Survival Booklet 2020

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Contents

WELCOME TO ...... 2 1 IAESTE SWITZERLAND ...... 3 1.1 IAESTE A.S.B.L...... 3 1.2 IAESTE SWITZERLAND - NATIONAL OFFICE (NO) ...... 3 1.3 IAESTE LOCAL COMMITTEES (LCS) ...... 3 2 SWITZERLAND – FACTS AND FIGURES ...... 4 3 BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY ...... 5 3.1 ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES ...... 7 3.1.1 Visa ...... 7 3.1.2 Work permit ...... 7 3.2 HEALTH INSURANCE AND TAXES ...... 8 3.2.1 Mandatory Health Insurance Coverage ...... 8 3.2.2 Mandatory Accident Insurance Coverage ...... 9 3.2.3 Mandatory Retirement Insurance (AHV) Coverage and Pension Fund (BVG) ...... 9 3.2.4 Liability Insurance Coverage ...... 10 3.3 VACCINATIONS ...... 10 3.4 FINANCE ...... 10 3.5 ACCOMMODATION ...... 10 4 UPON ARRIVAL, WHAT TO DO ...... 12 4.1 YOUR ARRIVAL IN SWITZERLAND ...... 12 4.1.1 If Your Accommodation is provided by the company or by yourself ...... 12 4.1.2 If Your Accommodation is provided by a Local Committee (LC)...... 12 4.2 REGISTRATION ...... 13 4.3 WORK ...... 14 4.3.1 Illness ...... 14 5 DEPARTURE, WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO ...... 15 5.1 CHECK OUT...... 15 6 TRAVELLING IN AND AROUND SWITZERLAND ...... 16 6.1 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ...... 16 6.1.1 Train ...... 16 6.1.2 Local Transportation...... 17 6.1.3 Mein Fernbus/Flixbus ...... 18 6.2 BY AIR ...... 18 6.3 BY CAR ...... 18 6.4 BY BIKE ...... 19

7 LIFE AND PLEASURE IN SWITZERLAND ...... 20 7.1 BANK (MONEY) ...... 20 7.2 ELECTRICITY ...... 21 7.3 POST ...... 21 7.4 TELEPHONE ...... 21 7.5 SHOPPING ...... 22 7.6 WASTE DISPOSAL ...... 22

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7.7 ENTERTAINMENT ...... 23 7.7.1 Private Excursions and Mountain Trips ...... 23 7.7.2 Cinema, Concerts, Opera, Theatre ...... 23 7.7.3 Parties ...... 23 7.8 RESTAURANTS ...... 24 7.9 SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES...... 24 7.10 EMERGENCIES, HOSPITALS, DOCTORS ...... 24 LIST OF USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS ...... FEHLER! TEXTMARKE NICHT DEFINIERT. 8 IAESTE EVENTS ...... 25 8.1 IAESTE EVENT PROGRAM ...... 25 8.2 IAESTE WEEKLY MEETINGS ...... 26 9 CONTACT INFORMATION ...... 27 9.1 IAESTE SWITZERLAND HOMEPAGE, FACEBOOK GROUP AND TWITTER ...... 27 9.2 IAESTE SWITZERLAND (NATIONAL OFFICE) ...... 27 9.3 LOCAL COMMITTEES (LCS) ...... 28 9.3.1 LC ...... 28 9.3.2 LC ...... 28 9.3.3 LC ...... 28 9.3.4 LC ...... 28 9.3.5 “Official list” ...... 29 9.3.6 Facebook group “IAESTE Switzerland Social” ...... 29 9.3.7 IAESTE Merchandise ...... 29

Welcome to Switzerland

Dear Trainee

It is great that you have decided to come to Switzerland! You will not regret it! We want you to have a wonderful, interesting, entertaining and breath-taking time in our country. You shall not only gain practical experience at work, but also have a lot of fun during your free time. We have prepared many different activities to give you the opportunity to meet great friends in fantastic surroundings.

To ensure that you enjoy your stay in Switzerland right from the beginning, we have collected some information in this «Survival Booklet». Please read it carefully before you leave your country, especially the chapters «Before I Leave» and «Upon Arrival». If you need more information, don't hesitate to contact us by e-mail, phone and through our social networks. Meanwhile, we wish you a lot of fun reading the following pages and look forward to welcoming you to Switzerland.

IAESTE Switzerland

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1 IAESTE Switzerland

IAESTE A.s.b.l. Imagine the time after 1945: Large parts of the earth were torn into pieces, but people hoped to build a better and more peaceful world. In this spirit, the United Nations and other international organizations were founded. In 1948, IAESTE was created to provide students with technical experience abroad and to promote international understanding and goodwill among the students of all nations. IAESTE’s exchange principle is that every participating country receives a trainee job abroad for every job it can offer at home.

IAESTE has members in more than 80 countries and to date has exchanged over 360’000 students from all over the world. Approximately 3500 students per year experience IAESTE traineeships worldwide.

IAESTE Switzerland - National Office (NO), Zurich In Switzerland, the National Office operates the core business of IAESTE Switzerland and is responsible for the job exchange activities. The National Office is responsible for all the administrative processes; they provide required forms, apply for work permits and handle the international communication. The National Office is located in Zurich (see chapter 9.2 for details).

IAESTE Local Committees (LCs) The Local Committees (LCs) are responsible for organizing activities and providing information about daily life in Switzerland. If an LC arranges your accommodation, an LC member will also pick you up upon arrival (see 4.1.2 for details). Currently, there are four LCs: Basel, Bern, Lausanne and Zurich.

The LC members are full of enthusiasm and hope to share this spirit and to make your stay as pleasant as possible. They organize meetings to gather with LC members and fellow IAESTE trainees that live around the respective region (see 9.3). If you are staying in a town other than Basel, Bern, Lausanne or Zurich, don't worry: you can still join any of the weekly meetings and other events which take place all over Switzerland. Especially during the summer months, there is always something going on. Many of the LCs also have Whatsapp groups for the trainees, so when you go to a weekly meeting, you can ask the LC members to be added to the group.

Keep in mind that the members of LCs do their work on a voluntary basis in their free time and without getting paid for it. Therefore, the LCs highly welcome trainees in Switzerland to volunteer and help organizing their activities. If you want to contact members of the Local Committees, please refer to 9.1.

