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Edition 2027The independent guide to Swiss insurance

Swiss Insurance Consultation for Expats & New Arrivals.

Health insurance, hospital cover, pensions: we explain the Swiss system in plain English, with real numbers from the official premium data. And if you like, we advise you personally, free of charge.

Book a free call → Read the guide
Nicole Bohne & Robert Kolar
45 min video call · free · FINMA-registered

Service Highlights

I just moved to Switzerland.

Your first 90 days, step by step: what is mandatory, what can wait, and what saves money.

Read chapter 1 → I want to switch for 2027.

Deadlines, premiums and the steps to switch, so you pay less from 1 January.

See the deadlines → I want better cover.

Hospital cover, household, liability and pillar 3a, explained honestly.

Go to chapter 4 →
How the consultation works
  1. Pick a timeStraight from the calendar, no back-and-forth e-mails.
  2. 45 minutes by videoWe go through your situation and compare every insurer.
  3. You decideNo obligation. You get the comparison in writing.
Book a free call →
Premium check · FOPH data

What does basic cover cost you?

Benefits are identical at every insurer; prices are not. Choose your city, age group and deductible to see the range.

Premiums 2027. The 2027 figures follow as soon as the FOPH publishes them.
Who
Deductible per year (CHF)
Cheapest offer 2027
CHF 384.05 per month
Sanitas · cheapest model · 27 insurers compared

Between the cheapest insurer and the most expensive standard plan lie CHF 2'372 a year, for identical benefits.

Talk it through with us → See every insurer
Chapter 1 · Arriving

Your first 90 days, in the right order.

day 1 – 14
Register
Day 1 – 14

Register with your commune

Usually within 14 days of moving in. The registration confirmation is the paper you will need most, starting with your health insurance.

The new-arrival checklist
By day 90 · mandatory

Take out basic health insurance

You have three months from taking up residence. Sign up within that window and cover applies retroactively from your arrival. Later sign-ups pay a surcharge. Benefits are identical at every insurer; prices are not.

Compare premiums for your postcode
In parallel · if you are employed

Exclude accident cover

Working at least 8 hours a week for one employer means accidents are covered through your employer (UVG). You can then drop accident cover from your health insurance. In Zurich that saves about CHF 43 a month on average (deductible 300).

After your Swiss policy starts

Close your cover back home

Only cancel your previous health insurance once your Swiss policy is confirmed, and keep proof of the dates. Some home systems let you keep a dormant option for a later return: check it before you sign anything.

Insurance checklist for new arrivals
Early · a good moment

Check hospital cover

Supplementary insurers may refuse you or add exclusions, and every year of entry age counts. Shortly after arrival the health questionnaire is usually easiest.

Is supplementary cover worth it?
With your rental contract

Household and liability

Many landlords ask for personal liability insurance. Household contents cover is even mandatory in some cantons, such as Vaud and Fribourg.

Household & liability guide
By 31 December

Open a pillar 3a

Contributions of up to CHF 7,258 a year (2026, with a pension fund) are deducted from your taxable income, from your first year. Chapter 5 shows what that means in francs.

Not sure what to do first?We go through your deadlines and options with you, free of charge.→
Chapter 2 · Understanding

How Swiss health insurance works.

Basic health insurance is mandatory for everyone who lives here. Every person has their own policy and pays their own premium, whatever they earn.

Example: a family in Zurich4 premiums
2 adults (deductible 2,500, no accident cover), 2 children (deductible 0), standard model CHF 1'352 / month

Mandatory, identical cover

Basic insurance (KVG/LAMal) covers the same benefits at every insurer. You choose on price, service and model.

You share the costs

You pay the deductible first, then 10% up to CHF 700 a year. Many doctors’ bills come to you before the insurer reimburses them.

Your employer covers accidents

Employers do not pay towards health insurance, but they insure accidents (UVG). You can drop accident cover from your policy.

Models save money

Family doctor, HMO or telemedicine: agreeing on a fixed first point of contact lowers the premium noticeably.

Chapter 3 · Doing the maths

Deductible 300 or 2,500?

The deductible is the biggest lever on your premium. Whether the high one pays off depends only on how much medical care you use in a year.

  1. 1

    Up to the deductible you pay everything. Between CHF 300 and CHF 2,500 a year.

  2. 2

    Then a 10% co-payment, capped at CHF 700 a year (children CHF 350).

  3. 3

    The insurer pays the rest. So your risk has a ceiling.

Deductible 300Deductible 2,500
Deductible 300–
Deductible 2,500–
Break-even–

Chapter 4 · Protecting

From the shared ward to the chief physician.

Basic insurance pays for the general ward. Every step above it is supplementary insurance with a health questionnaire. The price depends mostly on your age when you sign up.

