Health Insurance in Switzerland — Expat Guide
3 months after arrival. Missing this deadline can lead to fines or delays in your permit.
Every resident of Switzerland — including expats, students, and children — must take out basic health insurance (KVG/LAMal) within 3 months of arrival. This guide explains how the Krankenkasse system works, how to compare providers, and the difference between basic and supplementary cover.
Step by step
- 1
Understand the 3-month deadline
By federal law (KVG / LAMal), every resident must have basic Swiss health insurance within 3 months of registering at their Gemeinde. Once enrolled, cover is backdated to the registration date — there is no insurance gap.
- 2
Compare providers on priminfo.ch
Premiums are set per canton, age band and franchise — and they differ by hundreds of francs per month for the exact same legal coverage. Use the official Federal Office of Public Health comparator at priminfo.admin.ch.
- 3
Choose a franchise (deductible)
Adults: CHF 300, 500, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000 or 2,500. Higher franchise = lower monthly premium but more out-of-pocket if you fall ill. Healthy adults often pick CHF 2,500; families with young children usually pick CHF 300.
- 4
Choose an insurance model
Standard (free choice of doctor), Hausarzt (family doctor first), HMO (group practice) and Telmed (phone consultation first). Alternative models save 10–20% on premiums.
- 5
Sign up online with your chosen Krankenkasse
Most insurers accept online enrolment. You'll need your residence permit slip, a Swiss address and an IBAN for direct debit. Children must be enrolled separately within 3 months of birth or arrival.
- 6
Decide on supplementary insurance (VVG)
Optional. Covers private hospital rooms, dental, alternative medicine, glasses and worldwide travel cover. Apply early — VVG providers can decline you or exclude pre-existing conditions.
How the Swiss Krankenkasse system works
Switzerland has no public single-payer system. Instead, every resident must buy basic health insurance from a private (but tightly regulated) insurer. The benefits covered under basic cover are identical across every provider — set by federal law — so the only thing that varies is the price. The system is heavily supervised by the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), which approves all premiums annually.
Basic vs supplementary insurance
Basic insurance (KVG/LAMal) covers medically necessary treatment in your canton of residence: GP visits, hospital stays in general wards, prescription medication on the federal list, maternity care, and most diagnostics. Supplementary insurance (VVG) is fully optional and lets you add private hospital rooms, broader dental cover, alternative therapies (osteopathy, acupuncture), glasses and worldwide travel cover. VVG is medically underwritten — apply when you're young and healthy.
Can I keep my EU EHIC or international plan?
Generally no. The only exemptions are short-term students with EHIC cover (subject to canton approval) and cross-border workers from EU countries. Everyone else must enrol in Swiss KVG within 3 months — failing to do so means the canton will automatically assign you to an insurer, often at higher cost.
Switching insurers
You can switch your basic insurance at the end of each calendar year, with written notice received by 30 November. Some plans (standard model with CHF 300 franchise) also allow mid-year switching with 3 months' notice. You can never be refused basic cover by any Swiss insurer, regardless of age or pre-existing conditions.
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