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Academic constraints
The timetable consists per week of around:
- 32 hours of lectures, exercise classes and practical work
- 15-20 hours for personal study (without counting exam preparation)
With a weekly schedule of 50-60 hours, it is difficult to reconcile studying and working.
Legal constraints for foreigner students
- Foreign students may not engage in incidental gainful employment beyond a maximum 15 hours per week during courses and full-time during university vacations.
- For nationals of EU and EFTA countries, employment may begin from the start of their stay in Switzerland, unlike nationals of non-EU/EFTA countries, who must wait 6 months before taking up employment, except for student assistants employed in research in connection with their field of study.
> More details under “Work permit”
Gross salary simulation
With an average hourly wage of 25 CHF, if you work 8 hours per week, your monthly earnings will be 800 CHF. Considering that the monthly budget is around 2300 CHF, you need to have 1500 CHF per month already available to finance yourself.
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Rule
- All foreign assistants must hold a valid student permit.
- In addition, foreign students may not engage in incidental gainful employment beyond a maximum 15 hours per week during courses and full-time during university vacations.
- For nationals of EU and EFTA countries, employment may begin from the start of their stay in Switzerland, unlike nationals of non-EU/EFTA countries, who must wait 6 months before taking up employment, except for student assistants employed in research in connection with their field of study (details in Article 4).
In case of regular paid work
For all regular paid work, students holding a B permit must:
1. Ask their future employer to fill in a form for employment. This document must be provided even if the work is lasting less than 3 months. List of EU/EFTA countries.
- Application forms for EU/EFTA students and third states students available on this page. (under points 2 and 3)
2. Go to the student desk and present the form. A certificate will be delivered only if the number of hours do not exceed:
- 15 hours per week during semesters
- Full-time during the academic holiday
3. Submit both documents to the competent office (address written on the document) Failure to comply with these rules may result in refusal to extend the residence permit.
Information by the population office
Certain grants may restrict employment opportunities.
Please find out what restrictions apply from the body which issued the grant.
Foreign students with a B permit have their taxes directly deducted from their salary. The employer has an obligation to notify the authorities concerning the employee and will deduct tax from their wages.
Foreign students working in Switzerland who have their taxes directly deducted from their salary and an annual income that does not exceed CHF 28’800, can ask for a tax refund to their Canton of residence. Tax refunds can be reclaimed between 1st January and 31th March of each year.
Applications for refunds should be sent in writing to this address:
For the canton de Vaud : Administration cantonale vaudoise des impôts – Section de l’impôt à la source
Together with the following documents:
- salary statements provided by the employer for the given tax year
- copy of the residence permit
- copy of the EPFL registration certificate
- your bank or postal account number for reimbursement
Provided by Junior Entreprise EPFL: myjob.epfl.ch and under Junior Entreprise Jobs on the application EPFL Campus
To get an idea of the different rates, we advise you to look up the UNIL website.
Looking to hire a student?
Provided by Junior Entreprise EPFL: myjob.epfl.ch