1Who has to insure
Everyone who lives in Switzerland needs basic health insurance, whatever the passport or permit. Each person has their own policy, children too. A newborn has to be insured within three months of birth.
A few groups can ask their canton for an exemption, for example employees posted to Switzerland by a foreign company or students with equivalent cover from home.
2The five steps
Register with your commune
Within 14 days of arriving and before your first working day. The commune will later ask for proof that you are insured.
Compare the premiums
The price depends on your postcode, your age group, the model and the franchise. The calculator shows every insurer for your address.
Choose a model
With the standard model you can go to any doctor. Models with a family doctor, a group practice or a medical hotline as first contact cost less.
Choose a franchise
Adults pick between CHF 300 and CHF 2,500 per year. The guide Which franchise should you choose? does the maths.
Apply directly with the insurer
Online or by phone. You need your arrival date, your address and your residence permit or the confirmation from the commune. The insurer sends the policy and your insurance card.
Cover applies back to the day you arrived, so doctor's bills from your first weeks are paid. You also pay the premiums back to that day.
3What you pay besides the premium
| Cost | Adults | Children |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise per year | CHF 300 to 2,500, your choice | CHF 0 to 600, your choice |
| Your share above the franchise | 10 % of each bill, at most CHF 700 a year | 10 %, at most CHF 350 a year |
| Hospital stay | CHF 15 per day | nothing |
In the worst year an adult with the CHF 300 franchise pays CHF 1,000 on top of the premiums, with the CHF 2,500 franchise CHF 3,200, plus CHF 15 for each day in hospital.
4What basic insurance does not pay
- Dentist. Check-ups, fillings and braces are yours to pay. Only damage from a serious illness is covered.
- Glasses and contact lenses for adults.
- A private or semi-private hospital room.
- Treatment abroad that is not an emergency.
These gaps are what supplementary insurance is for. It is voluntary, and there the insurer may ask health questions and refuse.
5Five ways to pay less
- Another insurer. Same cover, lower price. The calculator shows the difference at your address.
- Another model. A family doctor, HMO or telemedicine model lowers the premium.
- A higher franchise, if you are rarely ill and can pay a large bill from your savings.
- No accident cover, if you work at least 8 hours a week for one employer. You are then insured through your job.
- Premium reduction. With a low income you can apply to your canton for a contribution.
6If you miss the three months
Cover then starts only on the day you join, so earlier bills are yours. The insurer also adds a surcharge of 30 to 50 % to your premium, for twice as long as you were late, at most five years. If you do nothing at all, the canton assigns you to an insurer.
Questions and answers
Can I keep my health insurance from home?
Usually not. A foreign or international policy does not replace Swiss basic insurance unless your canton has exempted you in writing.
Do my children need their own insurance?
Yes. Every person has their own policy and premium. Children pay much less and their franchise starts at CHF 0.
I am pregnant or have a chronic illness. Will an insurer take me?
Yes. For basic insurance every insurer has to accept you without health questions. Check-ups during pregnancy and the birth are free of franchise and co-payment.
Do I need insurance if I only stay a few months?
If you register as a resident, yes. With a short-stay permit of three months or more you have to insure, unless your cover from home is accepted as equivalent.
Sources: Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) Art. 3 to 7 and 64, Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV) Art. 1, 8 and 103 to 104, Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), ch.ch. This page is information, not legal advice.