Vaud Newcomer Admin Kit

Before you arrive

• EPFL housing

  EPFL Housing Information, the UNIL-EPFL portal, student halls and scam warnings.

• Housing scams (companion tip sheet)

  Red-flag checklist for private rooms and flats: EPFL Housing scam warnings, police flyer tips, and how to report a fraudulent UNIL-EPFL portal ad.

• Rental deposit (garantie de loyer), pay safely 1 to verify

  Blocked bank guarantee (max 3 months’ rent per EPFL), CO 257 vs 257e, and insurance-style alternatives.

• Rental inventory tip sheet (état des lieux) 1 to verify

  Move-in and move-out inspection checklist for private flats: entry/exit état des lieux, furniture inventory, and deposit release pointers.

• Electricity when you move into a private flat (SiL / Romande Energie) 1 to verify

  Announce your move-in to the grid company for your address (SiL in Lausanne, Romande Energie in much of western Vaud) before the key date.

• Home internet for a private flat: fibre, cable or mobile data 3 to verify

  Campus Wi-Fi does not follow you home: mobile data vs a fibre / cable subscription, address checkers, OTO ID, 12 or 24-month terms with 60-day notice, and Lausanne (SiL bli bla blo) / west-Lausanne (SIE / TVT) pointers.

• LAMal (compulsory health insurance) and student exemption

  Within 3 months of taking up residence: take out Swiss LAMal or apply for the Vaud exemption.

• LAMal premium reduction / subsidy in Canton Vaud 2 to verify

  Vaud subside (premium reduction) for compulsory LAMal: who may apply, OVAM / agency path, 2026 income bands, student interaction with dispense. Orientation only; confirm with OVAM or your agency.

• Household and liability insurance (not LAMal) 2 to verify

  Household contents, private liability (RC) and Vaud ECA fire cover, separate from LAMal.

• Accident insurance for students (LAA vs LAMal) 2 to verify

  Who pays if you get hurt: LAMal accident cover vs your employer's LAA, the 8 h/week same-employer rule, suspending LAMal accident cover, the 31-day end and interim insurance. No premiums quoted except one published Suva price.

• Bringing your household goods into Switzerland

  Duty-free import of furniture, boxes and your car when you move (form 18.44 and inventory), what students get even without moving their domicile, later shipments within two years, vehicles (15.30, Swiss plates) and the CHF 150 allowance on normal trips.

• Bringing medicines into Switzerland for personal use

  The one-month personal-use limit for medicines, narcotics (30 days, carried in person), ordering online, VAT, and what to do if you stay longer.

• Bringing a cat, dog or ferret to Switzerland 1 to verify

  Rules for bringing a dog, cat or ferret: microchip, rabies vaccination, EU and non-EU routes, declaring at customs, and what to do after arrival.

First 2 weeks

• Permit and commune registration 1 to verify

  EPFL certificate first, then the commune (EPFL 14 days; Renens/canton 8, follow your commune); permit letters and residence tax.

• Leaving Switzerland before your permit card arrives

  Attestation is not a travel document: multi-entry visa vs return visa, and why not to deregister for a short trip.

• Lost or stolen passport, ID card or permit card in Switzerland 4 to verify

  Police declaration first (Lausanne / Police Ouest lausannois: CHF 40 Swiss, CHF 50 foreign document or permit), then your embassy for a foreign passport, the Vaud Centre de biométrie for Swiss documents, and a permit duplicate via your commune / SPOP.

• Registering with your own embassy or consulate in Switzerland 7 to verify

  Finding your country's embassy or consulate in Switzerland, consular registration, passport renewal, voting from abroad and emergency help.

• Reporting a crime or filing a criminal complaint (plainte pénale) in Vaud

  Robbed, attacked, threatened, scammed or your property damaged: when to call 117, which police post to go to, what Vaud's E-plainte covers, the three-month deadline, what to bring, your copy for the insurer, and free victim support (LAVI, 142).

• Getting documents accepted: apostille, legalisation and certified translations 1 to verify

  Make a foreign birth or marriage certificate acceptable to a Vaud office (apostille or legalisation, CIEC multilingual extracts), certified translations, and getting Swiss or EPFL documents certified for use abroad.

