FAQ on enrolment at the HGK

Matriculation is the formal enrolment as a student at the university. It takes place following the positive letter of admission from the degree programme. You must register using the “Definitive registration for enrolment” form sent to you by the administration of your degree programme. You can submit the necessary documents to the ZSA from mid-June. Once you have submitted all the required documents in full, you will receive the access data for your FHNW e-mail address, which you can use to access “Mein Studium”, as well as the FH-Card (your student ID card) and will then be considered enrolled.

You will receive an e-mail from the Central Student Administration Office (ZSA) approx. 3 months before the start of your studies with all the information about enrolment and a deadline by which the documents must be submitted.

Both documents will be available to you once you have received all the necessary documents for enrolment.
You can download your confirmation of studies from the “Mein Studium” platform shortly before the start of the semester. The student ID card (FH-Card) will be sent to you by post (exception: residential address not in Switzerland). Students who are not resident in Switzerland will receive their student ID card from the course administration office at the start of the semester.

For information on the timetables and modules, please contact the administration of your degree programme directly.

If you receive a document later than the specified deadline, please upload a confirmation from the relevant institution confirming the date on which you will receive the document. In this case, please also fill in the “Note for comments” field in the online application and specify which document you will submit to us later and by when. Please note that the online registration must be completed by the deadline.

Please send this document to the Central Student Administration Office immediately upon receipt:

• Bachelor: YWRtaXNzaW9uLmJhLmhna0BmaG53LmNo
• Master: YWRtaXNzaW9uLm1hLmhna0BmaG53LmNo

The original diploma must be submitted by the end of calendar week 35 at the latest.

University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
Basel Academy of Art and Design
Central Student Administration ZSA
Freilager-Platz 1
4002 Basel

You can submit the original documents requested by post (we recommend sending them by registered mail) or in person at the reception desk in Building D. Alternatively, the documents can be posted in the letterbox at Freilager-Platz 1 in the high-rise building D.

During the summer, the reception is open at reduced hours: from 08:00 to 13:00.

Please note that mailing is at your own risk and that HGK Basel accepts no responsibility in the event of loss.

The university entrance qualification is the certificate that entitles you to study for the first time. For a Bachelor's degree programme, this is usually proof of a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification.
For a Master's degree: If you have not completed your Matura in Switzerland, this is your highest degree (Bachelor's or Master's). Otherwise, this is your baccalaureate, vocational baccalaureate or specialized baccalaureate or an equivalent qualification (not Bachelor's or Master's).

The original certificate is the certificate you received from the school/university. You must send this in paper form by post to the Central Student Administration Office (ZSA) or hand it in in person. Please do not make a copy or send a scan of the certificate by e-mail.

The Central Student Administration Office (ZSA) requires the original if this is your first degree programme in Switzerland. The ZSA is obliged to issue you with a matriculation number, which is affixed to the back of the original certificate in the form of a small sticker.

Yes, you can either hand in your certificate at the reception desk at Freilager-Platz 1 or drop it in the letterbox (high-rise building D).

Please use the following address:

University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW
Basel Academy of Art and Design
Central Student Administration ZSA
Freilager-Platz 1
4002 Basel

After consultation with the ZSA, you can also hand in your certificate directly at the student counter (Hochhaus D, 7th floor).

Yes, you will receive the original certificate back from your degree programme administration office at the start of your studies. If you need the original certificate before then, you can collect it in person from the Central Student Administration Office (ZSA).

Yes, in addition to the original certificate, the Central Student Administration Office (ZSA) requires an officially certified translation. No translation is required for Swiss certificates.

If you already have a matriculation number from a previous enrolment at a Swiss college or university, you must use it. The yellow sticker with the matriculation number can be found on the back of the certificate.

All prospective students receive a matriculation number when they first enrol at a Swiss university of applied sciences/university/ETH. You will also find the Swiss matriculation number on the transcript of records or on the exmatriculation statement.