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2 Switzerland – Facts and Figures The origin of the Swiss Confederation goes back to the union of the three Cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden in Central Switzerland in 1291. Today Switzerland is made up of 26 cantons. The political system is based on direct democracy and the principle of subsidiary; we not only elect our parliament, but also decide on changes to the constitution and law.

Switzerland is situated in the heart of Europe, surrounded by the EU countries Austria, France, Germany, Italy and the non-EU country . Its diameter is 220 km (North-South) and 340 km (East-West), resulting in an area of 41’293 km2. Because of the mountains, only about 25 per cent of this area is productive for the eight million inhabitants of Switzerland.

In the lower-altitude parts of the country (200-600 meters above sea-level) the climate is much the same as elsewhere in Central Europe. The average temperature in summer is 20 degrees Celsius, with extremes ranging from about 10 to 30 or more degrees. In winter, the average temperatures are around the freezing point with extremes (seldom exceeded) between +10 and -10 degrees Celsius. Temperatures can be considerably cooler at higher altitudes. Summers can be rainy, so you may need an umbrella and/or a raincoat.

There are four different language regions in Switzerland. Swiss-German is spoken in the North and Northeast, French in the West and Southwest, Italian in the South and Rhaeto-Romanic in the Southeast. If you stay in the German speaking part of Switzerland, you will notice that the dialect spoken differs considerably from standard German. If you don’t understand someone, and if you understand German, ask him or her to speak «Hochdeutsch» (High German). High German is used as the written language in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. You might want to learn some Swiss-German in order to understand the Swiss mentality better (e.g. at Migros Klubschule or a university). However, it is neither absolutely necessary nor easy.

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3 Before You Leave Your Country

Overview

3.1.1 Checklist for IAESTE Incoming interns In case your internship is organized by IAESTE you are a so called incoming student. Therefore, this checklist applies to you.

•Visa submitted by IAESTE (see 3.2.1.) 6‐10 weeks before internship

•Visa granted by Swiss authorities (receive authorization letter by IAESTE) •For Bulgarian, Romanian, Japanese, New Zealand, Andorra, Singaporean and 2‐4 weeks before Malaysian nationality ‐> "Zusicherung") (see 3.2.1) internship

•contact Swiss representation in country of residence for an appointment in order to pick up your preauthorised visa •bring all requested documents to appointment 1‐4 weeks before • Internship < 4 months: Swiss representation additionally registers your biometric internship data

• receive visa • book flight •organize accommodation ‐ according to Work offer LC helps you (see 3.6 and 4.1.) 1‐3 weeks before internship • subscribe to IAESTE mailing list to take part in events and meet other interns (see 8.1) • Internship < 4 months your visa is work&residence permit (states "keine Anmeldung erforderlich" ‐> no registration needed) (see 4.2.1)

• Internship > 4 months whithin 1‐3 day register at local administration office then upon arrival make an appointment to register your biometric data; receive your L‐permit (see 4.2.2)

•get a health insurance (see 3.3) • open a bankaccount (see 7.1) upon arrival • buy a sim card (see 7.4) within 1 week

•tell everyone how awesome your internship with IAESTE wa •do shortvideo or poster about your amazing experience during your internship and after your send it to IAESTE Switzerland intership Survival Booklet 2020 6

3.1.2 Visa service for interns (not through IAESTE network) In case IAESTE only handles the visa application for you and your employer, then this checklist applies to you.

•Visa submitted by IAESTE (see 3.2.1.) 6‐10 weeks before internship

•Visa granted by Swiss authorities (receive authorization letter by IAESTE)

•For Bulgarian, Romanian, Japanese, New Zealand, Andorra, Singaporean and 2‐4 weeks before Malaysian nationality ‐> "Zusicherung") (see 3.2.1) internship

•contact Swiss representation in country of residence for an appointment in order to pickup the preauthorised visa

•bring all requested documents to appointment 2 weeks before • Internship < 4 months: Swiss representation additionally registers your biometric internship data

• receive visa • book flight •organize accommodation (see 3.6 and 4.1.1) 2 weeks before • subscribe to IAESTE mailing list to take part in events and meet other interns (see internship 8.1)

• Internship < 4 months your visa is work&residence permit (states "keine Anmeldung erforderlich" ‐> no registration needed) (see 4.2.1) • Internship > 4 months whithin 1‐3 day register at local administration office then make an appointment to register your biometric data; receive your L‐permit (see 4.2.2)

upon arrival • for all within 1 week: get health insurance (see 3.3) , open bankaccount (see 7.1), buy sim

card (see 7.4)

•tell everyone how awesome your internship was

after your intership Survival Booklet 2020 7

Administrative Issues If you are an IAESTE trainee, please make sure you receive and return the «Confirmation of Acceptance» to the IAESTE National Office in your country within two weeks. If you fail to do this, the preparations for your stay in Switzerland will be delayed (You are not required to fill in the form in case IAESTE only handles the visa service for you).

3.2.1 Visa Students with a valid passport from an EU/EFTA member country or Japan, New Zealand, Andorra, Malaysia, Singapore and do not need a visa to enter Switzerland.

Citizens of ALL OTHER countries need a visa to enter Switzerland in order to conduct an internship (also in case of countries whose citizens do not need a visa when travelling as tourists – in order to work, the regulations are different!). If you are subject to the obligation to hold a visa, your passport shall be valid at least another three months after the end of your stay in Switzerland.

IAESTE Switzerland applies for your visa and work permit. The authorities need approximately 8 weeks to approve the application and authorize the Swiss Embassy or Consulate in your country to issue the visa.

If you are an IAESTE trainee, IAESTE Switzerland informs the IAESTE office in your country when this has been done. If IAESTE Switzerland is only responsible for the visa service, IAESTE Switzerland will be in direct contact with you. You can then contact the Swiss Embassy or nearest Consulate in your country to inquire about how to pick up your visa. Don’t forget to take your passport when you go there!

3.2.2 Work permit For students from countries that need a visa: IAESTE Switzerland applies for visa and work permit at the same time. You will only have to pick up the visa at the embassy assigned to you after approval in Switzerland.

