Information for guests
The FIM has a few EU-Switzerland adapters, if you need one please contact the FIM staff. For all other countries the IT support group (G 32.1) provides laptop power supplies with Swiss plugs.
If you are staying at the FIM for more than two weeks and if you are financially supported by us, then you will be asked to pick up your per diem at the cash desk on floor F. Please bring along some ID. The money is usually ready as of the 25th of each month.
The cash desk is located in the main building on floor F, 67.1.
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday from 11:00 to 13:00 (except for public holidays).
In the area of offices G 41 to 42 you'll find a coffee machine and a kettle for tea.
Coffee
For coffee, please obtain a chargeable badge in office G 44.2.
The badges can be charged with CHF 10, 20 or 50 and there is a CHF 5 deposit which you will get back when you return the badge before your departure. We will also return any remaining credit.
One coffee costs CHF 1.
Choose the type of coffee in the dispenser and hold the badge against the assigned area on the right hand side. Put the coffee pad into the machine. Milk and cream can be found in the fridge.
Tea
Tea is free of charge, please help yourself.
As a FIM guest you will receive your personal username and password. They will give you access to
- the stationary computer(s) in the office
- the wireless network on your personal laptop*
- printing (login at the stationary computer in the office, only required for the first time)
- copying and scanning (login at the device)
*if you prefer to use a cable connection instead of wireless, please contact the IT support group (HG G 32.1). They will need your MAC address (bring along your laptop if you don't know how to find it) to set up the connection.
During the semester we organise a weekly gathering with tea and cake. All members of the Department and especially all FIM guests are welcome to join.
The FIM Tea takes places during the spring and the fall semester on Wednesdays at 3 pm in the Common Room (HG G 69).
If you would like to receive mail or parcels during your stay at the FIM, please use the following address, adding your name:
ETH Zürich
Forschungsinstitut für Mathematik
Your name
c/o Andrea Waldburger, HG G 44.1
Rämistrasse 101
8092 Zürich
Switzerland
The FIM Weekly Bulletin announces seminars, talks and workshops taking place at the Department of Mathematics at ETH Zurich. The latest version can always be found on the website of the FIM. If you would like to receive the weekly bulletin by e-mail, please subscribe via the link below.
If you need IT support, please either inform the FIM staff or contact the IT support group directly. They are located in office G 32.1.
E-Mail:
Phone: 2 22 30
If you received an office key and/or an entrance card from us and we are not around when you depart, please either leave them with your host professor or drop them in the mailbox marked "FIM" in front of our entrance door, thanks!
If you need office supplies, please contact Ms. Andrea Bianda in office G 44.2.
Travel
If your invitation letter offers contribution to your travel costs, we will reimburse the following:
Air travel: we will cover a usual economy rate of the most direct route. If your ticket exceeds this amount we will contribute the sum of an average economy fare.
Train: second or reasonably priced first class tickets of the most direct route.
Car: travel costs by car are reimbursed at the rate of CHF 0.60/km or up to the amount of a train or flight ticket for the same journey.
Local expenses
If your invitation letter offers contribution to your living expenses, we will offer you a per diem to cover meals and public transport. Usually we organise and pay for the accommodation directly.
A Multifunctional device (print/copy/scan) is available in front of office G 39.2. To photocopy you need to login at the device with your username and password.
The lines in the offices are cleared for calls within Switzerland, the neighbouring countries (France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy), the UK and the US. For calls to all other countries please go through the operator 111.
To call outside ETH always dial 0 first, then the whole number including any zeros of the country or area code (e.g. to call the UK, dial 0 0044 ...).
For calls within ETH dial the last five digits of the phone number.
SKYPE: In order to save costs we strongly recommend you to use Skype for long distance calls. You'll find a camera and headset in each office. Please contact the FIM staff in case you have questions.
To see who else is at the FIM during your stay, please have a look at our list of current and upcoming guest. Here you will also find the office and phone numbers of all guests.
The FIM is closely affiliated with the Department of Mathematics. Please see the Department's website for more information on its faculty and activities.
There are several dining facilities in and around the ETH main building:
Dozentenfoyer: Restaurant reserved for the staff and guests of ETH and the University of Zurich. Offers different daily lunchtime menus. Located in the main building on floor J. More information
Polysnack: Small cafeteria, offers fresh pizza and pasta at lunchtime and snacks (sandwiches, small salads, Birchermüesli, pastry, etc.) Located in the main building on floor F. More information
Mensa Polyterrasse: Large refectory open to everyone (students, staff, external visitors). Four daily lunchtime menus, large salad buffet. Also serves dinner in the evening. Located underneath the Polyterrasse (building MM). More infomation
Cafeteria Einstein & Zweistein: Serves coffee and snacks (fresh rolls, homemade cakes, biscuits and pastries, pizza, hot dogs, assorted drinks and dairy produce). Located underneath the Polyterrasse (building MM). More information
bQm: Café and bar, serves a small selection of snacks. Concerts, quizzes and other cultural events in the evening. Located underneath the Polyterrasse (building MM). external page More information
Clausiusbar: Asian restaurant, serves three daily meals from different Asian countries. Located in the CLA building, just across Tannenstrasse on the north side of the main building. More information
Tannenbar: Coffee bar with American snacks. Different daily lunchtime menus (filled panini, burgers, fresh sandwiches, homemade cakes, biscuits and pastries). Located in the ML building, just across Tannenstrasse on the north side of the main building. More information
If you are staying at the FIM for one month or longer you will receive an ETH card. The card serves as an ID card and will get you some discount at the various ETH dining facilities (except for the Dozentenfoyer). It can also be used as library card, please bring it along when you register at the D-MATH library or at the ETH main library. Furthermore it will give you access to the main building when it is closed (please ask the FIM staff for instructions).
