Training & courses
Becoming a beautician: four routes in Switzerland
Switzerland has four distinct routes: a three-year apprenticeship leading to the Swiss Federal VET Diploma (EFZ), an adult route to the same qualification, a private-school diploma, and the professional examination for a Swiss Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Medical Cosmetics. Three lead to legally protected titles; a private-school diploma does not. This guide separates the routes and their requirements.
Four routes that are often confused
The EFZ is the standard federal vocational qualification. The federal professional diploma is a higher vocational qualification that normally builds on it. A private school diploma certifies that school's own programme and is neither federal award.
| Route | Duration | Award | Entry requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial vocational education | three years | Beautician EFZ, protected title | compulsory school and apprenticeship contract |
| Adult qualification route | shortened apprenticeship or direct examination | the same EFZ | decision by the cantonal vocational-training office |
| Private school | varies | school diploma, not a federal qualification | school's own requirements |
| Professional examination in Medical Cosmetics | just over two years part-time | Swiss federal professional diploma | relevant EFZ and experience, or an alternative route with extra requirements |
The first two routes are governed by the SERI ordinance on the Beautician EFZ, in force since 1 January 2024.
The three-year apprenticeship
Initial training averages four days a week in the training business and one day at vocational school, plus 16 eight-hour intercompany course days across seven courses. The formal entry requirement is completion of compulsory schooling.
Five competence areas cover business operations, client care, assessment and planning, face, neck and décolletage treatments, and work on other body areas. The curriculum includes history-taking, skin assessment, age-related skin care, brows and lashes, makeup, classic massage, hair removal and hand and foot care. School contributes 1,080 lessons: 600 vocational knowledge, 360 general education and 120 sport.
Verified German-speaking schools include Mode und Gestaltung in Zurich, gibb in Bern and BBB in Baden. We found no separate class in Central Switzerland. The cantonal office confirms where a Lucerne apprentice attends. Federal statistics counted only 227 apprentices nationwide in 2025, including four in Lucerne and two in Zug, which helps explain the scarcity of apprenticeship places.
Adult routes to the EFZ
Adults may complete a shortened apprenticeship under Article 18 of the Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act, still with an apprenticeship contract, or seek direct admission to the qualification procedure under Article 32 without a contract. The canton, not a school, decides admission and any reduction.
Under the new cosmetics rules applying from 1 January 2027, direct admission requires five years of work experience, at least three in the Beautician EFZ field, and evidence that the candidate can meet examination demands. The practical examination lasts eight hours and 15 minutes. For candidates without a contract, it accounts for 50 rather than 40 per cent because there is no workplace-experience grade. Transitional rules can make current sources disagree; obtain written confirmation from your canton.
EFZ or private diploma
Only the federal qualification procedure leads to the EFZ. A private school can provide that route only when the canton recognises it for this purpose; otherwise its award is exactly a school diploma. The protected title “Beautician EFZ” may not be used without passing the federal examination. The EFZ also provides the standard progression to the professional examination, and its curriculum is publicly defined. A school's own diploma covers whatever that school has specified.
A diploma is not a business licence. The unqualified word “beautician” is not itself a protected federal title, and we found no general federal licence requirement for a beauty salon, though cantonal trade rules can apply. Device treatments may have separate competence requirements regardless of any diploma.
The professional examination in Medical Cosmetics
“Medical cosmetics” is not a Swiss health profession or medical title. Its defined use is the specialism of a federal professional examination. Entry normally requires the Beautician EFZ plus at least two years of full-time practice, or another EFZ plus three years of practice and foundation modules. The modular, part-time preparation takes just over two years and the examination uses a case study, client consultation and practical work.
The Swiss cosmetics association listed CHF 14,580 including module examinations for members in August 2026. SERI reimburses 50 per cent of eligible preparatory-course fees, up to CHF 9,500 for professional examinations, subject to listed-course, payment, examination and Swiss tax-residence conditions.