• Notary basics in Vaud 1 to verify

  What a Vaud notary does outside housing, how the cantonal notary tariff works, how to find a notary, and what to bring.

• When someone dies in Vaud: declaration, repatriation and funerals 4 to verify

  Declaring a death within two days, the documents the civil-status office needs, repatriating a body abroad, free basic burial in Vaud and where to find support.

• Family, partner and childcare pointers (student permits)

  SEM / Vaud family reunification pointers for student B/L permits (third-country student B/L track is discretionary under LEI art. 44/45, not a right), plus EPFL and Lausanne childcare entry points. Fees and durations only when official pages publish them.

• Getting married in Vaud: the civil-status procedure

  Opening the marriage procedure, documents, the closing meeting, the ceremony, surnames, registered partnership and marriage abroad.

• Family allowances in Vaud for student parents 1 to verify

  Which family allowances exist in Vaud, which route applies to student parents, the cantonal fund for non-employed parents, and children living abroad.

• Pregnancy and maternity basics in Vaud

  What LAMal pays during pregnancy and birth, the federal maternity allowance, job protection and the first admin steps after the birth.

• Paternity and other-parent leave 1 to verify

  Two weeks of paid leave for the father or the mother's wife after a birth, who qualifies, how much is paid, how to claim, and adoption leave.

• Childcare and day-care in Vaud for student and staff parents 3 to verify

  How Vaud day-care networks work, getting on a waiting list, income-based fees, EPFL and UNIL options, and money help.

• B-permit renewal (student stay in Canton Vaud) 1 to verify

  Renew / prolong a student B residence permit in Vaud: avis, commune filing, SPOP, biometrics, EU/EFTA vs third-country pointers. Orientation only; confirm with your commune and SPOP.

• Becoming Swiss in Vaud: naturalisation basics 1 to verify

  Long-term orientation: federal conditions (C permit, years of residence), what Vaud adds, the French level, the procedure and published fees. Orientation only; the SPOP and your commune decide.

• Address change within Canton Vaud (move between communes) 4 to verify

  Move between Vaud communes or change address in the same commune: Contrôle des habitants deadlines, eDéménagement, published fees, and what else to update. Orientation only; confirm with your communes.

• Voting as a foreigner in Vaud: commune elections and votes

  Who can vote and stand in a Vaud commune without a Swiss passport (18+, B or C permit, 10 years in Switzerland, last 3 in Vaud), automatic registration, what it means for students, and published ballot dates.

• Bringing or getting a dog in Vaud: microchip, AMICUS, commune and dog tax 2 to verify

  Announce your dog to the commune within 15 days, microchip and AMICUS registration, the vet check within ten days for dogs brought from abroad, the yearly cantonal and commune dog tax, and Vaud rules for listed breeds.

• CAMIPRO student card 1 to verify

  Getting and validating your EPFL card, what it does, and what to do if it is lost.

• Campus Wi-Fi: epfl vs eduroam

  Which campus SSID to use on day 1: prefer epfl with your EPFL account; eduroam for partner campuses such as UNIL.

• EPFL Library and printing (myPrint) 1 to verify

  Rolex Learning Center hours, free swisscovery registration, loan rules and late fees, plus the myPrint allowance, per-page prices and free scanning.

• BCU Lausanne library card 1 to verify

  Who can get a BCU Lausanne card, the library sites, the Renouvaud catalogue, loans, fines and fees, and interlibrary loan.

• Learning French at EPFL: the Language Centre 2 to verify

  Free French modules for EPFL students (priority over other groups), staff fees, module types, 2026-27 registration windows (15 Nov to 11 Dec 2026 / 15 Jan to 23 Feb 2027) and options if you are not eligible.

• Low-cost French courses outside EPFL 5 to verify

  Subsidised French courses from the canton (BCI) and Lausanne (BLI), evening and university-linked options, and fide tests to prove your level. Orientation only.

• Semester dates and key enrolment deadlines (2026–2027) 2 to verify

  2026–2027 semester dates, FRAC and course registration, exam withdrawal deadlines.

• IS-Academia basics (course registration hub)

  How Bachelor / Master students reach IS-Academia, complete FRAC, register for courses, pay the semester invoice (CHF 780 / 2240), and the published CHF 50 late-registration desk fee (Master's projects Study management).

