Individual exchange in Switzerland

In individual exchanges in Switzerland pupils live in a host family and attend school in another language region of Switzerland. Not only do they learn the language, but they also make valuable personal and cultural experiences and make new friends.

Next steps

For pupils and parents:

Contact your school or the cantonal exchange coordinator.

to the cantonal exchange coordinator

For schools and cantonal institutions:

Submit funding application

Funding applications can be submitted by schools in Switzerland or by cantons. Private individuals are not eligible to apply.

You can submit your application in our login area. You must register when you log in for the first time. You can then view and manage your projects and submit new applications. You can save your application temporarily and process it later.

You can submit all planned exchanges for the pupils at your school in one application. The application can be submitted at any time, at the latest before the first mobility.

go to the application form

For pupils and parents:

Contact your school or the cantonal exchange coordinator.

to the cantonal exchange coordinator

For schools and cantonal institutions:

Submit funding application

Funding applications can be submitted by schools in Switzerland or by cantons. Private individuals are not eligible to apply.

You can submit your application in our login area. You must register when you log in for the first time. You can then view and manage your projects and submit new applications. You can save your application temporarily and process it later.

You can submit all planned exchanges for the pupils at your school in one application. The application can be submitted at any time, at the latest before the first mobility.

go to the application form

Overview

For whom

  • Pupils from primary school to upper secondary school (baccalaureate upper secondary schools, specialised secondary schools and vocational schools)

Duration

  • 10 days to one school year

Where

  • In another language region of Switzerland

What we fund

  • Financial support for organisation, travel, and accommodation 
  • Placement of exchange partners if at least one of the exchange partners is from the Italian or Romansh speaking part of Switzerland

What to do

  • Pupils or their parents should contact their school or the cantonal exchange coordinator.
  • The school or the canton submits a funding application.

Deadlines

  • Application deadline: ongoing

Next steps

For pupils and parents:

Contact your school or the cantonal exchange coordinator.

to the cantonal exchange coordinator

For schools and cantonal institutions:

Submit funding application

Funding applications can be submitted by schools in Switzerland or by cantons. Private individuals are not eligible to apply.

You can submit your application in our login area. You must register when you log in for the first time. You can then view and manage your projects and submit new applications. You can save your application temporarily and process it later.

You can submit all planned exchanges for the pupils at your school in one application. The application can be submitted at any time, at the latest before the first mobility.

go to the application form

In detail

A pupil exchange in another language region of Switzerland is an ideal way to improve your knowledge of one of Switzerland's national languages. Pupils live with a host family for 10 days to one full school year and attend the local school. They make friends across the language barrier and get to know a different culture. The pupils and the school receive financial support from us for the individual exchange. After their stay, pupils can request a certificate of participation from the partner school, which they can attach to their CV. 

Reciprocal or one-way exchange

A pupil exchange may or may not be reciprocal. In a reciprocal exchange, both families send their children to a school in a different language region. The exchange can take place in turns: The two pupils can first spend time together with one family and then with the other, or the exchange can take place concurrently. In a non-reciprocal exchange, the pupil attends school in another language region and lives with a host family, but his or her family does not host a pupil from the other language region. Depending on where the pupil lives, there is also the option of attending a school in another language region nearby and staying at home overnight. 

Examples of exchange projects:

  • A high school student from Bern spends six months with a host family in Lugano and attends the local baccalaureate upper secondary school.
  • A secondary school pupil from Bellinzona spends his 10th year at a lycée in Lausanne.
  • Two high school students from Geneva and Basel each stay two weeks at their peer’s family home and attend the school there.

Organisation by schools or cantons

Individual exchanges are organised by the schools, the cantons or the families. A partner school, a host family and thepreparation for the pupil’s stay are required. Applications have to be submitted by the pupil’s regular school or by the cantonal exchange coordinator of the canton of residence. In the case of a reciprocal exchange, both schools or cantons apply for funding. Parents or guardians can suggest a partner school or host family, but they cannot apply for funding themselves.  

Placement in host families in the Italian- and Romansh speaking parts of Switzerland

If at least one pupil in a reciprocal exchange is from the Italian or the Romansh speaking part of Switzerland, we will help to find an exchange partner. With our matching-service, we facilitate the matching of pupils and their families, depending on language, gender, hobbies, etc. The placement is free of charge, but a successful placement cannot be guaranteed as it depends on the number of persons registered and their exchange plans.

Incorporating exchanges in the school

Once two schools have established contacts, it is a good idea to organise regular exchange projects by offering your pupils an exchange at the partner school while at the same time welcoming pupils at your school. Thus, as many youths as possible benefit from an exchange experience. In addition this exchange culture at the school fosters an attractive learning environment. We also support the development of national school partnerships financially with preparatory visits.

Im Flyer finden Sie eine Zusammenfassung der wichtigsten Informationen:

Volantino Scambio individuale in Svizzera (PDF, 662 KB)

Requirements

For participants:

  • Pupils from primary school to upper secondary school (baccalaureate upper secondary schools, specialised secondary schools, and vocational schools) residing in Switzerland. 

For institutions:

  • Schools based in Switzerland and cantons are eligible to apply. 

The exchange project:

  • The stay lasts for at leastf 10 days up to one full school year.
  • The exchange takes place between schools in different language regions of Switzerland (within the same canton or in another canton).
  • During the exchange, pupils attend school. Projects during school holidays are excluded from funding.
  • Applications for funding can be submitted at any time, but before the start of the stay.
     

