aptitude test.
AMS test day
For routes using the aptitude test.
National pre-registration and the university application are separate steps, with their own deadlines.
Application steps & university deadlines
Register with swissuniversities by 15 February 2027. For test-based routes, complete the separate AMS registration and payment by 25 May; the test is on 9 July. Places are allocated later in July and successful applicants must confirm them.
Also complete the university’s application. Geneva publishes 30 April 2027 for Bachelor applications, or 28 February 2027 for applicants who require a visa under the applicable nationality rules. Confirm the deadline for your child’s circumstances.
These dates are for autumn 2027. Check the current university calendar before submitting.
Can another degree lead to a transfer?
Biomedical science is a separate route, not guaranteed entry to human medicine. A year abroad does not guarantee a transfer either. The receiving faculty applies its eligibility, equivalence and capacity rules.
Geneva’s equivalence procedure, for example, requires at least one successfully completed year of medicine and offers very limited external places.
A PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY
Let’s clarify your child’s next step.
We help check the applicable conditions, compare routes and organise the application. Start with a conversation about your child’s background and plans.
Official sources checked .
General admissions guide