• Getting a Swiss mobile phone number

  Prepaid vs subscription, ID requirements and carrier pages.

• Swiss phone: prepaid, eSIM, and Swisscom (official pages)

  Day-1 prepaid vs eSIM with Swisscom as the worked example, plus Sunrise pointers, companion to Mobile phone.

• Health & emergencies

  EPFL's 24/7 campus emergency line, 144 off campus, and student mental-health support.

• Emergency contacts and ICE sheet for Vaud

  All the emergency and help numbers for Vaud on one page, ICE contacts and a medical ID on your phone, and a printable checklist.

• Alertswiss, sirens and civil-protection alerts in Vaud

  Install Alertswiss and add Vaud, the two siren signals, the annual siren test (first Wednesday of February, 13:30 to 16:30), and Vaud emergency meeting points, notices and shelters.

• Heat and summer health in Vaud

  MeteoSwiss heat warnings and the Vaud heat plan, protecting yourself in the heat, sun and UV, lake water quality and drinking water. Orientation only.

• EPFL mental health (Psy consultation + Social consultation)

  Campus psychotherapeutic consultation (CHUV @ EPFL): booking, ~200 CHF dual-quote vs Trust Point, and how it differs from Social consultation.

• Alcohol, cannabis and tobacco rules in Vaud

  Legal ages for alcohol and tobacco, smoking bans, cannabis and CBD, drink-driving limits and where to get help. Orientation only; the law and the police decide.

• Finding a GP and a pharmacy (Vaud) 3 to verify

  Everyday care: insurance first, finding a family doctor, EPFL's Point Santé, the on-call line and pharmacies.

• Sexual health in Vaud 4 to verify

  PROFA sexual-health centres near Lausanne, emergency contraception, STI and HIV testing, what LAMal covers, EPFL Point Santé and help after sexual violence. Orientation only.

• Vaccinations in Vaud: adult catch-up, flu, COVID and measles 1 to verify

  The Swiss vaccination plan and adult catch-up, where to get vaccinated (GP, pharmacy, EPFL Point Santé, Unisanté), flu and COVID from mid-October, free MMR at Point Santé, and LAMal without franchise since 1 January 2026.

• Giving blood in Vaud 4 to verify

  Who can give blood, travel and vaccine deferrals, the Transfusion Interrégionale CRS centre near Lausanne, campus drives, language and ID. Orientation only; the transfusion service decides.

• Organ donation in Switzerland 2 to verify

  The current consent rules and the planned change, how to record your decision today, and why to talk to your family. Orientation only.

• Ticks in Vaud: Lyme disease and TBE

  Where ticks live, Lyme disease and TBE, prevention, how to remove a tick, when to see a doctor and the TBE vaccine. Orientation only; ask your doctor or pharmacist.

• Dental care in Vaud: what LAMal covers, what it does not, and how to find a dentist 4 to verify

  Basic insurance (LAMal) and the EHIC generally do not pay the dentist: the narrow exceptions, accidents, optional dental insurance, how dental bills work, finding a dentist and the 24/7 on-call line 0848 133 133.

• Physiotherapy and basic health insurance (LAMal) 2 to verify

  LAMal pays for physiotherapy only on a doctor's prescription: 9 sessions per prescription, first session within five weeks, a report after 36 sessions, and accidents.

• Eye care, glasses and LAMal 3 to verify

  Ophthalmologist or optician, what basic LAMal pays for glasses and lenses, eye emergencies at Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin, and the eye test for a Vaud driving licence.

First month

• Opening a bank account

  What to bring and student-oriented account options.

• Opening a bank account, practical checklist 1 to verify

  Documents to bring and the order to do things in: commune attestation, enrolment proof, then the bank.

• Paying Swiss bills: QR-bill, eBill and TWINT 3 to verify

  How Swiss invoices arrive and get paid: reading a QR-bill, four ways to pay it, activating eBill in e-banking, when TWINT can pay a bill, and the 13 Nov 2026 bank deadline for adjusting standing orders and templates.

• Sending money abroad: transfers, fees and exchange rates 4 to verify

  Bank transfers and SEPA, fees and the exchange-rate margin, checking a provider is authorised (FINMA), and transfer scams to avoid.

