The University of Basel, founded in 1460, is the oldest university in Switzerland. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 150th in the world and the fourth-highest-ranked university in Switzerland. It’s known for life sciences, medicine, pharmaceutical sciences and the humanities, and Basel is home to some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies.
Basel’s bachelor’s degrees are taught mainly in German, but its fees are the same for Swiss and international students, and you can apply before you finish school. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on the University of Basel’s own guidance and official Swiss government information.
1. Make sure your German is good enough
German is the main language of instruction in Basel’s bachelor’s programmes, and the university expects your language skills to be at level C1 or higher before you start. It’s your responsibility to reach this level, and the university won’t excuse failed exams because of weak language skills. Many master’s programmes are taught in English.
2. Check the requirements for your certificate
Basel’s admission requirements depend on the country and type of your school-leaving certificate, and they’re set out in the university’s admission regulations for each academic year. Check them before you apply, because some foreign certificates are only accepted with extra exams or previous university study.
3. Know your deadline
If you have foreign qualifications, applications for autumn 2027 open on 1 February 2027 and close on 30 April 2027. You can also apply to start in the spring semester of 2027 until 30 November 2026, but some programmes can only be started in autumn. Late applications are only accepted in special cases, for an extra CHF 150. University of Basel application deadlines.
4. Apply before you finish school
You don’t have to wait for your final exams. Basel encourages you to apply even if you haven’t completed your school-leaving certificate or don’t yet have all the documents, and to upload missing transcripts and certificates later, by the deadlines on your information sheet. Bachelor’s studies with foreign qualifications.
5. Submit a complete application
Your application only counts as submitted once you’ve sent it through the application portal and paid the CHF 100 application fee, which isn’t refundable. Documents in languages other than German, French, Italian or English need a certified translation into German or English. If anything is missing, the university will ask you through the portal to send it by a deadline.
6. Plan early for medicine or sport
Medicine, dental medicine and Sport, Exercise and Health have earlier deadlines. For autumn 2027, you must apply for Sport, Exercise and Health between 15 December 2026 and 15 February 2027, and for medicine you must register with swissuniversities by 15 February 2027. Late applications aren’t possible for these programmes, and places in medicine are restricted.
7. Understand the fees
Basel charges the same tuition fee to Swiss and international students: CHF 850 per semester, or CHF 1,700 a year. That makes it one of the cheapest options among top European universities, although living costs in Switzerland are high. University of Basel tuition fees.
8. Look for funding and housing early
Scholarships for international bachelor’s students are limited, so most need to fund their studies themselves or find a scholarship in their home country. Basel is smaller and slightly cheaper than Zurich or Geneva, but rooms are still in demand, so start looking for housing as soon as you’re admitted.
9. Apply for your visa and residence permit early
If you’re from the EU/EFTA, you don’t need a visa: you register with the commune where you live within 14 days of arriving and receive a residence permit for study. If you’re from outside the EU/EFTA, you’ll usually need a national (D) visa for a stay of more than 90 days, which you apply for at the Swiss embassy or consulate in your home country once the University of Basel has admitted you. You’ll need your admission letter and proof that you can pay your tuition and living costs, and processing can take several weeks, so apply as soon as you’re admitted. The University of Basel advises applying for your visa by the end of July for the autumn semester. Health insurance is compulsory for everyone living in Switzerland, so arrange it when you arrive. SEM: entry and visas.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
If you’re from outside the EU/EFTA, you can work up to 15 hours a week during term, but not until six months after your course starts. Your employer has to apply for permission from the cantonal authorities, and the University of Basel must confirm that the job won’t delay your studies. After you graduate from a Swiss university, you have six months to look for a job that matches your qualifications, and you can be admitted to work if your job is of overriding scientific or economic interest. SEM: working in Switzerland FAQ.
Applying for a master’s or PhD at Basel?
Many of Basel’s master’s programmes are taught in English, especially in the sciences, and most follow the same application window as bachelor’s programmes: 1 February to 30 April for the autumn semester. Admission is based on your bachelor’s degree and subject background, and some programmes set extra requirements. For a PhD, you usually need to find a supervisor first. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Apply to more than one university to give yourself options. Read our guides to ETH Zurich, EPFL, the University of Zurich and the University of Geneva. Our guide to studying in Switzerland explains how the Swiss system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the University of Basel’s official admissions and tuition fee pages, the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on the University of Basel’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the University of Basel.