Switzerland and New Zealand do not have a working holiday agreement; however, both countries concluded a trainee exchange agreement in order to enable young professionals to extend their occupational and linguistic skills in Switzerland. Work permits can be granted for a maximum of 18 month

There exists a valid visa waiver agreeement between Switzerland and New Zealand which allows New Zealand passport holders to spend up to 90 days in Switzerland, without reference to time spent in other Schengen area countries; this agreement therefore overrides the Schengen area restriction of no more than 90 days out of 180 days period in the Schengen area as a whole

Working for an international organization with headquarter agreements with Switzerland in Geneva, Bern, Gland, Lausanne or Basel: in case of employment, the international organization will request the issuing of a Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA legitimation card through the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and to the other international organisations in Geneva, Section of Privileges and Immunities, upon arrival in Switzerland; persons travelling on a New Zealand passport can therefore travel to Switzerland without a visa or without an assurance of residence permit in order to take up the employment

Please inquire with your University in Switzerland if the necessary request for the assurance of residence permit is submitted by the University directly; if the answer is no, please submit by mail an application for a National Visa D - student visa (application form has to be downloaded under the title "Long stay visa application form") together with all the documents listed in the document requirements for a Student (PDF, 1 Page, 65.3 kB) visa; please do not send your passport as it is not needed

As one of the few exceptions, New Zealand passport holders do not need a visa to take up residency or work in Switzerland but a so called "assurance of residence permit" - the process to obtain this assurance is the same as obtaining a visa (hence the word "visa" in all texts and on the application itself) but the outcome is different: instead of a visa sticker in the New Zealand passport, the applicants get a document in the size A4 which is called "Assurance of residence permit" (in either German, French or Italian language) and which outlines the condidtions to take up residency. Please note that this assurance has to be obtained prior to travelling to Switzerland and that the process in obtaining it takes up to three month.

The future employer in Switzerland has to submit the application for the assurance to take up work directly with the Office of Migration of the Canton of the work place; the Embassy is not involved in this process.