Here you'll find the course catalogue of ETH Zurich.
For lectures and seminars on an advanced level see the Weekly Bulletin.
D-MATH Library
The library of the Department of Mathematics is a reference library with a collection of about 19'000 books and magazines and is open to the faculty, guests, students and external visitors interested in mathematics. Books may not be borrowed to be taken home but may be checked out and used in the offices within the ETH main building.
To register please ask one of the librarians to help you and, if you have one, bring along your ETH card. If you don't have an ETH card you will receive a NEBIS library card.
The library is located in the main building on floor G, room 7. Website
ETH Main Library
The ETH main library is the largest scientific library in Switzerland and offers extensive collections in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, engineering sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, system-oriented natural sciences and management and social sciences.
The library is located in the main building on floor H. Website
Monday - Friday: 06:00 - 22:00
Saturday and Sunday: 08:00 - 17:00
Public holidays: closed
If you would like to come in on a public holiday or out of the opening hours please ask the FIM staff for an entrance card.
If you are a FIM guest, we will organise accommodation for you - a hotel room for shorter stays and a studio or furnished apartment for longer stays. You will be contacted by e-mail with the details of your accommodation.
In case you need to find your own accommodation please see here for a list of hotels and furnished apartments.
If you are staying in Switzerland for a longer period of time you might consider opening a local bank account. Basic private accounts can be opened at any major bank and also at bigger post offices (bring along your passport).
Some of the major banks are:
external page Credit Suisse
external page UBS
external page Zürcher Kantonalbank
The Swiss Post:
external page Postfinance
ETH's Dual Career Advice office provides extensive information on child care in Zurich.
More useful emergency numbers: external page Notfallnummern
If calling from within ETH always dial 0 first (except for the ETH emergency number).
Health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland. Therefore, as a general rule, all people residing in Switzerland are required to take out basic health insurance with a recognized Swiss health insurance company. Proof of a valid Swiss health insurance policy needs to be produced within three months of taking up residence.
Due to this period guests staying for less than three months do not necessarily need take out insurance in Switzerland. However, it is strongly advised to make sure that your home insurance will cover any medical issues you might need to have treated while in Switzerland.
Taking out health insurance
If you are staying for more than three months you need to take out basic health insurance with a Swiss insurance company. You are free to choose the company, but make sure it's a recognized one. The companies are all obliged to provide the same benefits, yet monthly premiums can vary to a great extent. It is therefore advisable to compare the rates, and you'll find a very helpful guide on the website external page Comparis (insurance > health insurance). If you don't know your postal code yet, choose 8006 (the area code of the ETH main building).
Public schools and kindergartens:
external page Department of School and Sport of the City of Zurich
International schools:
external page Lycée Français de Zurich
external page Zurich International School
external page Swiss International School Zurich North
external page Inter Community School
More information on schools and the Swiss education system.
Please note that private schools in Zurich are very expensive. Public schools are free and they offer special integration classes for children who don't speak German.
Parking spaces in the city of Zurich are scarce and fairly expensive. There are two types of public parking spaces: white zones and blue zones. White zone parking spaces have to be paid for at the parking meter. Usually parking is only allowed for one or two hours. For the blue zone parking spaces you need a external page parking disc, on which you will have to indicate the time of arrival.
Visitors have the possibility of obtaining up to 10 day permits for the blue zones at the cost of CHF 15.00 per day. The permits can be bought at the external page Dienstabteilung Verkehr, Bewilligungsstelle, at local police stations or via external page internet (in German only, credit card needed).
ETH parking garage
Personal parking spaces in the ETH parking garage must be applied for and cost CHF 160 per month. If you need a parking permit please contact the FIM staff, they will help you with the application.
Furher information:
external page Parking in the city of Zurich (in German only)
Flyer Download "Parking in the blue zones" (PDF, 711 KB)
Zurich has a well-working and tight public transport network. Tickets are all valid for both trams and buses and also for some routes of the boats on lake Zurich.
Timetables, ticket fares and more information on the public transport system can be found external page here.
For train timetables throughout Switzerland see external page here.
The website of external page Zurich Tourism offers information on accommodation, gastronomy, sights and tours in and around Zurich.
The office of Zurich Tourism is located in the big hall of the main train station (external page map)
Phone: +41 (0)44 215 40 00,