Coming to HSG?
Land ready, not lost.
Housing for exchange students at the University of St. Gallen: a furnished room from a verified HSG student, plus everything else you need in your first weeks (insurance, SIM card, bank account, bus pass). All in one place, in plain English.
Rooms from students who are leaving the semester you arrive.
Every semester, hundreds of HSG students go abroad and their rooms stand empty. We match those rooms with incoming exchange students, for exactly the months you need.
Browse roomsWhat to sort out, and when.
The short version of what every exchange student wishes they'd known before arriving in Switzerland.
Before you fly
- 1Secure a room. Good sublets go first, so start early.
- 2Check your health insurance. Swiss health insurance is compulsory for stays over 3 months unless you get an exemption.
- 3Read the info package from HSG's exchange office.
Your first days
- 4Register at the city's residents' office (Einwohneramt). Check the deadline, it's short.
- 5Get a Swiss SIM card. Roaming gets expensive fast.
- 6Sort out transport: trains are great, but full price adds up.
Settling in
- 7Open a Swiss bank account to pay rent without fees.
- 8Consider liability & household insurance. Some landlords ask for it.
- 9Explore clubs, sports and tools on the sg/unihub dashboard.
Everything else, sorted.
The best starting points for each step, so you don't have to compare 20 providers in a language you don't speak yet.
Remote room viewing
Can't come to St. Gallen before signing? Someone local views the room for you and reports back.
Swiss SIM card
A local number and mobile data from day one. Prepaid or a student plan, no Swiss bank account needed to start.
Student bank account
Pay rent and split bills in CHF without exchange fees. Several Swiss banks offer free accounts for students.
Insurance check
Staying longer than 3 months? Swiss health insurance is compulsory unless you get an exemption. HSG's fact sheet explains how it works for incoming students.
Monthly bus & train pass
An OSTWIND monthly pass for zone 210 covers all city buses in St. Gallen, including the line up to campus. Cheaper youth prices apply up to age 25.
Student deals in St. Gallen
Discounts at local shops, gyms and culture venues, collected for HSG students on the sg/unihub dashboard.
Some links are partner links: sg/unihub may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the platform free.
Good questions.
How do exchange students find a room in St. Gallen?
Many HSG students go abroad for a semester themselves and sublet their furnished room in the meantime, which fits an exchange semester perfectly. Browse these sublets here for free and message the lister directly.
How do I know a listing is real?
Every lister has to verify an active HSG student email address before they can post. On top of that: never pay before you've viewed the room (in person, by video call, or via Outvisit), and always sign a written sublease.
Does it cost anything to find a room?
No. Browsing and messaging listers is free, and we never charge to see contact details. Listers can optionally pay to feature their listing; that's how the platform pays for itself.
Is subletting allowed in Switzerland?
Generally yes, but the main tenant needs the landlord's consent. Listers confirm this when they post, and our fillable sublease template (German/English) includes it.
Do exchange students need Swiss health insurance?
Health insurance is compulsory for stays longer than three months, unless you're granted an exemption (for example with a valid European Health Insurance Card). HSG's fact sheet for incoming students explains the process.
How do I remove my listing once the room is taken?
Click My listing on the housing board and verify with the same HSG email you used to post. You can then mark the room as rented (it disappears from the board) or delete the listing completely. The link is also in every email you get about your room.
Is this an official HSG offering?
No. sg/unihub is an independent project by HSG students and isn't operated by the University of St. Gallen.
Going abroad yourself?
Don't pay rent for an empty room. List it in two minutes and reach exchange students coming to St. Gallen.
Already listed? Manage or remove your listing →