Preparing for your exchange

Contacting your host family

You will receive the information about your host family from AFS in your country. As soon as you have it, you should contact the host family. They are just as excited to get to know you as you are to get to know them. This first contact is very important because it is the first link to your Swiss family. It has a very practical side to it, too: Ask your host family what you really need to bring along and what you might borrow from them.

Online language learning

All year program participants receive access to an online language program called «Busuu». At the same time as you receive this welcome booklet you should get an E-Mail with your account information, please also check your spam folder. The aim is to complete 12 Unts before arrival and finish all 16 Units 3 months after arrival. If you do not reach the requested Units in time, you will be charged USD 200.

Your access to the online language course remains active for 6 months. This way, you can continue to use it during the first few months of your exchange. We encourage you to use it on a regular basis. The language will be a major factor in your integration. Experience shows that students who learn the language quickly have fewer difficulties during the exchange.

Visa and travel

The AFS office in your home country organizes the travel arrangements and sends you instructions for the visa application. If any questions arise, please do not hesitate to contact the office in your home country.

Insurance

During your stay in Switzerland, you will benefit from a medical insurance which covers medical costs for accidents and illnesses. Your national AFS organization can provide more information about this insurance.

All other types of insurance – such as liability or theft insurance – are your own responsibility. It is important that you and your parents discuss what you need and take out the necessary insurance policies before your program starts.

Liability insurance

AFS Switzerland strongly recommends taking out a liability insurance, which covers damages and injuries caused to third parties. If you break something or cause an injury to someone, the costs can be enormous. It is very important that you have insurance for such cases as these costs are not covered by AFS Switzerland.

If you do not yet have a liability insurance, look for options in your home country before the program starts.

Recommended vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations in Switzerland. However, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health highly recommends a number of vaccinations. The following are included in the Swiss vaccination schedule:

Diphtheria • Tetanus • Pertussis • Polio • Haemophilus influenzae Typ B • Hepatitis B • Pneumococcus • Measles • Mumps • Rubella • Human papilloma virus HPV • Varicella • Meningococcus • Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)

We highly recommend you to check your vaccinations with your doctor in your home country with regards to the Swiss vaccination schedule.

What to pack

Many students have difficulty in deciding what to pack. Furthermore, they have a tendency to pack many things they don't need. To avoid this, take enough time, make a list and discuss it with your parents and with your host parents. One suitcase and one piece of hand luggage are enough. You have to be able to carry your luggage yourself. If you find it difficult to imagine that all you need should fit in one suitcase, imagine that you are only packing for two weeks. Here is a list of tips and things you might want to bring. This is only a guideline and not conclusive:

Clothing: Teenagers in Switzerland usually wear casual and informal clothes. It is ok in Switzerland to wear the same trousers or sweaters for more than one day, as long as they are not dirty and do not smell.

Be prepared for both hot and cold weather: You should bring clothing and shoes for both hot and cold weather. A pair of warm shoes/boots and a warm coat/jacket are an absolute must. If you do not own such items and cannot buy them in your home country, make sure, you have enough money to buy them in Switzerland.

Swimsuit: During the summertime, the Swiss love to swim in the numerous rivers and lakes.

Umbrella and/or Rain Jacket: The weather can be rainy at any time of the year but especially in the Spring and Autumn.

Underwear: Pack enough underwear to last at least a week, as most Swiss families do the laundry only once a week. Unlike trousers orsweaters, you are expected to change your underpants and socks every day.

Slippers: In most Swiss homes, you are expected to take off your shoes. Ask your host family if you can borrow slippers from them or if you should bring them with you.

Special gear: Before you pack things that you need only on very few occasions such as hiking boots or a ski outfit, talk to your host family to find out if they can lend you these items.

Laptop: If you own a laptop or a tablet, bring it with you. It is required at most schools. However, if you do not own one, it should not be a problem to borrow one once you are in Switzerland.

Mobile phone: If you don’t have a mobile phone or if you have one that is not compatible with the Swiss mobile phone network, don’t worry. Once you are in Switzerland, you can cborrow a phone from someone and just buy a Swiss prepaid SIM card.

Musical instruments: can often be rented or borrowed. Talk to your host family about this as well.

Gifts: A small gift for your host family is a very nice gesture. Most Swiss families appreciate little things with symbolic value rather than expensive gifts. They especially like things that tell them something about you and where you are from (e.g. pictures of your home and your family, a thank-you-note from your parents, typical recipes, a traditional product of your country etc.)

