Useful information

Language courses usually start every Monday. Some schools offer courses for beginners on predetermined dates. Official examination preparation courses (Cambridge, for example) are available 2 or 3 times a year on fixed dates.

We have been working with most of our partner schools for several years. The regular contact we maintain, the constant back-up visits to the schools and the students’ feedback allow us to guarantee control over the quality of their services.

For every destination, transfer to your accommodation from the airport or railway station can be organized. This option is particularly suitable after a long flight. Depending on your degree of autonomy abroad and your knowledge of the country you are visiting, you can also get to your accommodation by taxi, train or bus. These solutions are often cheaper than those suggested by schools.

Depending on the destination you have chosen for your course, a student visa may be necessary for your trip. The information about the steps to follow and the forms that you need to get your visa will be provided for you. You will have to pay any visa fees. Visa formalities for Swiss and E.U. citizens are usually the same. No visa is required for courses taking place in European countries. The majority of other countries, except the USA, authorize stays of up to 12 weeks for study purposes with a tourist visa. It is required a student visa if you wish to follow a course for over 3 months.

ESL Study abroad can offer you flight reservations for every destination at very competitive prices. Don’t hesitate to ask for details of our low cost flight prices.

Are you willing to fly out in the next few days? We offer a last-minute flight service for all of our destinations.

ESL offers a wide range of insurance options, including cancellation fee insurance, baggage insurance and flight replacement insurance. You will receive detailed information with the confirmation of your course. For health insurance, you should contact your health insurer and make sure that you are covered abroad.

All your travel documents will be sent to you approximately two weeks before your departure. They include a travel guide, a detailed description of your accommodation, your flight ticket and flight details, as well as general information about your school and your destination. You will also receive detailed information about the country you’ve chosen.

Fill the on-line enrolment form and mail/fax it to us or send it to your enrolment agency.

• We will confirm the course enrolment, accommodation and flight within seven days of receipt of your enrolment form. This confirmation has all the details of your course, accommodation and journey. A deposit is then to be paid within 10 days.
• Information on low-cost flight prices will also be included, without any obligation, if you have noticed it in the enrolment form.
• We will send you the final invoice 5/6 weeks before your departure.You have to pay the outstanding amount, in Swiss Francs or in Foreign Currency before your departure.

If you’ve made your mind up, don’t take too long to enrol. Enrolling in good time can result in cheaper flights as well as having time to carry out all the necessary administrative procedures (getting your visa, health insurance extension, etc.) It will also be easier to guarantee your accommodation choice if you book early.

Prices indicated on this site are valid for 2008. If you are planning your language course for 2009, you can use these prices as an indication. The prices and dates for 2009 will be available from around July 2008. Don’t hesitate to call us for up-to-date information before our 2009 brochure is available (end of September 2008). We receive many enrolments several months in advance that we can confirm in order to guarantee you a place in our most popular courses or accommodation, or to satisfy your specific wishes. By enrolling before July (or even later for some schools*) for the following year, you will usually pay the same price as for the current year.
Contact us for more information.

Depending on your lifestyle, the prices in the country you’re visiting and your accommodation choice (no lunch / half board / full board), as well as the activities and excursions you intend to participate in, we suggest you allow CHF 100.00 to CHF 250.00 cash per week.

Our prices are the original prices offered by our partner schools; they are exactly the same prices you would pay by enrolling directly with the schools. No supplement is charged and no fee needs to be paid for file processing or our consultancy service: you pay exactly the same price you would pay if you enrolled abroad. You also avoid many annoying administrative issues and you will benefit from complete assistance before, during and after the course. We also guarantee that you pay the lowest price or we will refund the difference. In order to offer you the best exchange rates, our prices are listed in foreign currencies and will be changed, with your agreement, at the exchange rate on the day your final invoice is sent (4 or 5 weeks before your departure). We also accept payment in foreign currencies.

Our partner schools welcome students from a range of nationalities, in percentages that vary over the year. For example, during the summer, and in the certificate preparation courses (Cambridge, Goethe), many Swiss are present in all the schools. This is very convenient: schools and teachers are aware of the specific needs that Swiss students have. A good learning pace is then guaranteed, because most of the Swiss students will be interested and motivated.

There are no classes on local holidays. No refund is made for these days, although some schools may reschedule classes.

We are proud to say that the majority of our clients come to us because we have been recommended by former students. We do our best to maintain this good reputation by offering our clients a complete free consultancy and placement service.

Small schools (S)
Studying in a school with 30 to 70 participants has many advantages: a relaxed friendly environment, concerned teachers, and small classes. However, the full range of levels and course types is not always available.

Medium-sized schools (M)
With 70 to 100 students, they combine the advantages of small and large schools: good technical equipment, a wide range of activities, many levels, personal contact and good flexibility.

Large schools (L)
Schools with 100 to 300 students offer courses for almost every level, an excellent technical infrastructure and a wide range of activities.

Very large schools (XL)
Schools with over 300 participants offer the same advantages as large schools, although it will be very difficult for you to meet all the other students!

Europe
Sunday is the arrival day; departures take place on Saturdays. If you want to arrive before the weekend, extra nights will be charged.

Overseas
The same system applies for all our schools abroad. However, due to time differences and the duration of the flight, we recommend our students travel during the week and pay for extra nights.

• AVS   It is strongly recommended that you check with your superannuation company concerning how to avoid gaps in your contributions. You will be obliged to make your own contributions in the case of a prolonged period of absence without a work contract in Switzerland.
  

• Family allowance   A language study abroad program may be considered as an educational component and an allowance may be payable for its duration, as long as there is a direct link with the professional objective. If this is the case, ask us for a certificate of enrolment for your language course abroad to present to your social security office.
  

• Taxes   Most cantons allow language study abroad programs to be counted as tax deductions. If this is the case for the canton in which you reside, take care to keep your bills and payment receipts.