• Getting around (transport) 5 to verify

  Trains (SBB/CFF), Lausanne public transport (tl), EPFL's mobility pages and weekend night buses (N1 to N6).

• Student public-transport commune subsidies (Mobilis / tl)

  Commune help with Mobilis / tl season tickets for residents of Lausanne, Renens, Ecublens, Chavannes and Epalinges, companion to Getting around.

• Half-Fare Travelcard and SwissPass (students buying privately)

  Private SBB Half-Fare on a SwissPass for students buying themselves, dated CHF youth/adult quotes, distinct from EPFL staff Half-Fare.

• Train delays: compensation and your passenger rights

  How much you get back when a train, bus or boat in Switzerland arrives an hour or more late, how to claim, and what happens if you miss the last connection.

• Mobility car sharing near EPFL and Lausanne 2 to verify

  Mobility shared cars at 4 EPFL campus stations: the EPFL mobilityPLUS link waives the CHF 39.90 activation (no monthly fee under 28), licence rules, deductibles, and why CAMIPRO is no longer a Mobility card.

• Bikes at EPFL: parking, theft and Point Vélo 3 to verify

  Free campus racks and the 24/7 CAMIPRO bike station, what to do if your bike disappears (Vaud E-plainte), and Point Vélo used bikes, rental and repairs.

• Bike, e-bike and e-scooter road rules

  Which vehicle is which (bike, slow and fast e-bike, e-scooter), where you may ride, helmets, alcohol limits, insurance and where fines, parking and Lime rentals are covered.

• SBB lost property and station / campus parking

  SBB Lost & Found fees (dated CHF), P+Rail station parking including Vaud pass rules, Lausanne Simplon closed since 2021 / Renens hard during works (neither on the P+Rail name list; ParkingPay commune short-stay only), and EPFL campus parking tariffs from 1 Jan 2026.

• Lost something in Vaud? Commune and police lost property 1 to verify

  Where lost items end up in Vaud (commune lost property, police, tl), what to do if you find something, and how to prevent losses.

• Sports and fitness (UNIL+EPFL Sport Santé)

  Dorigny sports centre access for EPFL students: category A free with CAMIPRO, B–E card prices, weight room and lockers, registration 15 Aug / 15 Jan.

• Swimming in Lausanne: public pools, lake beaches and water safety 3 to verify

  Lausanne pool prices for students, pools in the EPFL-area communes, university sport swimming, free lake zones and the official Swiss lake-safety rules. Orientation only; check each pool's own page.

• Paddleboards, kayaks and small boats on Lake Geneva

  Rules for paddleboards, kayaks and canoes on Lake Geneva, when you need a boat licence, registering a boat in Vaud, and lake safety.

• Fishing permits in Vaud 1 to verify

  Which permit for Lake Geneva or the rivers, 2026 prices, where to buy, the SaNa certificate and fishing without a permit.

• Hiking and mountain safety in Switzerland

  Trail markings, weather and avalanche bulletins, BFU advice, emergency numbers and the Rega app, who pays for a rescue, and getting there by public transport. Orientation only.

• Mushroom picking and the free mushroom check in Vaud 2 to verify

  Vaud picking limits and hours, protected species, free official VAPKO mushroom checks near Lausanne and EPFL, and what to do in case of poisoning.

• Hunting season in Vaud: what walkers need to know 2 to verify

  Vaud hunting days and hours, the 2026-2027 season calendar, where hunting is banned, how to walk safely and when dogs must be on a lead.

• Wild camping and bivouacs in Vaud 5 to verify

  Where you can and cannot pitch a tent outside a campsite around Lausanne, in the Jura and in the Vaud Alps, fire rules and protected areas.

• Winter sports in Vaud: skiing, snow safety and student offers 4 to verify

  Getting to the Vaud Alps and Jura by public transport, UNIL/EPFL ski and snowboard days and camps, renting gear, slope and avalanche safety, and insurance. Orientation only.

• Culture on a student budget in Lausanne and Vaud

  Free first-Saturday museums, under-26 and student prices, CHF 20 last-minute opera seats, the CHF 5 Passculture, EPFL Pavilions exhibitions and the free Lausanne municipal libraries.

