Welcome to the University of Bern!

Whether you are a new faculty member, researcher, or visiting scholar, here permanently or for just a few months, alone or with family, you will need to make decisions about the logistics of your stay in Bern.

The Welcome Center provides information, advice and assistance for international researchers and new faculty and academic staff. We want you to feel at home in Bern as quickly as possible.

Who can use the Welcome Center services?

• Professors and lecturers
• Post-docs
• Doctoral students
• Visiting scholars
  and
• Academic departments (inviting or employing new resarchers)

They and their families are eligible to receive personalized consulting on issues related to relocation, and getting settled in Bern as well as information and referrals to city and university services.

Our services

• Personalized advice and help in finding information, including referrals to contacts who can answer specific questions in detail
• Website with housing rental opportunities for university employees (in German language mostly)
• Checklists to make sure your relocation goes smoothly, telling what to watch for both before and after your arrival
• Assistance with local immigration authorities, including accompanying you in person when you register your arrival
• Language courses in basic German beginning at the start of each semester, with partners and spouses eligible to participated through the Dual Career Couples (DCC) programme
• An extensive information website as well as a “Welcome Folder” with handouts organized by topic and a Bern city map
• The annual “Welcome Apéro” reception for new faculty and academic staff, jointly sponsored by the Welcome Center and the Intermediate Staff Association and held each year in the fall (next in September 2011)

How to register with the Welcome Center

You can contact the Welcome Center via e-mail or telephone to request either assistance or an appointment. We recommend that you first contact us well before your arrival in Bern.

If you write to the Welcome Center, you may wish to include the follwing information:

• Your full name
• Name of your institute or department and a contact person at your office
• Your first day of work, or how long you will be staying
• Your country of citizenship
• What country you are living in at the moment
• Whether your family will be joining you in Bern, if relevant

Please note
Administrative issues concerning visas, work permit, or employment contract are generally handled by your institute or department in cooperation with the Human Resources Section.

How to find us

The International Office/ Welcome Center is located in the main building of the university (east wing, room 314). See: central and accessible

E-mail: Jasmin Fallahi, jasmin.fallahi@int.unibe.ch
Tel: 0041 (0) 31 631 80 49

The International Office/Welcome Center has office hours on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and by appointment.