During your stay in Switzerland you may wish to travel to neighbouring countries. Switzerland is a member of the Schengen area. It is no problem to travel in the Schengen area if you have:

- A short-stay Schengen Visa type C (up to 3 months) - A National Visa type D (3 – 4 months) - A Swiss L-working permit (4 months – 1 year)

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For citizens of Bulgaria, Romania, Andorra, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand or Singapore: IAESTE Switzerland applies for your work permit. IAESTE Switzerland will start this process as soon as you have been accepted by the employer. The work permit (“Zusicherung”) will be sent to the company who will either send this document to you or you will get it on your first day of work (and only get a copy by email before). Please check with IAESTE Switzerland if this document has been issued, before travelling to Switzerland – you should bring a copy when travelling.

For EU/EFTA citizens: If you are doing an internship with a period of up to 90 working days, the work permit consists of an online-registration done by your employer and you do not have to worry about it at all. If you are staying longer than 90 days you will get the work L-permit after registration at the local authorities in Switzerland.

Health Insurance and Taxes

3.3.1 Mandatory Health Insurance Coverage The Swiss law on health insurance (KVG) requires that every person living in Switzerland for more than 3 months has to take out Swiss health insurance covering medical treatment and hospital costs in case of illness. Be aware that dental costs are never included in Switzerland with a Health insurance. If you need to consult a dentist, please ask for a quotation first as you will have to pay it yourself and it is very expensive in Switzerland.

The Cantonal authorities check the insurance coverage of each person. We recommend that you take out health insurance with the private insurer SWISSCARE, which has reasonable rates for interns and is accepted in most . SWISSCARE is also a sponsor of IAESTE Switzerland; please do the application directly on our website www.iaeste.ch/swiss-employers/student-placement/insurance/ Once you are on the SWISSCARE website, choose INTERNATIONAL STUDENT INSURANCE, your payments method (monthly or every 3 months), your premium with the deductible (if you prefer a low risk, choose CHF 300.-). Later on, you will be asked "are you a member of this organization?", then please choose IAESTE Switzerland.

As they are private insurance provider, SWISSCARE is not accepted in the canton . If you live there, we recommend that you compare different insurance plans at www.comparis.ch or www.priminfo.admin.ch (only available in German and French).

If you have EU nationality and reside in the following cantons: Aargau (AG), Basel Land (BL), Basel Stadt (BS), Glarus (GL), (SO) or Appenzell Ausserhoden (AA), SWISSCARE is not accepted and you have to take out an Survival Booklet 2020 9 official Swiss health insurance with a Swiss provider. You will be assisted with that on the SWISSCARE homepage once you fill out your SWISSCARE application form. If this applies to you, Swisscare will assist you but also please make sure you ask for “Prämienverbilligung” when you go register at the local authorities, they will hand out an application form to you which potentially lowers the amount of money you have to pay for the insurance.

Note: If you are a student studying longterm in Germany, Italy, France and Austria, you might be sufficiently covered with your health insurance from back home in most cantons. Even so, you might still receive a letter while you register at the municipality you live in (sometimes after your registration via mail), in which you will be asked to prove your health insurance coverage. In that case, you must hand in the application form filled out together with your copy of your student card and a copy of your European Health Insurance Card. Some weeks later your will be informed about their decision on your application by post.

IMPORTANT: Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure that you are properly insured. Neither IAESTE nor the employer can be held responsible for any costs incurred due to lack of or inappropriate insurance coverage. You need to get your health insurance within the first week after your arrival. If you are under medical treatment and/or have to take special medication, do not forget to bring them along or ask your doctor if they are available in Switzerland. QUESTIONS? The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health provides a very informative site: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/versicherungen/krankenversicherung/kranke nversicherung-das-wichtigste-in-kuerze.html

Interns residing in the canton of Aargau find valuable information here: http://www.hallo-aargau.ch/en

3.3.2 Mandatory Accident Insurance Coverage All Swiss companies provide you with compulsory accident insurance, from which you cannot be exempted. The company is entitled to deduct the premium of 0.72% from your salary. This also covers accidents outside working hours and insures continued payment in case of incapacity due to an accident (but not illness, see section 4.3.1). Important: if you decide to stay for an additional time in Switzerland after your traineeship ends, please ensure that you are covered for health and accident issues accordingly. In general, you have a 30-day additional accident coverage period.

3.3.3 Mandatory Retirement Insurance (AHV) Coverage and Pension Fund (BVG) According to the law, the company automatically deducts 6.3% retirement insurance contribution (AHV) and 1% risk insurance (death and invalidity) from your salary. Then Survival Booklet 2020 10 a pension fund deduction applies if you are over 25 years and staying longer than 3 months earning more than CH 21’150.- in a year. Additionally, every trainee has to pay a small income tax. It is directly deducted from your salary (Quellensteuer).

3.3.4 Liability Insurance Coverage IAESTE Switzerland recommends taking out a liability Insurance (even though it is not mandatory). We collaborate with an insurance company who offers a tailored solution especially for our trainees: www.iaeste.ch/swiss-employers/student- placement/insurance/ and please mention that you are an IAESTE trainee.

Vaccinations No vaccinations are required for entry into Switzerland.

Finance Your salary will usually be sufficient to meet the costs of living for one person but not necessarily to cover extra expenses. In Switzerland, you have to pay the rent in advance at the beginning of each month. At the same time, you will probably also have to pay a security deposit (usually amounting to 1-2 months’ rent). The salary, however, is only paid at the end of the month. Therefore, make sure that you have access to enough money (cash, credit card or bank account) until you receive your first pay. Don’t forget to read chapter 7.1 on the bank and money system in Switzerland, especially regarding the withdrawal of cash with foreign credit or debit cards, prior to your departure. If, for any reason, you do not have enough money at the beginning of your stay, ask your company to give you an advance payment.

Accommodation Normally the LC or the company arranges your accommodation (i.e., student houses, company houses, private rooms, shared flats, etc.).

If IAESTE is only in charge of visa service for you, then you might have to find your own. Make sure you sort out your accommodation well in advance. It can be difficult to find a reasonable accommodation. Ask your employer if they arrange your accommodation (i.e., student houses, company houses, private rooms and flats, etc.). IAESTE Switzerland cannot provide accommodation in these cases!

