Spanish software-engineering student spent 6 months at a Zurich fintech
Result: Built backend infrastructure for a regulated payments platform; offered a permanent role
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Erasmus+ Internships and Mobility Programs in Zurich
Piktalent organises Erasmus+ internships and mobility programs in Zurich, Switzerland for higher-education institutions, VET providers and individual students. Each placement includes a vetted host company, accommodation, insurance and on-site coordination. Zurich is Switzerland's financial and tech capital and consistently ranks among the world's most liveable cities, with Piktalent placements across the dense banking ecosystem (UBS, Credit Suisse legacy, Julius Baer), the Google Zurich engineering campus (the company's largest outside the US) and the ETH Zurich research community.
In short
- Location
- Zurich, 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 Zurich
Premium costTypical monthly intern budget in Zurich based on Piktalent-arranged shared accommodation. Figures are indicative and updated against current placements; Final pricing is confirmed with your proposal.
- Room
- €1,100–1,600/mo
- Daily expenses
- €800–1,100/mo
- Total monthly
- €1,900–2,700/mo
- Erasmus+ grant
- Erasmus+ grant covers a small portion only; significant top-up required.
What Piktalent delivers in Zurich
Every mobility programme in Zurich 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 Zurich 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 Zurich 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 Zurich host network.
Mentoring & orientation
Airport transfer, city orientation and weekly check-ins with the on-site coordinator in Zurich.
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 Zurich
Piktalent delivers every major Erasmus+ mobility programme type in Zurich — 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 Zurich
Accommodation
Vetted housing close to the host company in Zurich — 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 Zurich.
TEFL — Teach English Abroad
Accredited TEFL certification — open enrolment, no internship required.
Internship job portal
Browse and apply directly to open internship positions in Zurich and across Europe & the USA.
Why Zurich for internships and mobility programs
Zurich's working culture is precise, structured and notably international through finance and tech ecosystems. International interns typically live in central Zurich (Kreis 4 and 5) or in more affordable Oerlikon. Costs are extremely high — but stipends typically reflect this. Weekends fill with hiking in the Glärnisch range, lake swimming in summer, skiing in winter and trips to Lucerne, Zermatt or the Italian-speaking Ticino.
Economy
Zurich 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 Zurich: finance, tech, business, pharma. Each Erasmus+ internship is matched to the participant's field of study.
International environment
English is the working language in most international placements in Zurich. Teams are typically multinational, and incoming Erasmus+ participants integrate alongside an established alumni network.
Major global financial centre — Switzerland's largest banking and asset-management market
Google Zurich — Google's largest engineering campus outside the United States
ETH Zurich — one of Europe's top technical universities
Working German preferred; English universal in finance, tech and academia
Highest internship stipends in continental Europe — most placements paid
Lake Zurich and the Swiss Alps within easy weekend reach
Available internship fields in Zurich
Piktalent offers Erasmus+ internships in Zurich across the fields below. Each link opens a dedicated page with host-company examples, durations and learning outcomes.
How an Erasmus+ internship in Zurich works
Four steps from first brief to final report. Plan twelve weeks of lead time for a quality mobility programme in Zurich.
- 1
Brief & matching
Share participant profiles, dates and target field. Piktalent matches each intern to a vetted host company in Zurich.
- 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 Zurich is booked before arrival; pre-departure briefing covers culture, transport and emergency contacts.
- 4
On-site support & reporting
Local team in Zurich runs check-ins, monitors the internship and delivers final reports plus Europass Mobility documents.
Internship examples in Zurich
Recent placements managed by Piktalent in Zurich.
Who is Zurich best for?
Zurich 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 software engineering, finance or quantitative disciplines
- 2ETH-affiliated research-oriented students
- 3Erasmus+ participants prioritising paid stipends and global brand exposure
- 4Interns drawn to Alpine outdoor lifestyles
Frequently asked questions about internships in Zurich
Other cities in Switzerland
Compare Zurich with other Piktalent destinations in Switzerland.
Related cities by sector
Other Piktalent destinations with overlapping host-company sectors to Zurich — useful when comparing cost, language and lead time across the same field.
From the blog — Zurich & Switzerland
Plan your internship program in Zurich
Tell us your sector, dates and group size — we'll send a tailored proposal for Zurich within 48 hours.