Does Brexit affect my ability to join a ski instructor course in Switzerland as a UK citizen?
If you’re travelling from the UK, you are covered by a Schengen visa waiver, and are able to spend 90 days out of every 180 days in the Schengen zone, which includes Switzerland.
None of our Gap courses exceed 90 days, so as long as you haven’t already spent your 90 days in the Schengen area already, you are able to join one of our courses.
*If you are concerned about not meeting this requirement please contact us for a chat as hopefully we can find a solution for you.
Can I stay after the Ski Instructor Course finishes?
There is also an option to apply for a student visa to enable you to stay more than 90 days, it involves filling out a few forms on arrival in Switzerland and having the necessary insurance but we can help you with this.
Can I join the Altitude instructor course from other countries?
If you have an EU passport, you do not need a visa or permit to join the course. For other nationalities, you may need to obtain a visa for travel to be able enter Switzerland.
We recommend you check your country’s requirements and ensure the visa would cover you for the duration of the course.
Am I able to work after the course?
If you secure a job after the course, you will then need a Swiss work permit, which is usually easy to obtain for EU passport holders. Working for under 90 days you will need an ‘announce’ and for over 90 days you will need an L permit. There is a fee for both of these.
Unfortunately those without an EU passport, which now includes UK nationals, it is not easy to obtain a permit to work in Switzerland, and under current rules you would not be able to obtain a work permit as a ski instructor.
If I qualify for a work permit, what job opportunities are open to me after the course?
Altitude have several ski schools throughout Switzerland, our flagship school being Verbier where we are usually able to offer up to 10 peak-week jobs for newly qualified instructors during the February half term, and sometimes in the Easter holidays. There are also job opportunities available in other resorts that we can let you know about on the course.
For those on the course wanting to take this opportunity, you are welcome to apply for the position and have an interview at our ski school. These applications will only be open to those with EU passports, Swiss passports or those already holding valid Swiss work permits.
Whilst these job opportunities are available to any applicants, priority is given to our students and we also get to know you quite well during the course, so your trainers will recommend to our hiring managers who they think would be best for the role! This can be a great start to getting your first instructor role, which can often be a big challenge in the competitive world of instructing.