You will have to pay the monthly rent in advance (approx. 1/3 of your monthly salary) and usually a deposit in the same amount. You should bring at least 1500 CHF to cover your initial expenses for the first month here. Never pay money in advance before you have the key: cash for key only! Survival Booklet 2020 11

If you want to move to another accommodation, different to the one you have been assigned to, keep in mind that generally you have to handle everything by yourself. Check your contract well about conditions of resigning from it.

Before moving out, you must always give advance notice to your landlord as mentioned in your contract. Otherwise, you will have to pay the rent until the end of your lease. Don't forget that you must also inform the IAESTE office about your new address as well as your tutor or the person that found the original accommodation. Furthermore, if you move to another village or another city district (eg. another “Kreis” in Zurich) you will have to deregister and register again at the local municipality or “Kreisbüro” (if your internship duration is over 4 months in total).

Please leave your accommodation in the same condition as you rented it. Swiss standards regarding cleanliness are quite high.

3.6. What to bring Don’t forget to bring the following when coming to Switzerland:

 Passport (visa if necessary) or ID for EU/EFTA nationalities  IAESTE papers (including work contract if you already have it)  Passport photos (required e.g. for train passes (1/2 tax card, Seven25 Travelcard))  Enough money, credit card (you’ll only receive your salary at the end of the month, and you will have expenses before your pay day)  Special medication  Sleeping bag (required for some of the weekend activities)  Warm clothes  Good shoes (e.g. hiking shoes)  Raincoat, umbrella  Camera  Travel guide  International student identity card  Adapter for your electrical equipment (230 V, 50 Hz, Swiss plug; see 7.2)  Your country identity and symbols (flag, t-shirt, food, drinks, etc.)  Small gifts for various people (employer, landlord, tutor, etc.)

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4 Upon Arrival, what to do

Your Arrival in Switzerland You can enter Switzerland by plane, train, or car. To help you decide what kind of transportation you want to use, read the chapter about travelling (chapter 6). It is probably cheaper to buy a return ticket in your own country. Switzerland has three international airports: Zurich, and Basel-Mulhouse. Please check which one is closest to the place where you are going to stay. Before leaving your country, you must also know: - where you will be staying - whether somebody will pick you up or if you need to find the way yourself

Refer to «Form O» of the IAESTE documents. Find out who is arranging your accommodation (company, IAESTE or student). If this document is missing, please contact the IAESTE office in your country as soon as possible.

4.1.1 If Your Accommodation is provided by the company or by yourself Please ask the company for all the details (address and whether somebody will meet you) or arrange directly with the landlord how you will get your keys. Inform them at what time you expect to arrive at your accommodation and make sure that somebody will be there to let you in. Before you leave your home country, try to find out how you will get to your accommodation.

If you cannot arrive at the agreed time (flight delay, missed train, traffic jam) or in case of other problems, make sure to call your employer and/or your landlord as soon as possible.

4.1.2 If Your Accommodation is provided by an IAESTE Local Committee (LC) The Accommodation Service team is responsible for organizing your housing. Your tutor will contact you by e-mail and also pick you up at the agreed meeting point. Your tutor will help you buy the most suitable monthly public transportation ticket, accompany you to your accommodation upon your arrival and will also give you the most important information you need to know. You can also refer to your tutor or any other member of the LC for any questions you might encounter during your stay in Switzerland.

If you cannot receive e-mails or have not heard from the Accommodation Service 14 days before your departure, contact the Swiss IAESTE National Office in Zurich.

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If you cannot arrive at the agreed time (flight delay, missed train, traffic jam) or in case of other problems, make sure to call your tutor and inform him/her as soon as possible. In case you cannot reach your tutor, you can call the IAESTE National Office (see 9.2; during office hours only).

Registration Only needed if you stay longer than 30 days if you are an EU/EFTA passport holder or if you’re a Non-EU/EFTA passport holder if you stay longer than 4 months. For all others in order to receive the working & resident permit card (so called L-permit) you need to register with the local authorities. If you give anyone your new address, please always mention “C/O & name of person mentioned on the letterbox”. Otherwise you will not receive the mail.

4.2.1 Internship up to 4 months  EU / EFTA citizens staying for less than 90 working days do not have to register with the authorities in person (in this case the employer has to register the student online in advance)  Other citizens staying for less than 4 months no registration is needed either. If you do NOT have to register, this will be stated on the authorisation letter for your visa/work permit: it says «Keine Anmeldung erforderlich» in this case. If it does NOT say so, continue at 4.2.2 Internship more than 4 months

4.2.2 Internship more than 4 months The following formalities must be fulfilled before starting the internship.

(When contacting any Swiss authority, always state that you are an intern, «Praktikant» in German, working under the auspices of IAESTE).

You must go to the local administration office («Einwohnerkontrolle» in German, «Contrôles des habitants» in French) and present: - your work contract - your accommodation contract - your passport and a passport photograph - Provisional residence permit («Zusicherung der Aufenthaltsbewilligung») or copy of the Authorization to issue the visa («Ermächtigung zur Visumerteilung») - if you need to register within the Canton of Aargau you will need a certificate of birth, some other registration offices ask for it as well, unfortunately there is no general rule of thumb on which offices do and which don’t. Please refer to these links for more info and how to order this document in an EU country. You can order them in different languages. Coming from a non-EU country: order your birth certificate at the municipality office at the place of birth.

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Please note the local administration offices («Einwohnerkontrolle») in some cantons or cities are called differently e.g. «Kreisbüro» or «Einwohnerdienste».

You will also have to pay a fee for this permit, which differs in each canton and village (around CHF 100.-- to 150.--). If you hold a Non-European passport and stay over 4 months, you will receive an appointment at the migration office in order to record your biometrical data for your work permit (L). Please make sure that you keep that appointment and that you ask for it if the migration office or your employer forgets to remind you!

After 2-3 weeks you will receive your «L-Ausweis», the Swiss passport for foreigners, valid during your stay in Switzerland. If you are a European citizen, please make sure that the local authorities grant you the exact duration that is mentioned in the work contract, even if you come to Switzerland earlier!

Work Public Holidays in Switzerland differ from canton to canton. Under the following link you will find national and regional official holidays: http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/switzerland/

If you plan to start working on May 1st or August 1st, ask your company whether they are working as in most cantons it is a national holiday. Please make sure you contact the company in any case before you start working, to inform them about your arrival and ask how to get to your work place.

