Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Yes, you can bring a friend on the Newcomers Programme’s excursions and outings. Simply include their first and last name when you register.

Unfortunately, no.

The International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI) is not a language school and does not offer courses.

The aim of its Conversation Exchange Programme (BEL) is to bring together 2 partners wishing to improve a foreign language orally in exchange for their own. Each participant must have an intermediate level to be able to converse with the person they are matched with. The Programme does not accept beginners or children.

The Programme is free of charge and is intended to complement, rather than replace, school-based courses.

For registration, a form must be completed online.

Please complete the online form.

Once we receive your registration, someone from the Programmewill contact you as soon as possible to match you with a suitable conversation partner. Finding a suitable person can sometimes take three to four weeks, depending on the language combination involved.

The Welcome Programme membership form can be requested by email (welcome.cagi@etat.ge.ch).

If you are an international civil servant, a member of a permanent mission, a consulate, an NGO, you work for a multinational company or you are a professor at HUG/UNIGE, and you have just arrived in Geneva have the right to enroll in the Host Program.

The Conversation Exchange Programme is based on conversation only, an intermediate level is required to facilitate language exchanges between participants. We advise you to contact one of the many language schools in Geneva: https://www.ecole-club.ch/Offres/Langues https://www.ifage.ch/formation/langues/ https://learning.unog.ch/fr

https://www.ecole-club.ch/Offres/Langues
https://www.ifage.ch/formation/langues/
https://learning.unog.ch/fr

Sometimes it is difficult to find a suitable person. In such cases, we suggest you try some of the numerous language schools in Geneva. https://www.ecole-club.ch/English/Languages https://www.ifage.ch/formation/langues/ https://learning.unog.ch/

https://www.ecole-club.ch/Offres/Langues
https://www.ifage.ch/formation/langues/
https://learning.unog.ch/fr

Otherwise, please try contacting the Programme again.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for you to register. The language exchanges take place in Geneva and are intended solely for people living in Geneva or the Lake Geneva region.

No, there is no registration fee. The cost of all our events and conferences is covered by the International Geneva Welcome Centre (CAGI). However, a small financial contribution may be requested for certain excursions, for example for equipment rental.