The personal data sheet is used to determine which canton is responsible for financing your studies within the framework of the Intercantonal Agreement on Colleges of Higher Education (HFSV).

Explanation to question 2
“Were you financially independent for at least 24 months before the start of your studies without being in basic vocational training at the same time? (This period does not have to be immediately before the planned training).”

→ The decisive factor is a period of at least 24 months of financial independence from your parents. This means that you have your own income that is sufficient to cover your basic needs (living costs, rent, tuition fees).

Explanation to question 3
“Have you lived in the same canton (or in the Principality of Liechtenstein) for at least 24 months without interruption during the period of financial independence?”

→ The Swiss canton in which the student or mother or father last resided under civil law in Switzerland for at least 24 months before the start of their studies is decisive. If you or your parents do not live in Switzerland, please answer “No”.

In this case, please enter your current place of residence and inform us as soon as you know your new address:

• Bachelor: YWRtaXNzaW9uLmJhLmhna0BmaG53LmNo
• Master: YWRtaXNzaW9uLm1hLmhna0BmaG53LmNo

As a rule, you should already have a Switch edu-ID. If you do not yet have one, you must first create a Switch edu-ID address. You can find more information here.

Please use the same e-mail address for the Switch edu-ID as for online registration. If you have a new private e-mail address, you can also register this with Switch.
https://help.switch.ch/eduid/faqs

Please note that it is not permitted to have more than one Switch edu-ID account.
https://help.switch.ch/eduid/faqs/#duplicates

If you have difficulties accessing the personal data sheet, we recommend using a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.).

The Central Student Administration Office (ZSA) can reset the personal data sheet. Please send us an e-mail:

• Bachelor: YWRtaXNzaW9uLmJhLmhna0BmaG53LmNo
• Master: YWRtaXNzaW9uLm1hLmhna0BmaG53LmNo

or contact us: +41 61 228 44 33

The Central Student Administration (ZSA) can reset the place of origin. Please send us an e-mail: 

• Bachelor: YWRtaXNzaW9uLmJhLmhna0BmaG53LmNo
• Master: YWRtaXNzaW9uLm1hLmhna0BmaG53LmNo

or contact us: +41 61 228 44 33

The enclosures can be found on the second page of the personal data sheet. The original confirmation of residence (if required) must be submitted. This must have been issued no earlier than three months before the start of studies (Monday week 8 and 38). The other enclosures must be submitted as copies.

If a certificate of residence is required, please note the following points:

• The certificate of residence can be obtained in person from the residents' registration office or ordered online. You can contact your municipality of residence for this.
• It must be issued in the name of the father or mother if the student is financially dependent on them.
• It must be issued in the student's own name if the student is financially independent.
• The place of residence in which the student or mother or father last had civil law residence in Switzerland for at least 24 months (uninterrupted) before the start of studies is decisive.
• The confirmation of residence must be up to date and is therefore invalid if it was issued before week 25. Certificates of origin and settlement permits do not replace the confirmation of residence.
• Note: The submitted original will not be returned. The fees for the certificate of residence are not covered by the FHNW.

No. The personal data sheet must be completed online, signed by hand and submitted by post to the Central Student Administration Office together with the original enclosure.
You may not make any manual changes to the printout afterwards.

Please request this document from the university or universities at which you were enrolled. The document must show the date of graduation and the ECTS points earned (e.g. Transcript of Records).

With the “Declaration of consent to data protection”, students agree that the HGK Basel FHNW may make image, audio and video recordings at the events listed in the document and for the purposes stated, in which they may be recognizable.

You will find the link to the document in our e-mail.
The completed declaration of consent must be uploaded via the online platform ONLA.

Please submit copies in advance and let the Central Student Administration Office (ZSA) know when you can submit the original.

Please send an e-mail (aW5mby5oZ2tAZmhudy5jaA==) to the Central Student Administration Office (ZSA) so that the semester invoice can be issued in advance. If required, our finance department will issue a confirmation of payment of the fees.