You have agreed to work with the company for a certain period. This period cannot be changed without the consent of the company and IAESTE. Your training will not only be instructive, you are also expected to lend a hand and do some practical work. You cannot expect the company to give you a different task than the one mentioned in the offer. In some cases, the exact task will only be determined after your supervisor has met you and discussed the possibilities. work 40 to 42 hours per week, not including a lunch break, and are entitled to 20 days of holiday per year. Use the very well-organized public transportation system to go to work (bus, , train) www.sbb.ch (Swiss Railways) or the individual pages of each Canton, e.g. www.zvv.ch (Zurich), www.tnw.ch/en/ (Basel) www.mobilis-.ch (Vaud) or www.bernmobil.ch (Bern) are very useful websites with precise timetables and costs. We suggest to download the app for above mentioned transport companies.

4.3.1 Illness In case of illness, it is important that you immediately notify the employer. You need to submit a medical certificate as of the third day you are off work (depending on the provisions of your employment contract). Survival Booklet 2020 15

5 Departure, what you have to do Check out Before you leave Switzerland, you should do a proper checkout.

- Go to the bank or post, where you had your salary account, and close it. If there is still money on it, they will disburse it to you. Leave them your address of the place where you will live after finishing the internship. By the end of the year, you will receive a final revision.

- If you had to register with the local authority after arriving, you have to give notice of your departure. You have to leave your future address with them. Please do this no later than 1 week before your date of departure! You’ll need the notice of departure document for various contract terminations (deregister health insurance, train ticket, etc.).

- Before your departure, it is advisable to have a closing meeting with your employer with a short summary of your performance. In Switzerland, it is usual to receive a confirmation of work. If you stayed less than 4 months, you will probably receive a “confirmation of work” listing your tasks and responsibilities. If you stayed longer than 4 months, you can ask for a “certificate of employment”, which is a little more detailed and also includes the employer’s assessment of your performance. This is very useful and could help you find a job in the future.

- Leave your accommodation in the same condition as you rented it. Swiss standards regarding cleanliness are quite high.

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6 Travelling in and around Switzerland Public Transportation

6.1.1 Train The easiest way to travel in Switzerland is by train. You arrive right in the centre of the cities and you do not have to worry about finding a parking space. There is an excellent network of Intercity, Interregio and other fast trains, connecting most cities in Switzerland. Local trains («Regionalzug») and connect smaller towns and remote areas to the larger cities. Zurich, Basel, Bern and Central Switzerland also have efficient local suburban train networks («S-Bahn»). All cities further have good bus networks. Zurich, Bern, Geneva and Basel also have .

Halbtax If you are planning to participate in the IAESTE weekend trips or if you want to explore Switzerland by train, a half-fare pass («Halbtax-Abo») is most convenient. A Halbtax costs 185 CHF for one year (CHF 120 up to 25 year-olds) . With this card you pay only half the price for any SBB train ticket. It also includes reductions on certain urban bus or tram tickets, ships, Post buses, some cable cars, etc. To buy a Halbtax-Abo you need to bring your passport and a passport photo. Here you find more information about the Half Fare Travelcard: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and- tickets/railpasses/half-fare-travelcard.html

Seven25 Travelcard If you are younger than 25 years old, there is a great deal for travel inside Switzerland. The seven25 Travelcard will let you travel free on the network of the Swiss National Railways (SBB) and those of most other railways, as well as on much of the in Switzerland from 7:00 p.m. to 5 a.m.. You can only buy one online via the order form for 390 CHF per year or 39 CHF per month here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/railpasses/seven25-travelcard.html . By owning a Halbtax and a seven25 Travelcard you can save a lot of money for transportation.

Travel Pass from your Community Most municipalities have a limited amount of cheap Swiss Travel Passes (they have the same validity as a GA) for each day of the year. They cost between 40 and 55 CHF. No half-fare card is needed. They are sold out fast. In some communities, they are available only for the residents. It is still worth considering this as an alternative, though! Check here for the availability in most cities and villages: www.tageskarte-gemeinde.ch In the city of Zurich, there are no such Travel passes available anymore. Please make sure to also check the website of your municipality.

Even if you are staying in Switzerland for only two or three months, it’s probably Survival Booklet 2020 17 worth to buy a Halbtax and a Seven25 Travelcard card if you intend to travel. For instance, a return ticket from Zurich to Geneva costs 168 CHF without and 84 CHF with Halbtax reduction. Ask at the ticket counter for further details. If you have access to Internet, information including timetables can be found under www.sbb.ch or download the SBB Mobile App (Android or iPhone) for an interactive timetable, buying tickets (incl. Saver Day Pass and supersaver tickets only online available) or loading your travelcards resp. tickets to show them digitally.

In general, you need to purchase the ticket before boarding. You will be fined at least 100 CHF if you are caught without a ticket.

If you are flexible regarding your travel plans, check for special tickets called «Supersaver ticket» or other offers on www.sbb.ch. The «Supersaver ticket» is available two weeks before departure for a limited number of trains. For example, a Zurich-Geneva trip can cost 18 CHF (one way, with Halbtax-Abo). For similar tickets for Germany, check the website of the German Railway: www.bahn.de.

On the site RailAway (www.railaway.ch) you also find attractive packages for train and entrance tickets or ski passes to various destinations.

For the other neighbouring countries, you can also find more information on their homepages: oebb.at (Austria), sncf.fr (France), trenitalia.it (Italy).

The European railway network is well-developed, and the train is an excellent way to discover Europe. If you decide to travel to a specific European destination when you are already in Switzerland, tickets are discounted for people under the age of 26.

6.1.2 Local Transportation The Cities and Cantons have excellent public transport systems with regional trains (S-Bahn), buses, trams and boats. You buy a ticket for one or several zones and then you are entitled to an unlimited number of rides in all directions on all public transportation within the designated zones and time period.

You have to buy your ticket at the ticket machine or train station before boarding unless you have a multi-trip ticket or a season ticket. If you enter a bus and outside was no ticketbooth, you can also buy your ticket at the busdriver. If you transport a bike, you need a special bicycle ticket. Train station ticket offices, sales offices of city transportation authorities and some post offices and kiosks also sell multiple tickets or monthly tickets.