Credit or debit card and passport

Managing money abroad

It is very important that you talk with your parents about money before the exchange. Switzerland can be an expensive place and you will need pocket money. The following paragraphs will give you a realistic range as a basis for a discussion with your parents:

Expenses paid by AFS Switzerland

To make a budget, it is not only important that you know what you will have to pay but also what you won't have to pay during your exchange. AFS Switzerland covers the costs of the following:

Expenses in connection with your residence permit.
Online language course, which starts approx. 2 months before your departure and is valid for 6 months.
Half-Fare Travel card that allows you to use public transportation at half-price rates. Students are responsible for paying any public transport fines issued against the student.
Costs for public transportation to school and to AFS camps.
School books can either be borrowed from the school or the library of the local AFS chapter. If you need to buy additional books, these will be reimbursed at the end of the exchange as long as they are in a good condition and can be used again (excluding dictionaries, reading and exercise books).

In many cases, your host family will cover costs these in advance and then request a refund from AFS. It is very important that you keep all receipts. AFS Switzerland can only reimburse amounts for which you present a receipt.

Expenses paid by the participant

In order to immerse yourself into your host culture, it is important that you have enough pocket money to participate in activities either organized by your host school, by your host family or by your Swiss friends.

If you come from a wealthy family, you should know that the Swiss tend to be modest in their appearance rather than flaunting their wealth. If you have more money than your host siblings or your classmates, this may cause tension. Find out what your siblings and classmates can afford and be considerate of how you spend your money. Your Swiss family will have great respect for you if you prove that you spend your money wisely but they will find it abhorrent if you spend money on things they perceive as useless or unnecessary.

How much pocket money you will need depends on several factors: people have different needs and standards and it also depends on where you live (cities tend to be more expensive than small towns and villages) and on your host school. It is thus impossible to state an exact amount for all exchange students. We can generalize a bit and provide a realistic range:

Pocket money – CHF 200-250 per month

For expenses such as leisure activities, short trips, clothes, hygiene, mobile phone bills etc. Once you arrive, try to find out how much teenagers your age spend and on what. You might already know that Switzerland is a rather expensive country. But you can save a lot of money if you talk to the people around you and learn about „money traps“. (See also chapter Money Traps.)

Excursions and school camps – CHF 250-800 for the whole exchange

This depends very much on the school you will attend. Many schools organize excursions, sometimes even outside Switzerland. Some of them are optional, some compulsory. The costs have to be covered by the students themselves. Exchange students are generally expected to participate. We highly recommend you seize this opportunity if given the chance. It is not only a fantastic chance to travel or to participate in interesting activities but also to get to know your classmates outside the classroom.

Optional courses – CHF 100–1000 for the whole exchange

Many schools offer optional courses in art, language, music etc. Outside school, you will soon realize that there are hundreds of associations and clubs in Switzerland for all kinds of activities (e.g. singing in a choir, playing soccer, scouts groups and many more). Almost everybody in Switzerland is a member of one or several clubs. So if you want to have a real Swiss experience, we encourage you to check out the possibilities in your host community and join one of the clubs. This is a chance to meet people with similar interests and learn a lot about typical Swiss traditions. The fees for optional courses at school and membership fees for clubs are usually very moderate.

Approximate costs of consumer goods

As mentioned before, Switzerland is an expensive country. To get a first impression, use the website to compare the prices of the following list with the prices you would pay in your home country:


Item	Avg. Price
Coffee	CHF 4
Soft Drink	CHF 2.50 - 4
Sandwich	CHF 5 - 10
Restaurant meal for one	CHF 20-50
Cinema tickets	CHF 12 - 20
Bread	CHF 1 - 5
Hamburger	CHF 3.50 - 20
Concert tickets	CHF 20 - 150
Ski Pass (1 Day)	CHF 45 - 80
Mobile phone/ month	CHF 20 - 80

As you can see, for some items there is a wide range of prices, depending a lot on where you buy them. There can be significant differences between individual shops and restaurants but also between urban and rural areas. Talk with your host family and your friends about the spots with the best value for money.

How to receive money from home

For safety reasons, you should not carry too much cash on your person. There are different possibilities for your parents to send you money during your exchange (credit or debit cards, money transfers etc.). It is also possible to open a bank account in Switzerland but only after you have received the residence permit (1-2 months after your arrival).

Which solution is best depends on the country you are coming from. Ask a financial institution or AFS in your home country what they recommend for Switzerland.