Switzerland – Qualifications Exempt from Assessment

At a glance

Swiss qualifications that appear on the Switzerland list are exempt from assessment by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) for immigration points purposes. The list applies to applicants under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) and Skilled Migrant Residence (SR) instructions, as well as work visa applicants from Switzerland where the country is listed in Appendix 17. [S-switzerland]

Definition

A qualification is exempt from assessment and qualifies for the indicated points only if all of the following conditions are met: [S-switzerland]

1. The qualification is listed in the Academic Qualifications Table.
2. The awarding institution is listed in the Awarding Institutions Table.
3. The qualification abbreviation matches the right‑hand column in the Awarding Institutions Table.
4. The qualification was awarded from the year listed in the right‑hand column.
5. The qualification is not excluded by the notes under the Academic Qualifications Table.

If the applicant believes their qualification may be higher than the level stated, they must apply to NZQA for an International Qualification Assessment. [S-switzerland]

Academic Qualifications Table

Qualification	Abbreviation	NZQF level	Points (SMC)
Bachelor of Arts (BA) (speciality may be stated)	BA	7	50
Bachelor of Science (BSc) (speciality may be stated)	BS	7	50
Master of Advanced Studies / Maîtrise d'études avancées	MAS	8	50
Master of Arts (speciality may be stated)	MA	9	70
Master of Science (speciality may be stated)	MS	9	70
Doktor / Doktors der / Docteur / Dottorato / PhD / Doctor of Philosophy / Philosophiae Doctor	D	10	70
Doktor der Medizin / Docteur en Médecine / Doktor der Zahnmedizin	Requires NZQA assessment	–	–

*Abbreviations used are for the purpose of this list. [S-switzerland]

Awarding Institutions Table

• École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2014, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Die / Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2014, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Der / Universität Basel / UNI BASEL – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2010, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Universität Bern – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2017, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Université de Fribourg – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2010, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Université de Genève – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2014, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Université de Lausanne – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2014, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Università della Svizzera italiana – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2010, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Universität Luzern – BA: 2009, MAS: 2017, MA: 2011, D: 2000
• Université de Neuchâtel – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2017, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000
• Die / Universität St. Gallen – BA: 2009, MAS: 2017, MA: 2011, D: 2000
• Universität Zürich – BA/BS: 2009, MAS: 2011, MA/MS: 2011, D: 2000

*Effective 27/08/2018. [S-switzerland]

Application in decisions

An immigration officer verifies that the qualification, awarding institution, abbreviation, and award year all match the tables. Only then is the qualification treated as exempt. Points are awarded based on the NZQF level and points column, not on comparability to a specific New Zealand qualification. [S-switzerland]

Interpretation & edge cases

• Original documents required: Award certificates must be provided in their original language. Translations must not be used to determine the degree name. [S-switzerland]
• Mandatory NZQA referral: The following must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualification Assessment: honorary degrees; any listed qualification where study was completed outside Switzerland (including overseas campuses of a listed institution); qualifications that contain cross‑credited courses or papers; all initial teacher training degrees; and all qualifications awarded after 2018. [S-switzerland]
• Medical/dental doctorates: Doktor der Medizin, Docteur en Médecine, and Doktor der Zahnmedizin always require NZQA assessment. [S-switzerland]
• Higher‑level claims: If an applicant believes their qualification is at a level higher than stated in the table, NZQA assessment is required. [S-switzerland]

Citations

• S-switzerland – Switzerland