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Zurich: www.zvv.ch or www.vbz.ch. Here, you will even find an instruction on how to buy a ticket from a machine. Basel: www.bvb.ch and www.tnw.ch Bern: www.bernmobil.ch Lausanne: www.t-l.ch and www.mobilis-vaud.ch : www.vbl.ch

6.1.3 Mein Fernbus/Flixbus Flixbus also offer really cheap rides from big cities in Switzerland to other European cities (e.g. Zurich-Munich has even faster connection than a train), meinfernbus.de By Air Zurich, Geneva, Basel-Mulhouse and Bern are Switzerland’s international airports, while Agno- is the regional airport in Switzerland. Ask for special airfares if you are under 26 or have a student ID, for example on www.statravel.ch (Student Travel Agency).

Zurich and have a railway station with direct connections to the respective main stations (Zurich Hauptbahnhof, Genève Cornavin). If you go to , St. Gallen or Eastern Switzerland, you can also take a direct train from . In Basel-Mulhouse or other airports, buses connect the airport with the railway station.

If you’re planning to get a connecting flight to a European city, check the budget airlines. The prices can be very cheap. Be aware of the luggage limit! Most of these companies only offer online bookings. Check their website; you could save a lot of money!

Limit the environmental impact of emissions (CO2) from your air travel by purchasing a myclimate ticket: www.myclimate.org

By Car A car is not needed in Switzerland. You can reach all the places you like thanks to the extensive public transportation network.

However, if you plan to come to Switzerland by car, you must buy a Motorway Sticker () for the windscreen (40 CHF) at the border in order to use the highways. You must have the insurance «Green Card».

Parking in Switzerland is not that easy and often expensive. If you leave your car on an unmarked space, you will get punished with a penalty. Public parking spaces are hard to find and you can leave your car only during the night. During the day, you have Survival Booklet 2020 19 to pay a certain fee per hour and remove your car after 2 or 4 hours. It is convenient to buy a monthly parking ticket for the public zone. You can apply for this at the authority where you register. It is called “Die Parkkarte für die Blaue Zone”. Another option would be to rent a private parking space, which is more expensive. To do that, you have to talk to your landlord and the responsible real estate agency.

If you intend to use a car frequently but for short terms, Mobility offers car sharing on a self-service basis with more than 1’850 cars located all over Switzerland: www.mobility.ch

Don’t forget your «Ausländerausweis» (L-Permit, issued by the local authority in Switzerland), which shows that you are living and working in Switzerland, if you are planning to leave Switzerland by car! This prevents you from getting into trouble at the border!

By Bike Switzerland has many biking trails. Bikes can also be rented (information can be obtained at the travel information centres located in larger railway stations). Near platform 18 of Zurich Central Station, there is a free bicycle rental, open between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. You need to bring your ID and 20 CHF deposit. For details, check out «Züri rollt»: www.stadt-zuerich.ch/zuerirollt

In Lausanne, they offer the same service called «LausanneRoule» in the city centre (Place de l’Europe) and in Renens station. For details: www.lausanneroule.ch.

More and more city’s have an (E-)Bike/scooter short distance rental sharing system, often organised through an app.

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Life and Pleasure in Switzerland Bank (Money) There are various Banks in Switzerland; even the Swiss Post offers a financial service. The Swiss Post might be the most comfortable way, as they have the best opening hours and are less complicated than others when it comes to open bank accounts for foreigners. https://www.postfinance.ch/en/private/products/accounts.html You will need either a bank or a postal account to receive money from your company since your salary is usually not paid in cash.

I order to open an account, you generally need your passport, a document proving your employment in Switzerland (contract) and your Swiss residence permit and a proof that you already registered (probably also your student enrolment certificate for a special student account, which means less administrative costs) The Swiss residence permit can be: - “Kurzaufenthaltsbewilligung L”, with copy of your registration receipt - “Ermächtigung zur Visumserteilung” which says "gilt gleichzeitig als Aufenthaltsbewilligung und keine Anmeldung erforderlich" (If you stay under 4 months and have a non-European-passport)

Different banks may have different rules regarding the opening of an account by foreigners. It is almost impossible if you stay less then 3-4 months, because then you do not have to register. In general it has become more difficult in the past; so we suggest that you open a PostFinance account. However, all banks generally seem to give you a Maestro card (a debit card, formerly also called EC card). This card usually costs about 20 CHF per year.

Swiss ATMs are called «Bancomat» (operated by a bank) or «Postomat» (operated by the Swiss Post) and accept Maestro cards from banks or the "Postcard" from the Swiss Post, respectively. Most of them also accept foreign Maestro cards and credit cards (American Express, MasterCard, Visa, etc.). However, be aware that a commission fee may be charged at each withdrawal! Ask the bank which issued the card about cash withdrawal fees.

Accessing your account through the internet (e-banking) will save you a lot of time because you do not need to stand in line at the post office to do your payments. Generally, an account can also be convenient if your family needs to send you money from home.

Great option, new online tools for sending and requesting money in Switzerland, check TWINT: https://www.twint.ch/en/private-customers/functions/

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Prepaid Credit card It might take you some days/weeks to obtain your bank account. In case you still want a card to pay with, a prepaid credit card might be a good solution. One easy option would be to get an OK-Visa or OK-Mastercard from a Kiosk and load it up at the same place. okpunktstrich.ch/en/prepaidcards/sofunktionierts/ Electricity Voltage: 230 volts/50 hertz, single phase, for appliances and electrical equipment up to 2,200 watts; Electric points: Universal plugs type C and typical Swiss plug type J, with an additional grounding pin.

Post Post offices are open from Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (some are closed for lunch), and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

For more details, check www.post.ch.

Besides offering the usual postal services, you can also open an account at the post, as described above in 7.1.

Telephone There are several companies offering connections as well as prepaid telephone cards. In order to save money, you should compare the offers of different companies (Swisscom, Sunrise, Salt, M-Budget…). The homepage www.telscout.ch might help you to choose the best solution.

Local Calls: Calls within Switzerland are cheaper between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. (mobile: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and on weekends. For emergency contact numbers see section 7.9.

International Calls: First, dial 00, then the country code, followed by the area code (without the first 0 or 9) and finally the local number. Depending on your provider, calls are cheaper between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. and on weekends. Using Skype/Hangouts or Whatsapp/Line is always a good option if you want to call your home country.

