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Welcome to Switzerland!

This guide is a comprehensive resource for AFS participants coming to Switzerland.

As you embark on this exciting exchange experience, you will discover a country rich in cultural diversity, breathtaking landscapes, and unique traditions. This guide provides essential information to help you navigate your exchange journey —from preparation and arrival to daily life, school, cultural adaptation— and make the most of your stay.

AFS Switzerland

• National Office
• Volunteers
• Local Chapters

About Switzerland

• Geography
• Climate
• Swiss culture
• Languages
  • Swiss German vs High German

• Transportation
• Education system
• Practical information

Preparing for your exchange

• Contacting your host family
• Online language learning
• Visa and travel
• Insurance
• Recommended vaccinations
• What to pack
• Managing money abroad

Your exchange experience

• Your time in Switzerland
• Arrival day and first weeks
• Your host family and you
• Your host school
  • Frequently asked questions
• Making friends
• Leisure activities
• Religious practice and attitudes
• Good manners
• Typically Swiss?
• Health and wellbeing: highs and lows
• Money traps
• Social media fair play rules
• Conclusion

Preparing to return home

• Saying goodbye
• Reflecting on your exchange

AFS Rules & Policies

• Rules of AFS Switzerland
• Travel policies
  • Visits from home
• Uninsured activities

Safety Handbook

• Introduction
• Safety at home
  • General safety questions
  • Answering the phone
• Safety outside the home
  • Transportation safety
    • Public transport
    • Walking
    • Cycling
    • Motor vehicles
  • Public places
  • Weather
  • Theft
• Authorities and emergency contacts
• Drugs & alcohol
  • Drugs
  • Alcohol
• Health & wellness
  • Relationships and sex
  • HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
• Sexual harassment
• Other important issues
  • Laws in Switzerland
  • Liability insurance
• Conclusion