Funding amounts

  • Organisational fee for the institution: 150 CHF per pupil (up to 10 persons), 75 CHF per pupil (from the 11th person onward)
  • For the trip: 100 CHF per pupil
  • For the stay: 50 CHF (per calendar week and pupil)
  • For special needs of persons with disabilities or with physical, mental or chronic illnesses: Max. 12‘000 CHF (actual costs according to notification of requirements)
     

Procedure

  1. 1

    Finding a partner school and host family

    • Look for one or more partner schools. Activate your personal or professional environment.
    • Alternatively, you can contact professional organisations or take part in specialist conferences.
    • Get more information on the topic finding an exchange partner.
    • Find the required number of host families with your partner school.
    • In a reciprocal exchange, pupils live with the respective family of their exchange partner, so there is no need to look for host families. 
    • For reciprocal exchanges with at least one pupil from the Italian or Romansh speaking part of Switzerland, we support pupils in their search for a suitable exchange partner. You can register on our matching-service. We take into account the preferred language region, age, gender and hobbies. We use this information to match two youths of the same age and with similar interests. The placement process takes place twice a year: 15 March and 15 November.
    • Would you like to meet potential project partners for an institutional partnership on-site to get to know them or jointly develop a project? You can receive financial support for with the preparatory visits funding opportunity.
  2. 2

    Planning and organising exchanges

    • Plan the exchange with all the involved teachers and school principals of your school and the partner school. Provide information about the exchange project and select pupils for participation.
    • State the partner school(s), the number of participants, the start and end dates of the stays and the selection criteria for the participants.
    • It is important to us to also enable persons with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic diseases to participate. Therefore, we provide additional funding for persons with special needs, for which you can apply in the funding application. You may also submit a request for funding for special needs at a later stage during the project duration. You can find more information under inclusion and equal opportunities.
    • We offer individual counselling to answer questions you may have on planning, submission and implementation. The consultation can take place by phone, online or on site.
  3. 3

    Submit funding application

    • Submit the funding application online. We must receive it before the first day of the exchange at the latest.  
    • Only one application is required for all planned stays of pupils of a given school. 
    • However, you can only apply for funding for pupils from your school. The partner school must apply for funding for their pupils separately.
    • Begin with filling in the application as early as possible in order to familiarise yourself with the requirements. You can save the application temporarily and continue later. If you submit an application for the first time you need to register once. 
  4. 4

    Payout

    • We evaluate the applications on an ongoing basis.
    • You will be informed within 25 business days whether we will fund your project.
    • You will receive 80 % of the approved funding within 30 days of the funding decision. You will receive the remaining amount once you have submitted the final report.
    • Payments are made exclusively to institutions based in Switzerland. The beneficiary institutions pay out the funding amounts to the participants.
  5. 5

    Implement project

    • Prepare the pupils well for the exchange so that they can benefit as much as possible from the experience. We provide you with documents for a successful integration into the partner class.
    • Appoint a contact person who will support the participants during their stay and help them to achieve the desired learning outcomes.
    • The partner school issues a certificate of participation after the stay.
    • With the Notification of Requirement for persons with special needs, you can apply for additional funding for participants with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic diseases if you have not already done so in the funding application.

    Notification of requirements for people with special needs (DOCX, 84 KB)

  6. 6

    Submit final report

    At the end of the project, you need to submit a short final report within 60 days. In this report, you can also inform us of any changes regarding your project (e.g. duration, project partners). Depending on the number of individual exchanges that have been realised, we will pay out the remaining amount or make a reclaim.

  7. 7

    Institutionalise individual exchange

    Take advantage of your cooperation with a partner school and motivate more pupils at your school to take part in an individual exchange. The following steps can be taken to institutionalise exchanges at your school:

    • Work out an agreement with your partner school, which allows other pupils to take part in an exchange. As a partner school, you host pupils and find host families for them.
    • Inform all pupils at a certain school level about the options for doing an individual exchange in another language region. 

    Form a national school partnership. We support the development of school partnerschips financially, with preparatory visits.

  8. 8

    Spread the word

    • Provide information about the exchange project and motivate pupils to take part in an exchange. Be sure to mention the funding provided by Movetia. We provide a logo and text modules for this purpose. 
    • Share the content widely via your institution's channels, e.g. newsletter, social media, blog, etc. 
    • Contact us to increase your reach, e.g. through a Magazine article on our website. 

    Report on projects

Q & A

Only in the case of a reciprocal exchange with at least one pupil from the Italian or Romansh speaking part of Switzerland do we support pupils in their search for a suitable exchange partner. You can register on our matching-service. 

Yes, an application for funding can include several types of stays, e.g. 10-day and 6-month stays or stays at different partner schools. You can specify the number of pupils for each stay (duration, location). 

However, you can only apply for funding for pupils from your school. The partner school needs to apply for funding for their pupils.

Further information

  • Gastfamilie finden

    Hier finden Sie einige Tipps, wie Sie erfolgreich eine Gastfamilie für einen Einzelaustausch in der Schweiz finden können.

    Learn more

Contact

Further options

Similar funding opportunities

  • Exchange during the holidays

    Young people visit each other during the vacations and spend one to two weeks with their respective families in another language region of Switzerland.

    Learn more

  • Volunteering

    Young adults can actively support a non-profit project in a field of their choice, in Switzerland or Europe.

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To all funding opportunities