Mobile Phones: We recommend buying a prepaid SIM-card. This involves no fixed monthly cost; you buy special refill tickets in advance for as much money as you want to spend. Migros «M-Budget» and Coop «Prix Garantie» offer some of the best prices. However, these calls are more expensive than calling with a special mobile phone contract. A mobile Survival Booklet 2020 22 phone contract usually only makes sense if you stay for a longer time and use the phone a lot. In this case you can choose between different providers: Swisscom, Sunrise, Yallo, MBudget, Salt,…... Often, the providers have special offers for young people.

If you want to use a mobile phone from your own country (if you already have one), make sure it is GSM compliant. This depends on whether or not your phone can operate on the frequency range that the Swiss GSM networks use (some older phones sometimes have problems, modern phones usually work fine). Mobile phones ("cell phones") from North America often do not work. Inquire with your GSM provider in your home country for details. Depending on which agreements your GSM provider at home has made with the providers in Switzerland, you could also use your mobile phone in Switzerland with your mobile phone number from home. Since the prices per minute are extremely high, this option is only advisable in case of emergencies or during the first days upon your arrival. Ask your GSM provider from home for details.

Shopping On weekdays, shops are usually open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (in the centre of big cities like Zurich, Basel or Bern until 8 p.m.). On Saturdays, they close either at 5:00 p.m. or at 6:00 p.m, Most shops are closed on Sundays. In suburbs and country towns, some shops close for lunch. In big cities, after-hours or shopping is possible at railway stations or at the airport. Migros, Coop, Denner, Carrefour, Aldi, and are cheap supermarkets and offer most of what you need.

Almost all shops accept Swiss bank or postal cards. Credit cards or foreign Maestro cards are also widely accepted. Be aware that the living costs in Switzerland are among the highest worldwide!

Waste disposal Many cities in Switzerland have a garbage system which is financed through a special tax on garbage bags (for example, the «Zürisack» in the Zurich area or «Bebbisack» in Basel). Other garbage bags will not be collected. You find these bags in supermarkets (Migros, Coop, etc.), but not in the shelves! Ask the cashier or customer service for the trash bags in the appropriate size (17 litres, 35 litres…). Those bags are collected at a specific day of the week (depending on the location). You have to place them on the sidewalk in the morning before you go to work. Ask your landlord about the day on which they collect garbage. We also recycle PET bottles, aluminium cans, glass bottles, organic material, cardboard, paper, metal and batteries in Switzerland. You'll find collecting points for those materials in each neighbourhood. Find more information on trash disposal here: https://www.abfall.ch/ Survival Booklet 2020 23

Entertainment For entertainment, you should always ask the Local Committee members. They are highly active in organising events and activities (see 8). Do not hesitate to contact the LC members or other trainees if you need tips on what to do in Switzerland in your spare time! Register for the IAESTE mailing list (see 8.1) to receive information on IAESTE events. The Local Committees appoint at least one member responsible for the IAESTE event program and all other events.

6.11.1 Private Excursions and Mountain Trips If you want to organize excursions by yourself, you can find information on www.myswitzerland.com or in tourist offices and bookstores. You may as well ask the Local Committees (NOT the National Office). The LCs can give you helpful tips on where to travel and how to travel at low prices. Also, visit your local train station to speak to an SBB staff member and to receive brochures for special deals. You can also visit www.railaway.ch for special deals. Switzerland’s location in the heart of Western Europe makes it easy to visit a number of countries by train or air. You probably want to do some hiking or even climbing. For this purpose, it is advisable to join local people who know the place and its specific conditions. If you go on your own, you should stick to the trail marking and tell your landlord or your employer where you are going and when you expect to be back. Please keep in mind that the weather can dramatically change within an hour, especially if you are in the . Phone Number from REGA for membership: 0844 834 844 In case you regularly go to the mountains for hikes, you should consider becoming a member of rega (30 CHF/year) , so in case of accident or in danger of life, the rescue mission won’t financially break you (see also 7.8). However; the best advice is to stay on the marked trails, and to have a map or/and a guide with you (http://map.wanderland.ch/ or download the app SchweizMobil ), plan ahead!

6.11.2 Cinema, Concerts, Opera, Theatre There are a number of theatres and cinemas in every city. Programs are published in the local newspaper or online. In most cities, cinemas are cheaper on Mondays. Check whether they offer student discounts (show your student ID or «Legi»).

During summer, there are lots of open-air events like cinemas, theatres, music festivals, etc.

Check out www.ticketcorner.ch and www.starticket.ch for concert tickets.

6.11.3 Parties To find out about parties, ask the members of your closest Local Committee, people at the local university, check https://www.iaeste.ch/en/social-activities/ and especially Survival Booklet 2020 24 read the messages on the e-mail lists where LC members announce parties (see 8.1). A good website for parties in the Zurich area is www.usgang.ch.

Restaurants Restaurants are expensive in Switzerland. If you want to eat in a restaurant, you will have to spend at least 15-20 CHF for lunch. It is called «Menu», «Tagesmenu» or «Menu du jour» and usually consists of a soup or salad and a main dish. In the evening, meals are more expensive. A main course and a beer can cost easily 30 CHF or more.

The service charge is included, but it is still common to give a tip (of about 10%) in good restaurants and in the evening if you had a good service.

Sports and Activities Universities offer good sports facilities (open also during holidays). Ask for the program and conditions. Larger companies also have their own sports clubs. Foreign students enrolled at any university in the world can get an ASVZ membership in Zurich for only CHF 365.- per year: https://asvz.ch/77532-membership#details1-fold6.

If you want to do something on your own, you can jog (on special trails called «Vita Parcours» or «Lauftreff»), bike (bike rental for approx. 30 CHF per day - in some cities there are also a free bike rentals, see 6.4), swim in a pool, river or lake, play tennis or squash, etc.

Emergencies, Hospitals, Doctors Police, emergency call 117 Fire 118 Ambulance, emergency 144 Rega (helicopter rescue) 1414

Please be aware that the emergency clinics at hospitals (Notfallstationen) should only be contacted in case of serious accidents or health issues which have to be treated immediately. For any other issues there are several medical stations in bigger Swiss cities. Here is a list of the most important walk-in medical stations where no appointments are necessary:

Zürich: www.permanence.ch Basel: www.medix-toujours.ch Bern: www.localmed.ch Lausanne: www.pmu-lausanne.ch

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7 IAESTE Events

IAESTE Event Program IAESTE organizes various events throughout the year. Larger events, usually lasting two days, take place almost every weekend in summer, when many trainees are around.

