How to Become a SWISS Pilot: Requirements and Selection

If you want to fly airliners out of Switzerland, SWISS is the obvious first thought. The route is clearly defined but looks confusing from outside: European Flight Academy, DLR test, SPHAIR, Pre-Airline Fit, federal subsidy, training loan.

The key point first: SWISS trains its cadets through the European Flight Academy (EFA), the Lufthansa Group's flight school. You apply to the EFA and name SWISS as your preferred airline. The first step is proof of aptitude: the DLR test or, as a Swiss speciality, a SPHAIR certificate. Everything below reflects the official EFA, SWISS, SPHAIR and FOCA (Federal Office of Civil Aviation) pages as of September 2026, and terms can change.

What are the requirements to become a SWISS pilot?

You must be at least 17 when you apply, be a citizen of Switzerland, an EFTA state or an EU state, hold a Matura, a vocational baccalaureate, university of applied sciences (UAS) admission or a Federal VET Diploma (EFZ), speak English and German at B2 or better, and be between 160 and 198 cm tall.

Three points are often misunderstood. A completed apprenticeship with an EFZ is enough, and there is no minimum grade average. You do not need the medical when you apply. And glasses are not an automatic rejection: according to the EFA, corrected vision does not rule you out.

SWISS adds that visible tattoos must be covered by the uniform. A private pilot licence is fine, but holders of a commercial pilot licence (CPL) cannot apply, according to the EFA FAQ.

How does the SWISS selection process work?

Selection has five steps: the DLR test or a SPHAIR certificate, the EFA application with the Lufthansa Group assessment, the Pre-Airline Fit, the aeromedical examination and, after training, the Airline Fit.

Step 1 you plan and pay for yourself. The DLR certificate contains no pass or fail, only ratings per competency area, and the EFA decides which ratings it requires. For the basics, see What is the DLR certificate?.

Step 2 starts with the online application to the EFA, where you select SWISS as your preferred airline. According to the EFA FAQ, the Lufthansa Group assessment that follows takes place either at Interpersonal in Hamburg or at the SWISS Flight Crew Assessment Center in Zurich, with identical process, tests and decision rules. It looks at teamwork, behaviour in group and one-to-one situations, psychomotor skills and career motivation. SWISS describes it as a one-day event. Travel costs are not reimbursed, and the result arrives a few days later. If you are unsuccessful, the process can be repeated after 24 months, according to the EFA FAQ.

Step 3, the Pre-Airline Fit, is an additional airline-specific interview and the condition for SWISS offering you a framework agreement and the training loan.

Step 4 is the Class 1 medical. Step 5 follows after training, when the airline meets you in person and reviews your flight school record. More on the steps after the test in Passed the DLR test: what comes next?.

What is SPHAIR, and does it replace the DLR test?

Yes. According to the EFA, SPHAIR graduates can apply directly with their certificate instead of a DLR certificate, and it is accepted for five years. SPHAIR is the Swiss Confederation's aptitude programme for future aviators, run within the Swiss Armed Forces.

According to sphair.ch (as of September 2026), you first complete a one-day screening at the Aeromedical Institute in Dübendorf, from 09:00 to about 15:00. It covers English, mental arithmetic, spatial reasoning, memory, technical comprehension and psychomotor skills. If you pass, you attend a two-week flight course with 10 flying hours at one of several Swiss flight schools, including Grenchen, Bern-Belp and Birrfeld. It ends with a federally recognised certificate, which is mandatory for future military pilots.

The limitation: according to its own website, SPHAIR is aimed at 17 to 23-year-olds with a Swiss passport. Everyone else takes the DLR test, which is a single day at a computer and valid for two years rather than five.

The test content overlaps considerably. If you are still at school and hold a Swiss passport, SPHAIR is a natural option, see becoming a pilot while still at school.

Where do you take the DLR test, and how do you prepare?

For the EFA route you book the DLR appointment in the EFA web shop, in Hamburg, Zurich or Milan. Content and certificate are identical at all locations. The regular price is 427 euros, and an autumn promotion with a discount code brings it down to 327 euros for appointments until 31 December 2026 (as of September 2026). New dates are published at the beginning of each month.