General ward

included in basic cover
  • Shared room
  • Listed hospital
  • no health check

Flex

approx. CHF 10–30 / month
  • Any hospital in Switzerland
  • Upgrade for a fee

Semi-private

approx. CHF 40–180 / month
  • Two-bed room
  • Senior physicians
  • Any hospital in Switzerland

Private

approx. CHF 90–380 / month
  • Single room
  • Free choice of chief physician
  • Many private clinics
Most people choose semi-private: often CHF 30–60 a month at 30, CHF 60–120 at 45. Is it worth it? →

Household contents

From about CHF 150 a year. Mandatory in some cantons. Work out the sum insured in two minutes.

Legal protection

Covers lawyers and court costs, for example in a dispute with a landlord or employer. Worth a look once you have settled in.
Which insurer will accept you?It depends on the health questionnaire. We prepare the application so it has a real chance.→
Chapter 5 · Pensions

Three pillars.

Swiss retirement provision stands on three pillars. The third is the only one you control yourself, and it saves tax from your first year.

AHV / IVstate, mandatory for all
Pension fundBVG, via your employer
Pillar 3avoluntary, tax-advantaged
Pillar 3a in francs

How much tax do you save?

With the maximum contribution of CHF 7,258 (2026, employees with a pension fund) and your marginal tax rate:

CHF 2'177less tax per year

No subsidy applications: the deduction works directly in your tax return.

Pillar 3a explained Set up your 3a properly?We work it out with you.→
Chapter 6 · Switching

Premiums 2027: compare, switch, meet the deadline

63
days until your cancellation must arrive.

Premiums rise by +5.0% on average in 2027 (FOPH). Because basic cover is identical everywhere, comparing almost always pays off.

Premiums 2027 → Compare premiums
Rather switch with advice?We compare every insurer for you before 30 November.→
End of September

The FOPH publishes the 2027 premiums

From then on you can see what your insurer will cost next year, and what the others charge.

30 September

Supplementary policiesDeadline

Many contracts need three months’ notice to the end of the year. Check your policy.

by 31 October

Your premium letter arrives

Your insurer has to tell you the new premium by then at the latest.

30 November

Cancel basic insuranceDeadline

The letter has to reach the insurer, not just be posted. Send it registered and a week early.

1 January

New insurer, same benefits

Basic cover is identical everywhere. You simply pay less.

The library

Everything you need to know, sorted by topic.

Pull a book from the shelf: calculators, templates and guides for everyone who wants to understand Swiss insurance.

Arriving
New in SwitzerlandThe checklist for your first weeks, from the commune to pillar 3a.Checklist open →
Health insurance
Premiums 2027The official FOPH figures: every canton, every insurer and what to do by 30 November.News open →
Hospital & extras
Basic vs supplementaryWhat KVG covers and what VVG adds.Guide open →
Home
Household & liabilityContents and liability cover, explained.Guide open →
Pensions & advice
Pillar 3aSave tax and build your pension.Guide open →
Your call

Our Specialized Expert Guides.

Robert Kolar brings 25 years in Swiss health insurance, Nicole Bohne 10 years in pensions and relocation. 45 minutes by video, free and without obligation. Tell us what it is about and pick a free slot straight from the calendar.

Book Your Consultation

What is it about?
With whom?

When suits you? Times in Swiss time

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Your appointmentPlease choose a time45 min video call · free · no obligation
Transparency

Built for Expats, Driven by Independence.

What does it cost you? Nothing. If you sign up through us, the insurer pays us a commission. It is regulated and capped, which is why we can also tell you when you do not need something.

How our independent advice works
ReceiptYour consultation
First call, 45 min by videoCHF 0.00
Comparison of all insurersnot just our partnersCHF 0.00
Commission, basic insurancepaid by the insurer, per personmax. CHF 70
Commission, supplementarypaid by the insurer, per productmax. 16 monthly premiums
You payCHF 0.00
…so we can also say no.
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the initial consultation really free?

Yes, completely free and with no obligation. If you sign up through us, the insurer pays us a commission for the work we take off its hands. It is regulated and capped, and it does not affect your premium.

How is insurance-guide.ch different from an insurance company?

We are independent, FINMA-registered intermediaries. Unlike insurance companies, we compare all providers on the market and recommend the best fit for your situation, not the most profitable one for us.

I just moved to Switzerland. When do I need to get health insurance?

Within three months of taking up residence in Switzerland. Sign up within that window and your cover applies retroactively from the day you arrived. If you miss it, the canton assigns you an insurer and you pay a surcharge for late enrolment. We recommend starting in your first week.

Do you only work with expats from Germany?

No. We advise everyone who moves to Switzerland, in English and German. The English guides on this site explain the Swiss system for every nationality, with official premium data; our German guides go deeper on moving from Germany. If you are looking for a service built entirely around international expat packages, our sister site expat-savvy.ch is another good option.

Can you help with insurance for my whole family?

Absolutely. We handle health insurance, supplementary coverage and pillar 3a planning for individuals, couples and families, including children’s policies and maternity cover. Every family member gets their own deductible and model, which is where the savings are.

Secure Your Swiss Future Today.

One independent, FINMA-registered conversation, 45 minutes by video. Afterwards you know what you need, what you do not, and what it costs.

Pick a time → Do the maths first