Some of the yearly highlights are:  International Party  Hiking Weekend  Ticino Weekend  Visit of a Swiss chocolate factory  Street Parade  River rafting  Lausanne Weekend  Bern Weekend  Wine tasting  Ski weekend  Zermatt Weekend and many more...

You can find the detailed programme on https://www.iaeste.ch/en/social-activities//. The page will be updated frequently during the course of the year. Because the number of participants is usually limited and our events are very popular, each event requires separate registration on a "first come, first served" basis which can be done electronically through our web page. IAESTE trainees get a priority for the first 48h of registration.

Changes to the event program, opening of registration and other details will be announced on our trainee mailing list, so we strongly recommend subscribing to this list if you want to be informed about our activities early enough.

Don’t forget to bring some typical food or drink from your country for the International Food and Drinks Night!

The event program includes «Industrial Sights» events which usually take place on a Thursday or Friday afternoon. These are tours of interesting or unique companies in Switzerland. The idea is to show you first-hand how different industries operate from what you learn in your study. During an Industrial Sight, trainees attend a presentation and have the opportunity to meet people associated with the respective industry. We encourage everybody to attend! Remember that these visits are during working hours. Therefore, you have to ask your employer for permission to attend these events. You might take holiday time or compensate the hours lost by working more on another day.

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The best place to meet other trainees, members of the Local Committees, as well as Swiss students and to exchange information and news with them are the «Weekly Meetings» described in 8.2.

IAESTE Weekly Meetings Weekly Meetings are organized in Zurich (every Thursday), Lausanne, Basel and Bern. Please check with the local committee about their schedule. The meetings are usually held in a bar. More Information will be given through the trainee mailing list.

Zurich Weekly Meetings in Zurich take place on Thursday and are announced by a member of LC Zurich on your official mailing list before Thursday. The LC Zurich wants to offer you an interesting variety, so they try to meet at a different place every week.

Basel, Bern and Lausanne In Basel, Bern and Lausanne, there are no fixed weekly meetings due to the lesser number of trainees in these regions, but they offer irregular meetings. For more details, get in touch with your closest Local Committee.

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8 Contact information

Please let us know your e-mail address so we can contact you during your stay in Switzerland. Depending on your accommodation, you may or may not have an internet connection there. Most trainees have access to the internet at work. Some cities in Switzerland offer free WLAN all over the city (e.g. St. Gallen and Lucerne). There are also internet cafés in all major cities. If you decide to subscribe to internet where you live, you can check with some major providers such as Cablecom or Swisscom, best is if you check with your landlord.

IAESTE Switzerland Homepage, Facebook group and Twitter The homepage of IAESTE Switzerland (www.iaeste.ch) contains information for trainees, companies, students and members. The main page for trainees is www.iaeste.ch/foreign-trainees/ which informs about the yearly event program, weekly meetings and mailing lists.

Every year, IAESTE Switzerland revises and updates the Survival Booklet. Therefore, we greatly appreciate your comments and any new information. Please send them, preferably by e-mail, to [email protected]

The National Office is also active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram: www.facebook.com/iaeste.switzerland https://twitter.com/IAESTE_CH https://www.linkedin.com/company/iaeste-switzerland https://www.instagram.com/iaeste_switzerland/?hl=en

IAESTE Switzerland (National Office)

Offices: IAESTE Switzerland Weinbergstrasse 41 8006 Zurich Phone: +41 43 244 93 13 E-mail: [email protected]

Lausanne: IAESTE Switzerland (Romandie) Bd de Grancy 37 1006 Lausanne Phone: +41 21 601 79 93 E-Mail: [email protected]

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Local Committees (LCs)

8.3.1 LC Zurich The LC Zurich has a room in an ETH building but since most members from the LC work from home, you should contact them by e-mail to ask for an appointment.

For accommodation, arrival, pick up, tutoring: [email protected]

For the IAESTE summer program or other events (questions or if you want to help with the organization) contact: [email protected]

8.3.2 LC Basel The LC Basel does not have an office. The members work from home. Therefore it’s best to contact them by e-mail.

For accommodation, arrival, pick up, tutoring: [email protected]

For the IAESTE event program or other events (questions or if you want to help with the organization): [email protected]

8.3.3 LC Bern The LC Bern does not have an office. The members work from home. Therefore it’s best to contact them by e-mail.

For accommodation, arrival, pick up, tutoring: [email protected]

For the IAESTE event program or other events (questions or if you want to help with the organization): [email protected]

8.3.4 LC Lausanne The LC Lausanne has a room in Lausanne centre, but LC members only occasionally meet there, therefore you should contact them by e-mail to ask for an appointment.

For accommodation, arrival, pick up, tutoring: [email protected]

For the IAESTE event program or other events: [email protected]

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8.3.5 “Official list” On the official list [email protected] information regarding the event program, the weekly meetings and other 'official' announcements are published. Every trainee should subscribe to this list to receive important information!!! Due to several spamming attacks, only LC members can actively write from this mail address.

For technical details about how to subscribe or unsubscribe, how to post a message or how to browse the message archive, please go to: www.iaeste.ch/foreign- trainees/mailing-list/.

Make sure that you closely read and follow the instructions given on the website and in the automatic e-mail you will receive when trying to register.

8.3.6 Facebook group “IAESTE Switzerland Social” For unofficial announcements and social contacts, there is the Facebook group “IAESTE Switzerland Social”. Here you can also post your self-introduction and stuff that is not related to IAESTE. www.facebook.com/groups/iaeste.ch.11/

8.3.7 IAESTE Merchandise The Local Committees offers you a number of cool items for sale. Make sure you get your souvenir from IAESTE Switzerland before you leave! Our t-shirts and polo shirts are known to be one of the best IAESTE shirts on the planet with their classy look and fine material. And our Swiss army knife with the IAESTE logo makes the perfect souvenir to take home from Switzerland. The prices pretty much correspond to production prices, so our gadgets, especially the knives, are even cheaper than in retail. Go to: www.iaeste.ch/local-committees/shop/ and check it out.

And now we wish you a very happy stay in Switzerland!