ImportantAccording to the EFA, the discount code works only once per person, and appointments booked with it can be neither rescheduled nor refunded. Book only once your training plan is in place.

The DLR also offers the certificate directly in Cologne, Hamburg and, from October 2026, Vienna. Zurich and Milan run through the EFA. All locations are covered in Where does the DLR test take place?.

On preparation: the link to the official preparation software comes with your booking confirmation. It shows the real formats, and the DLR recommends spreading the training units over three weeks. Start on the fundamentals earlier: mental arithmetic, working memory, spatial reasoning, physics, technical knowledge and English. An English rating of A or B doubles as your language proof.

For structure, use the 8-week training plan. For short daily sessions on your phone there is the DLR Test Trainer, an independent app with no connection to the DLR. It trains ten test types, but not the joystick test MIC, and it does not replace the official software.

What does training involve, what does it cost and what do you earn afterwards?

According to SWISS, training takes about two years in Zurich, Grenchen and Phoenix and costs CHF 150,000. According to SWISS, Swiss citizens need no personal contribution, because the federal subsidy and the SWISS loan together cover the full amount.

Course structure and locations

According to the SWISS careers portal, theory is taught in Zurich and takes around twelve months. Flight training takes place in Grenchen (canton of Solothurn) and in Phoenix, Arizona, with DA40 and DA42 aircraft used in Grenchen. The EFA's six phases run from basic theory to multi-engine training and multi-crew cooperation. You finish with a "frozen ATPL", meaning a commercial pilot licence with instrument rating and ATPL theory. The type rating for a specific aircraft follows at the airline.

Costs and financing in brief

According to the EFA, the CHF 150,000 is due in three instalments of 40,000, 50,000 and 60,000 francs, with cantonal contributions already deducted. Accommodation in Grenchen and Phoenix, travel to the USA and the uniform are included. The DLR certificate, the medicals and the US visa are not.

According to the EFA, you repay the loan in 90 monthly instalments of CHF 1,000, plus interest in line with Federal Tax Administration guidelines. SWISS states that interest only accrues from your first day as a first officer. According to FOCA, the federal subsidy requires, among other things, that you join a Swiss air operator within a year of graduating. The Edelweiss conditions were still being coordinated in September 2026, according to the EFA. Full details are in pilot training costs and financing. This is an overview, not financial advice.

Starting salary in brief

According to Blick of 9 November 2025, first officers at SWISS start at around CHF 89,000 a year, while experienced captains reach around CHF 220,000. The loan instalment of CHF 1,000 a month comes off that at first. The same report notes that the collective labour agreement expires at the end of 2026, so figures may change. More in pilot salaries at Lufthansa, SWISS and Eurowings.

How should you plan the timeline?

Work backwards from your desired course start, and think in years rather than months. Four deadlines matter:

• DLR certificate: valid for 2 years. The EFA recommends applying promptly so the certificate stays valid throughout selection.
• SPHAIR: register early, age window 17 to 23. The EFA accepts the certificate for five years.
• Assessment to course start: 24 months at most. That is the maximum gap between selection day and your first day at flight school, according to the EFA FAQ.
• Military service before training. Anyone liable for service must complete basic military training before the course starts.

A realistic sequence: start training two to three months before your target date, book the DLR appointment early in a month, apply to the EFA as soon as you have the certificate, and take the medical after the assessment, because it is valid for one year only. FOCA recommends having the Class 1 medical before applying for the federal subsidy.

TipA retake is possible, but the DLR recommends waiting six months, and every part has to be repeated. If your ratings fall short, see DLR test not good enough: plan B.

Sources

• EFA: Requirements and selection process, Switzerland
• EFA: Costs and services, Switzerland
• EFA: Financing, Switzerland
• EFA: Registration for the DLR test
• EFA: FAQ
• SWISS careers portal: Pilots
• SPHAIR: pilot screening (in German)
• FOCA (BAZL): financing of aviation training (in German)