If you are moving to Switzerland with children, the school question usually comes first. Where will they study, in which language, and how do you secure a place from another country? A school search service in Switzerland for expat families is a way to get that part organized, step by step, while you prepare the rest of the move.
Relocation Swiss is a matching service. We do not search for schools ourselves. We look at your request and, depending on it, connect you with a specialist relocation company that handles school searches. This page explains what that help covers and how to decide whether you need it.
What a school search service covers
A school search turns a very open question ("which school?") into a short list you can act on. In practice, a specialist usually helps with:
- Clarifying what you are looking for: public or private, local language or international curriculum, day school or boarding.
- Matching the options to your child's age, current school system and language level.
- Explaining how the school year and age cut-offs work, which differ from the UK, the US, India or Australia.
- Contacting schools, asking about places and waiting lists, and arranging visits or video calls.
- Preparing the enrollment file: reports, birth certificates, translations and vaccination records.
- Linking the school choice with where you live, because in the public system your address often decides the school.
Our page on public school for international children explains how the local system works. The school choice tool helps you think about school types before you speak to anyone.
What you can do on your own
Many families do a good part of this alone, and that is fine. You can:
- Decide on the language your children will study in.
- Collect school reports from the last years and ask your current school for a letter.
- Read the school information published by the canton and municipality where you plan to live.
- Write down what matters most: distance, curriculum, after-school care, university plans.
Simple example: a couple moving from Manchester with a six-year-old may be happy to enroll in the local public school once they have a home address. The research is light, and the main task is the paperwork.
When a specialist makes sense
Help becomes more useful when time is short or the situation is less standard. For example:
- A family from Singapore with two children of different ages who want to stay in the same curriculum.
- A teenager halfway through an exam program who cannot afford a gap.
- Parents who will not be in Switzerland until the day they arrive and cannot visit schools.
- A move that depends on a place being found before the housing search can be finished.
In these cases, a company that already knows the local schools can save you many emails. It cannot decide for the school, though. Admission is always the school's decision, and nobody can promise a place.
| Question | With a specialist | On your own |
|---|---|---|
| Finding options | Short list based on your needs | You research each canton and school |
| Contact with schools | Handled by the specialist | You write and follow up |
| Time on your side | Less, mostly decisions | More, mostly research |
| Final decision | Always yours | Always yours |
How the introduction works
- You send a request. You describe your family, your children's ages, the country you are leaving and when you plan to arrive. Use the request form at the bottom of the page.
- Your request is reviewed. We read it and see which kind of specialist fits: school search only, or school search together with housing or other support.
- You are put in touch. We introduce you to the relevant company. From there, the first conversation is between you and them.
- You decide. You choose whether to go ahead, and what exactly the company does for you.
If your move also involves housing, see home search. If one parent is looking for work or needs support settling in, see partner support and settling-in help. To compare providers in general, read how to choose a relocation agency.
How the school search fits in your timeline
School decisions depend on other steps, so the order matters.
- Residence rules. The kind of permit you hold depends on whether you come from the EU/EFTA or from a third country. Two regimes exist, and a specialist will ask which applies to you (State Secretariat for Migration, SEM). You can check your situation with the permit finder.
- Arrival. After you move, you register with your municipality, within 14 days in many places; the exact rule can vary by municipality or canton (ch.ch). The school will often ask for proof of address, so this step comes early.
- Health insurance. Everyone who lives in Switzerland must take basic health insurance within three months of taking up residence, and cover then starts from the date of arrival if you are on time (Federal Office of Public Health, FOPH). Schools may ask for insurance details in the file.
Put the dates into the relocation calendar, and look at the school enrollment guide for the steps once you have chosen.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Which school types and regions do you know well?
- Who contacts the schools, and who signs what?
- What happens if my first choice has no place?
- How do you work when I live in a different time zone?
- Do you also help with the move, or only with schools?
- How is my children's data stored and shared?
Ask these in writing, and keep the answers in your file.
Frequently asked questions
What does a school search service in Switzerland do?
It helps you move from a wide question to a short list of schools that suit your children, and often supports the contact with schools and the enrollment file. It does not decide who is admitted.
Can I search for a school from abroad?
Yes. Many families do it by email and video call before arriving. Some schools only confirm a place once you have an address, so the timing depends on the school and the canton.
Do I need a specialist, or can I do it alone?
You can do it alone, especially for a local public school. A specialist is more useful when time is short, when you need an international curriculum, or when you cannot visit before the move.
Does Relocation Swiss choose the school?
No. We connect you with a specialist company that fits your request. You and the school take the decisions.
Is a place at a school promised?
No. Admission is the school's decision, and no provider can promise a place.
Should I look for a school or a home first?
Often they go together. In the public system, your address usually decides the school, so many families look at both at the same time. See home search.
What should I prepare at home?
Recent school reports, birth certificates, vaccination records, and a short note on your children's language level and interests. Ask your current school for a letter if you can.
Does my permit type change anything?
It can change your timeline and your options. Two regimes exist, for EU/EFTA nationals and for nationals of third countries (State Secretariat for Migration, SEM). A specialist will ask which one applies to you.
How do I request help?
Fill in the request at the bottom of the page. You tell us about your family and your move, and we review it before making an introduction.
What does it cost?
This page does not give prices. The company you are introduced to will explain what it offers and on what terms, and you decide whether to go ahead.
Can I use the service if I am not moving yet?
Yes. Starting early gives you more time to compare options. Our relocation services overview shows how the other kinds of help fit together.