Moving away

The health insurer must be notified of a change of address and a change of civil law domicile within 30 days in accordance with Art. 12 of the GCI.

If you are planning to return to Switzerland in the near future, you can contact your Swiss health insurer to have your policy suspended. If you suspend your insurance, you must continue to pay a certain percentage of your premium, e.g. 10% of the annual premium. The request for suspension must be made well in advance of your departure. 


Deregistration Switzerland

When you deregister with your Swiss municipality of residence, your Swiss health insurance ends. You cannot continue this insurance. Please send the deregistration certificate to your health insurance company as soon as possible. 

SWICA also requires questionnaire 053, in which the persons concerned must provide information on the receipt of cash benefits from Switzerland. This is necessary in order to verify the continuation of the statutory insurance obligation and provides clarity vis-à-vis domestic and foreign authorities.

053_e_Fragebogen_Abmeldung_Schweiz.pdf (swica.ch)

Depending on your individual situation, there are different implications for your health insurance - so be sure to notify your health insurer of any changes early.


General regulations: 
Financial connection to Switzerland and transfer of residence to the EU/EFTA or the United Kingdom

As a rule, the insurance obligation continues to exist in Switzerland with your transfer of residence to the EU/EFTA, provided that you or your spouse continue to receive cash benefits from Switzerland and do not pursue any (new) gainful employment in the new country of residence. This includes in particular income from gainful employment, AHV/BVG pensions and KVG daily allowances. Depending on the country of residence, you have an option right, according to which you can be exempted from the insurance obligation in Switzerland within 3 months upon written application, in order to be allowed to insure yourself in your country of residence.

The situation must be examined in detail in each individual case; we will be happy to support you in this.

Emigrating as a pensioner

New residence in the EU/EFTA or Great Britain

Do you receive your pension exclusively from Switzerland? If so, you will continue to be subject to compulsory insurance in Switzerland. If you move to Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Portugal or Spain, you have an option to be exempted from this insurance obligation and to be insured in your country of residence. If you do not exercise this option within 3 months, you will remain subject to compulsory insurance in Switzerland.

Do you (also) receive a pension from your new country of residence? Then you must insure yourself in your new country of residence, regardless of the amount of the pension.

If you receive pensions from several countries outside your country of residence, the situation must be examined/assessed in detail; we will be happy to support you in this.

New residence outside EU/EFTA and Great Britain

If you move your residence outside the EU/EFTA area, you are no longer subject to Swiss compulsory insurance. You should therefore take out international health insurance. This way you will continue to benefit from numerous services and the best insurance cover worldwide.

As a SWICA customer, you can switch to Global Care - as long as you are still resident in Switzerland: International Security for People Residing Abroad GLOBAL CARE - SWICA.

As a non-SWICA customer, you can, for example, apply for international insurance with Cigna Insurance International health insurance from Cigna Global

More information here: Retirement abroad (admin.ch)

 


Emigrating as an employee

Posting abroad by a Swiss employer

For employees sent abroad by a Swiss employer (remaining AHV), so-called "seconded employees", the following applies: As a secondee, you retain your insurance in Switzerland. As a rule, the following applies: As a posted employee or expatriate with Swiss social security contributions, you and your non-employed family members remain subject to compulsory insurance in Switzerland. This means that you will continue to benefit from Swiss health insurance coverage for at least two years - up to a maximum of six years. 

Special insurance obligations for expatriates: Depending on the country in which you live and work as a secondee, different legal and contractual requirements may apply in some cases. Find out about the country in question before you leave:

Further information from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Gainful employment (still) in Switzerland and transfer of residence abroad
If you transfer your place of residence to the EU/EFTA or the United Kingdom, you are still subject to compulsory insurance in your country of employment (Switzerland). If you transfer your residence to Germany, France, Italy or Austria, you have an option to be exempted from this insurance obligation and to be insured in your country of residence. If you do not exercise this option within 3 months, you will remain subject to compulsory insurance in Switzerland.

If you move to a country outside the EU/EFTA or the United Kingdom, the insurance obligation in Switzerland ends and you must take out insurance in your new country of residence.



Return to Switzerland

People leaving Switzerland to live abroad are no longer subject to compulsory health insurance. However, certain groups of people must retain their Swiss health insurance, while others may continue their coverage on a contractual basis.

Health insurance: Requirement to obtain insurance (admin.ch)

If you are planning to return to Switzerland in the near future, you can contact your Swiss health insurer to have your policy suspended. If you suspend your insurance, you must continue to pay a certain percentage of your premium, e.g. 10% of the annual premium. The request for suspension must be made well in advance of your departure.