Swiss Review 4/2018

Swiss Review / July 2018 / No.4 24 OSA news OSA advice Question: I live abroad and I have lost my driving licence, which was issued in Switzerland. Can I get a new one from the cantonal authority that issued it or from a Swiss representation abroad? The Swiss authorities are not able to issue a new Swiss driving licence. From the date on which you begin residing abroad, it is the authorities of your country of residence that have authority with regard to your driving licence rather than Switzerland. On account of the principle of ter- ritoriality, you are subject to the legal system of the state you reside in. Consequently, the area of road traffic is exclusively governed by the law of the country of residence. The cantonal road traf- fic authority that issued the driving licence can therefore only provide you with an attestation stating that you are the holder of a Swiss driving licence. By issuing this attestation, the cantonal authority certifies that you have obtained a driv- ing licence based on the conditions stipulated by Swiss law. You will then have to check with the authorities responsible in your country of resi- dencewhich conditions have to bemet for a driv- ing licence to be issued to you (confirmation of the information contained in the attestation, driving test, etc.). The attestation from the can- tonal road traffic authoritymay be useful to you at this stage. The contact details of the cantonal road traf- fic authorities can be found at: www.strassenverkehrsamt.ch Martina Boscaro, you are a Swiss Abroad from Italy. What made you decide to study in Switzerland? I’ve dreamt of returning to Switzer- land to study sincemy childhood. The sense of calmthat Switzerland exudes held amagnetic appeal for me. The ed- ucational institutions are also of an in- comparably high standard, inmy view. ing as a challenge that inspired me. Education in Switzerland is more practically relevant than in Italy. The Swiss universities really prepare stu- dents for the challenges of themodern world of work. You will soon receive your Master’s degree in Law. What are your plans for the future? I’d like to remain in French-speaking Switzerland for the time being to un- dertake an internship before sitting the bar exam. But I wouldn’t rule out doing a doctorate or working for fed- eral government in Berne. There are lots of options. What advice would you give to young Swiss Abroad interested in studying in Switzer- land? My advice is not to worry. I came to Switzerland onmy ownwithoutmuch money but was determined to estab- lish myself and achieve things. The grant frommy home canton of Zurich enabled me to study here. education- suisse supported me with the grant application and handled it for me. Find out about possible sources of funding and give yourself the oppor- tunity to do your dream course. “My advice is not to worry” Martina Boscaro’s experience of studying in Switzerland Did you settle in quickly at university? I found it really easy to settle in at uni- versity, especially thanks to support from the professors and the welcom- ing family atmosphere. The fact that the University of Neuchâtel is quite small definitely helpedme. I never felt lost. The first fewmonths were tough as my French wasn’t good enough to begin with. But the language courses provided free of charge by the univer- sity enabled me to move from the B2 level required to the C1/C2 level within a few months. Sharing an apartment with young French-speak- ing women definitely also helped. Are there any particular differences between Italy and Switzerland? You notice the differences, but there’s nothing to be afraid of. I saw integrat- Martina Boscaro was awarded a grant by her canton of origin. She re- ceived support with her application from educationsuisse. The OSA’s Legal Service provides general legal information on Swiss law, particularly in areas which concern the Swiss Abroad. It does not provide information on foreign law or intervene in disputes between private parties. IMPRINT: “Swiss Review”, the magazine for the Swiss Abroad, is in its 44 th year of publication and is published in German, French, English and Spanish in 14 regional editions. It has a total circulation of 425,000, including 218,287 electronic copies. Regional news appears four times a year. The ordering parties are fully responsible for the content of advertisements and promotional inserts. This content does not necessarily represent the opinion of either the editorial office or the publisher. EDITORS: Marc Lettau (MUL), Editor-in-Chief ad interim; Stéphane Herzog (SH); Jürg Müller (JM); Simone Flubacher (SF), responsible for “news. admin.ch ”, Relations with the Swiss Abroad, FDFA, 3003 Berne, Switzerland EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Sandra Krebs TRANSLATION: CLS Communication AG LAYOUT: Joseph Haas, Zürich PRINT: Vogt-Schild Druck AG, 4552 Derendingen POSTAL ADDRESS: Publisher, editorial office, advertising: Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, Alpenstrasse 26, 3006 Berne, Tel.: +41313566110, Fax: +41313566101, Postal account (Swiss National Giro): 30-6768-9. Email: revue@aso.ch COPY DEADLINE for this edition: 30.5.2018 All Swiss Abroad who are registered with a Swiss representation receive the magazine free of charge. Anyone else can subscribe to the magazine for an annual fee (Switzerland: CHF 30 / abroad: CHF 50). Subscribers are sent the magazine direct from Berne. www.revue.ch CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please advise your local embassy or consulate. Do not write to the editorial office in Berne.