New in Switzerland: Insurance, Tax & Pension — free consultation
Register health insurance, set up Säule 3a, sort out home and liability cover and check your withholding tax: one guide for your first 90 days. Independent, FINMA-registered advisors, free of charge.
Your first weeks
Arrive, register with your commune, take out basic health insurance
- Week 1Register with your commune (Gemeinde). The three-month deadline for health insurance runs from the day you move in.
- Weeks 2–3Compare insurers for your postcode, pick a deductible and a model, and apply for every family member separately.
- Three monthsJoin late and your cover starts only on the day you join, plus a surcharge if the delay has no valid excuse.
Coverage starts retroactively at the date you moved in, as long as you sign up within three months.
New arrivals must enroll in basic health insurance (KVG) within three months — that is the only insurance required everywhere in Switzerland. Personal liability + home contents are de-facto standard (often required by landlords), and home contents cover is even mandatory in some cantons, such as Vaud and Fribourg. A Säule 3a account delivers significant tax savings from year one. If you earn above CHF 120,000, a tax return is mandatory; otherwise a voluntary subsequent ordinary assessment usually pays off. A free 45-minute consultation clarifies your situation.
1. Health insurance — mandatory from day one
Basic-coverage benefits are identical at every Swiss insurer (set by federal law). Differences: premiums (canton, 30–40% spread), models (family doctor / HMO / Telmed), and service quality. A family-doctor model with CHF 2,500 deductible is typically the cheapest setup for healthy adults. Coverage starts retroactively at the date you moved in, as long as you sign up within three months. What basic cover costs across the country: health insurance premiums by canton.
Join late and your cover starts only on the day you join, plus a surcharge if the delay has no valid excuse; if you never join, the canton assigns you an insurer. One easy saving: if you work at least 8 hours a week for one employer, accidents are covered through your employer's accident insurance (UVG), so you can leave accident cover out of your health insurance.
Expecting a baby? Our guide to maternity and newborn cover explains what basic insurance pays and the three-month rule for your newborn. And you are not locked in: here is how to switch before 30 November.
Expat Savvy, our sister site for English-speaking residents, walks through the whole first setup in the order it happens: health insurance for foreigners in Switzerland.
2. Säule 3a — tax savings from year one
Up to CHF 7,258 per year is fully deductible from taxable income (2026, employees with a pension fund). At a 30% marginal rate, that is around CHF 2,100 in direct tax savings. A flexible securities-based 3a with low fees (TER < 0.5%) and multiple accounts for staggered withdrawals usually beats bank or insurance variants. Protecting your family is a separate question: life insurance in Switzerland and how much cover you need.
3. Home & liability — the Swiss standard
Personal liability cover is not legally mandatory, and home contents cover is compulsory only in some cantons (for example Vaud and Fribourg), but both are de-facto required: many landlords ask for proof of personal liability cover. Combined home + liability typically costs CHF 150–250 per year. Recommended: liability with at least CHF 5M coverage; home contents at replacement value (how to set the sum insured for household insurance). For jewellery and watches above your contents policy's limit, see valuables insurance. Moving with a dog or cat? See pet insurance in Switzerland.
4. Withholding tax & tax optimization
Foreign workers without C-permit are taxed at source. Above CHF 120,000 gross, you must file a return; below, you can request a voluntary subsequent ordinary assessment (NOV, which replaced the tariff correction, TOU) by 31 March of the following year to claim Säule 3a, commute, and health-insurance deductions. Keep in mind that once you opt in, you are assessed this way in the following years too.
expat-services.ch, one of our sites, explains who can help you with the NOV and lists English-speaking tax advisors: how to find an English-speaking tax advisor in Switzerland. Its permit guide sets out what the L, B and C permits mean and when you can get a C: B, L and C permits explained.
Your first 90 days, week by week
The order that keeps you inside every deadline.
- Before you move
Check whether your current health, liability and contents policies end when you leave your home country, and keep your employment contract, passport and rental contract to hand.
- Week 1
Register with your commune (Gemeinde). The three-month deadline for health insurance runs from the day you move in. Open a Swiss bank account.
- Weeks 2–3
Compare insurers for your postcode, pick a deductible and a model, and apply for every family member separately. Working 8 hours a week or more for one employer? Leave accident cover out, your employer insures it (UVG).
- Weeks 3–4
Take out personal liability and home contents cover (compulsory in some cantons, such as Vaud and Fribourg) and send proof to your landlord if asked.
- Month 2
Open a Säule 3a account and pay in before the end of the year to claim the deduction for your first year.
- Month 3
Check your withholding tax and note 31 March of next year for a possible NOV request. Decide on supplementary cover (dental, hospital); it comes with health questions, so earlier is easier.
Frequently asked
Which insurances do I actually need as a new arrival in Switzerland?
Only basic health insurance (KVG) is mandatory everywhere in Switzerland — every resident must register within three months. Strongly recommended: personal liability and home contents insurance (de-facto standard, often required by landlords; home contents cover is even mandatory in some cantons, such as Vaud and Fribourg) and a Säule 3a account for tax savings. Life, supplementary, and legal-protection insurance are situational.
How long do I have to choose a health insurer?
Three months from your municipal registration date. Sign up in time and coverage applies retroactively from your arrival. Join late and your cover starts only on the day you join, plus a surcharge if the delay has no valid excuse; if you never join, the canton assigns you an insurer. Start the comparison in week one.
Is Säule 3a worth it in my first year in Switzerland?
Yes — Säule 3a is one of the most efficient tax savings for new arrivals. Up to CHF 7,258 per year (2026) is fully deductible. At a 30% marginal tax rate, that is roughly CHF 2,100 in direct tax savings annually.
Do I have to file a tax return or is withholding tax enough?
Earnings above CHF 120,000 gross trigger automatic ordinary assessment in the following year — return is mandatory. Below that, you can request a voluntary subsequent ordinary assessment (NOV, which replaced the old tariff correction) by 31 March of the next year to claim Säule 3a, commute, and health-insurance deductions. Almost always worth it — but once you opt in, you are assessed this way in the following years too.
Which Swiss health insurer is cheapest?
Basic-coverage benefits are identical by law. Premiums vary by canton (often 30–40%), and by model (family doctor / HMO / Telmed) and provider service. A family-doctor model with CHF 2,500 deductible is typically the cheapest setup for healthy adults.
Moving from the US? Swiss health insurance for Americans →
Personal advice instead of form-filling
45 minutes by video · in English, German, French or Czech · FINMA-registered · free · no obligation. We cover health insurance, Säule 3a, home/liability and tax in one session.