• Campus food (EPFL restaurants, self-services, food trucks)

  30+ EPFL catering outlets, Offre du jour status prices, CAMIPRO CHF 8 menu / CHF 2 discount, load limit CHF 600, and how to top up.

• Public holidays in Vaud: late 2026 and 2027, what closes, and how to plan 5 to verify

  The official Vaud public holidays for late 2026 and 2027, what closes (commune and cantonal counters, shops, EPFL services), and planning transport and waste collection around them.

• Fireworks rules in Vaud: 1 August and New Year 2 to verify

  Who can buy which fireworks, where you can set them off around Lausanne, and why a dry summer can bring a sudden ban.

• Forest fires, barbecues and outdoor fires in Vaud 3 to verify

  How to check the forest-fire danger before a barbecue or campfire, fire bans, and the basic rules around Lausanne and EPFL.

• Quiet hours and Sunday rules in Lausanne and the EPFL area 2 to verify

  Night-time quiet hours, Sunday and public-holiday rules, glass recycling hours, which commune rules apply where you live, and fines.

• Waste and recycling basics (Vaud communes) 7 to verify

  Taxed bags vs weight-based charging, sorting streams, and finding your commune's rules.

• Waste by EPFL-area commune 3 to verify

  Commune waste hubs near campus: Ecublens, St-Sulpice, Renens, Chavannes and Lausanne déchèterie pages.

• Second hand, reuse and repair in Vaud 2 to verify

  Commune reuse points, repair cafés, second hand on and near campus, and charity shops run by non-profits: getting things cheaply and passing them on when you leave.

Later / only if relevant

• Working while studying 1 to verify

  Permit B for studies and paid work: the 15 hours/week rule, the 6-month wait for non-EU/EFTA, and the EPFL procedure.

• Volunteering in Vaud 2 to verify

  Where to find volunteering in Vaud, whether unpaid volunteering counts as work for your permit, civil protection, and practical tips.

• Flying a drone in Switzerland and Vaud 1 to verify

  Drone operator registration, the online A1/A3 test, CHF 1 million liability cover, where you may not fly, and the Vaud, Lausanne and EPFL steps.

• EPFL career services and internships for international students 2 to verify

  EPFL's career centre (CED), Forum EPFL, the mandatory Master's internship and the permit points to check before you start. Orientation only; EPFL and the Service de l'emploi decide.

• Staying in Switzerland after graduation 2 to verify

  The six-month job-search stay for non-EU/EFTA graduates, EU/EFTA rules, registering with the ORP, unemployment insurance and paperwork once you work.

• Money help for students: EPFL scholarships, emergency aid and Vaud study grants 2 to verify

  EPFL social scholarships, emergency aid and transitional allowance, Master Excellence Fellowships, Vaud OCBE study grants (and why most international students are not eligible), tuition-fee rules, and how a grant affects tax and other bills.

• Budget and debt help in Vaud 1 to verify

  Free official budget and debt counselling in Vaud, debt enforcement (poursuites) basics and the warning signs to act on early. Orientation only.

• Free and low-cost legal advice for students in Vaud and at EPFL

  EPFL Social consultation, person of trust and ombudsperson, UNIL and CSP Vaud free consultations, the Vaud bar's CHF 50 sessions, state legal aid, and victim support (142, LAVI).

• Faulty goods, warranty and returns under Swiss law 3 to verify

  What to do when something you bought is defective, why change-of-mind returns depend on the shop, and the 14-day right to cancel doorstep and phone sales.

• Cancelling phone, gym, streaming and insurance contracts 1 to verify

  Notice periods, automatic renewal, registered letters, the LCA cancellation right for insurance, and what to do if a company ignores your notice.

• Swiss criminal record extract 1 to verify

  Order your Swiss criminal record extract from the Federal Office of Justice: standard or special extract, CHF 17, online or at the post office, about two working weeks.

• Your data rights: asking what a company or office knows about you 1 to verify

  Ask a company, federal body, EPFL or a Vaud office what personal data it holds about you: usually free, answer within 30 days, correction, deletion and where to complain.

• Free ombudsman offices for consumer disputes 1 to verify

  Telecom, public transport, travel, health insurance, private insurance and bank ombudsman offices: when to use them, what they cost and what to send.

