Published on 1 February 2026

EU/EFTA: Education system

Before emigrating to an EU/EFTA member state, you should familiarise yourself with the education system there.

The school system in the country you're planning to emigrate to might be very different from the system at home. In some countries, students have to decide early on whether they want to study at university level or pursue vocational training. This is why school diplomas are not recognised automatically. In some countries, you have to ask the national authorities to recognise school diplomas before you can enrol your children in a local school.

School in your new country

More information about going to school in an EU member state is available on the European Union's website.

Swiss schools

In keeping with federal legislation, the Federal Office of Culture supports 18 Swiss schools abroad which provide a Swiss education to young Swiss nationals living abroad.

In Europe, there are seven Swiss schools, two of them in Spain and the remaining five in Italy.

Educationsuisse

Educationsuisse, the central hub in the worldwide network of Swiss schools abroad provides more information on these schools.

Swiss schools abroad

Our website provides more information on how Swiss schools abroad are organised and what they have to offer.

Universities

Europe's numerous universities vary greatly from country to country in terms of admissions requirements, duration of degree programmes, and tuition fees. We therefore recommend that you familiarise yourself with university-related conditions before emigrating.