Italian biomedical-engineering student spent 5 months at the Inselspital Bern
Result: Contributed to a clinical-imaging research project; co-authored a poster at a European conference
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Erasmus+ Internships and Mobility Programs in Bern
Piktalent organises Erasmus+ internships and mobility programs in Bern, Switzerland for higher-education institutions, VET providers and individual students. Each placement includes a vetted host company, accommodation, insurance and on-site coordination. Bern is Switzerland's federal capital and a quietly significant pharmaceutical, biomedical-research and government-services city, with Piktalent placements across the Swiss federal administration, the Bern University Hospital and the CSL Behring biopharma ecosystem.
In short
- Location
- Bern, Switzerland
- Programmes
- Erasmus+ KA131, KA171, VET, HEI, BIP, job shadowing
- Duration
- 2 weeks – 12 months
- Includes
- Placement, accommodation, insurance, 24/7 support
Cost of living for interns in Bern
Premium costTypical monthly intern budget in Bern based on Piktalent-arranged shared accommodation. Figures are indicative and updated against current placements; Final pricing is confirmed with your proposal.
- Room
- €850–1,250/mo
- Daily expenses
- €700–950/mo
- Total monthly
- €1,550–2,200/mo
- Erasmus+ grant
- Erasmus+ grant covers a small portion only; significant top-up required.
What Piktalent delivers in Bern
Every mobility programme in Bern is fully managed end-to-end — so coordinators at sending institutions can focus on academic outcomes while we handle logistics, compliance and on-the-ground support.
Accommodation
Vetted, safe housing in Bern within commuting distance of the workplace — typically shared apartments or student residences.
Insurance
Travel and liability insurance covering the full mobility period, aligned with Erasmus+ requirements.
24/7 support
Local coordination team in Bern plus a 24/7 emergency line throughout the placement.
Host company matching
Placement matched to the participant's field of study and learning objectives across our Bern host network.
Mentoring & orientation
Airport transfer, city orientation and weekly check-ins with the on-site coordinator in Bern.
Documentation
Learning agreements, mid-term and final reports, Europass certificates and all paperwork required by the sending institution.
Mobility programmes
Erasmus+ mobility programmes we run in Bern
Piktalent delivers every major Erasmus+ mobility programme type in Bern — for institutions sending interns to Switzerland. Pick the format that fits your accreditation and budget; we handle the rest.
Also available to individual students
À la carte support services in Bern
Accommodation
Vetted housing close to the host company in Bern — apartments, residences or host families.
Insurance
Health, accident and liability cover compliant with Erasmus+ and host-country requirements.
Visa & documentation
Guidance on visas, residence permits and host-country paperwork for non-EU participants.
Language courses
Pre-departure and on-site language training to speed up workplace integration in Bern.
TEFL — Teach English Abroad
Accredited TEFL certification — open enrolment, no internship required.
Internship job portal
Browse and apply directly to open internship positions in Bern and across Europe & the USA.
Why Bern for internships and mobility programs
Bern's working culture is structured, formal and notably calmer than Zurich or Geneva. International interns typically live in central Bern or near the university. The city's compact medieval scale, strong cycling infrastructure and dense café culture create a distinctive daily life. Weekends fill with skiing in the Bernese Oberland, hiking around Interlaken or trips to Lucerne and Zurich.
Economy
Bern is a key economic hub in Switzerland, attracting international companies and offering an internship market that spans early-stage startups, established SMEs and multinational employers.
Key sectors
Active host-company sectors in Bern: government, business, education. Each Erasmus+ internship is matched to the participant's field of study.
International environment
English is the working language in most international placements in Bern. Teams are typically multinational, and incoming Erasmus+ participants integrate alongside an established alumni network.
Switzerland's federal capital — major government and administrative-services employer
CSL Behring's main European biopharma site (rare-disease therapies)
Bern University Hospital (Inselspital) — leading Swiss medical-research institution
UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town — best preserved in Switzerland
Working German preferred; English standard in pharma, research and government
Central position — 1h to Zurich, 1h30 to Geneva, 2h to Italian Alps
Available internship fields in Bern
Piktalent offers Erasmus+ internships in Bern across the fields below. Each link opens a dedicated page with host-company examples, durations and learning outcomes.
How an Erasmus+ internship in Bern works
Four steps from first brief to final report. Plan twelve weeks of lead time for a quality mobility programme in Bern.
- 1
Brief & matching
Share participant profiles, dates and target field. Piktalent matches each intern to a vetted host company in Bern.
- 2
Learning Agreement & paperwork
We co-sign the Erasmus+ Learning Agreement, issue insurance and confirm the mobility programme details with the sending institution.
- 3
Pre-arrival & accommodation
Vetted accommodation in Bern is booked before arrival; pre-departure briefing covers culture, transport and emergency contacts.
- 4
On-site support & reporting
Local team in Bern runs check-ins, monitors the internship and delivers final reports plus Europass Mobility documents.
Internship examples in Bern
Recent placements managed by Piktalent in Bern.
Who is Bern best for?
Bern works particularly well for the participant profiles below. If your sending institution matches one of these, we typically have host capacity within 2–4 weeks.
- 1HEI students in pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical research or medicine
- 2Political-science and public-administration students
- 3Erasmus+ participants drawn to medieval, walkable cities
- 4Interns prioritising a calmer Swiss base than Zurich or Geneva
Frequently asked questions about internships in Bern
Other cities in Switzerland
Compare Bern with other Piktalent destinations in Switzerland.
Related cities by sector
Other Piktalent destinations with overlapping host-company sectors to Bern — useful when comparing cost, language and lead time across the same field.
From the blog — Bern & Switzerland
Plan your internship program in Bern
Tell us your sector, dates and group size — we'll send a tailored proposal for Bern within 48 hours.