• Fines in Vaud: transport surcharges, parking and traffic fines, penalty orders 1 to verify

  No valid ticket on tl, Mobilis or SBB (CHF 90 / 130 / 160 plus fare), forgotten passes (CHF 5 within 10 days), parking, cycling and driving fixed fines, how to pay, and how to object to a penalty order within 10 days.

• Finding a student job on / near EPFL (after the permit rules)

  Where to look once the permit rules allow it: SDF, the EPFL Library, Junior Entreprise / Junior Experience, the Career Centre and lab ads.

• Leaving or changing address (commune departure) 1 to verify

  Announce a move or end-of-stay departure to your commune, eDéménagement, and temporary absences without losing your permit path.

• Swiss Post mail forwarding / address change 1 to verify

  Free Post address change vs paid forwarding: dated CHF table (5 Oct 2026), 18+ rule, companion to Leaving / deregister.

• Parcels in Switzerland: missed deliveries, lockers and parcels from abroad 1 to verify

  Swiss Post pick-up slips and collection periods (7 / 15 days), redirecting to My Post 24 lockers or PickPost (CHF 8 / 15), and parcels from abroad: no taxes billed under CHF 5, plus the Post clearance fee.

• VAT and customs on online orders from abroad 3 to verify

  Swiss import VAT (8.1% / 2.6%), the CHF 5 rule, customs duty, foreign shops that charge Swiss VAT, courier versus Post clearance, and refunds when you send goods back.

• Phishing, fake parcel SMS and phone scams 1 to verify

  Common scams (fake parcel SMS, bank calls, phishing emails), how to report them, and what to do if you clicked, paid or gave data.

• Serafe (radio / TV household fee) 1 to verify

  The household radio and television fee and how billing works.

• AVS for students (OASI / AHV)

  Student AVS/AI/APG contributions and the B-permit exemption.

• Swiss social-security number (AVS/AHV) and student payslips

  13-digit AVS/AHV number, ESTV Form 11 salary certificate fields, and how to read a student payslip. No public EPFL how-to for AVS number requests (BSV + Student Services / employer / LAMal). Withholding rates are not quoted; use official Vaud calculators.

• Swiss pensions for students and new graduates: LPP and pillar 3a 2 to verify

  The three pillars in plain terms: when LPP applies to your job, what pillar 3a is, and getting pension money back when you leave Switzerland.

• Student tax in Vaud: withholding vs ordinary assessment 1 to verify

  Withholding tax vs ordinary assessment in Vaud.

• Tax at source in Vaud 1 to verify

  Withholding tax for B/L students who work in Vaud: sourciers, TOU, nouveau calcul, and EPFL Working pointers. No rates quoted; use ACI calculators.

• Military service exemption tax for Swiss and dual nationals in Vaud 2 to verify

  Who pays the military service exemption tax, dual nationals, how it is calculated, objecting or paying in instalments, and moving abroad.

• Residence tax vs income tax (short clarifier) 1 to verify

  One-screen clarifier: the commune residence tax (taxe de séjour) is not income tax.

• Church tax and religious communities in Vaud 2 to verify

  How Vaud funds the recognised churches (no separate church tax for individuals), recognised communities, the religion question at registration and leaving a church.

• Driving licence exchange 1 to verify

  Only if you will drive: exchange within 12 months, form 220, SAN.

• Registering a car in Vaud (SAN)

  Steps to register an imported car with the Vaud road traffic office (SAN): inspection, insurance, published SAN fees, cantonal vehicle tax and the motorway vignette.

• After a car accident in Switzerland: first steps, police, insurance 4 to verify

  What to do in the first minutes after a road accident in Vaud, when you must call the police, the European accident report, and what to tell your insurer.

• Motorway vignette: rental cars, trailers, scams and fines 1 to verify

  Checking a rental car e-vignette, trailers, fake vignette sites and the CHF 200 fine. Price and plate transfer are on the car registration page.

• Driving in winter: tyres, chains and a clear windscreen 1 to verify

  Winter tyres and snow chains in Switzerland, clearing your windscreen, fines and insurance consequences, and alternatives if you do not drive.

Quick reference: official first stops