The diploma does not permit medical procedures. High-intensity focused ultrasound, ablative lasers, long-pulsed Nd:YAG lasers, photodynamic therapy and laser lipolysis remain restricted to doctors or directly supervised medical-practice staff under the specific statutory conditions. Renting a room in a practice is not direct supervision, and laser removal of moles is prohibited. A higher professional examination leading to a federal diploma was under revision with no announced programme or examination date when researched.
Device certificates no diploma replaces
Since 1 June 2024, specified treatments using non-ionising radiation or sound require the relevant personal certificate of competence under NISSG/V-NISSG. Seven certificates include hair removal with laser, skin and pigmentation, cellulite and localised fat, and permanent makeup and tattoo. A person can obtain one without an EFZ, while no diploma substitutes for it. Only examination bodies listed in the federal ordinance may issue it; a device manufacturer's training certificate is not enough.
Federal enforcement guidance current in August 2025 states fines of up to CHF 40,000 for intentional and CHF 20,000 for negligent treatment without the required certificate. Rocío Furger obtained “hair removal with laser” in 2024. See laser hair removal costs and regulation and the treatment page.
What the job demands day to day
- Hours bent over detailed work can strain the back and neck.
- Treatment and conversation happen together; listening and declining unsuitable work are part of the job.
- Appointments cluster around evenings, Saturdays and busy pre-holiday periods.
- History, skin findings, products and progress must be documented.
- You must say no to irritated skin, unrealistic expectations and concerns needing medical assessment.
Income is covered separately in beautician salaries in Switzerland.
How Beauty Rocío teaches
Beauty Rocío is a salon, not an EFZ apprenticeship employer. Its course combines theory blocks with practical experience in a working institute, followed by written and practical examinations and a Beauty Rocío diploma listing modules and placement hours. It is a private diploma, not a Swiss Federal VET Diploma.
Rocío Furger teaches it personally. She earned her beautician diploma in 2001, and opened the institute on Zürichstrasse in 2006. Dated credentials are on About.
If the EFZ is your goal, we explain what this course can and cannot contribute. The beautician course with internship has its own page; shorter specialist courses are under Courses. We do not offer an eyelash-extension course; see how to evaluate one.
Sources & review date
- SERI Ordinance on initial vocational education and training for Beauticians EFZ – federal rules on duration, content and qualification.
- Berufsberatung.ch: Beautician EFZ – official federal and cantonal career overview.
- SERI: federal contributions for preparatory courses – eligibility and financing.
- Federal Office of Public Health: V-NISSG certificates of competence.
Sources reviewed: 24 August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long does beautician training take in Switzerland?
The initial EFZ programme takes three years. A canton may shorten an adult apprenticeship. Direct-examination candidates need five years' experience, at least three in cosmetics under the rules applying from 1 January 2027. Private courses may be shorter but only lead to the EFZ if the institution is recognised for that purpose. Written cantonal advice is decisive.
Can I become a beautician without an apprenticeship?
Yes. Federal law does not make admission to the qualification procedure depend on attending a specific programme, but the required experience and readiness must be demonstrated. The cantonal vocational-training office decides admission.
What is a “medical beautician” in Switzerland?
“Medical Cosmetics” names the specialism of a federal professional examination; it is not a health profession. The diploma does not permit diagnosis or medical procedures, and restricted devices remain restricted.
Do I need training to open a beauty salon?
Federal law protects qualified titles such as Beautician EFZ, not the unqualified word “beautician”. Device competence requirements apply independently, and cantonal trade rules may add obligations.
What does beautician training cost?
An apprentice pays no school fee and receives an apprentice wage. Professional-examination course costs and federal contributions are explained above. Beauty Rocío's course with internship costs CHF 6900 excluding VAT.
Which qualification do I need for laser treatment?
The relevant V-NISSG certificate of competence, compulsory since 1 June 2024. It is separate from the EFZ and can only be issued by an examination body listed in the federal ordinance, not by a device manufacturer.
Beautician course with internship in Lucerne
A private-diploma course with theory blocks and experience in a working salon, taught by Rocío Furger. It is not an EFZ. We discuss what that distinction means for your goal before enrolment. The fixed price is CHF 6900 excluding VAT; structure and dates are in the course documents.
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