Start of cover

What is the start of cover?

The start of cover is the key date from which health insurance takes effect. From that day, the insurer pays for benefits, and from that day you owe premiums. It does not cover treatment before the start of cover.

In basic health insurance under the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG), the law determines the start date. You cannot choose it freely. When cover starts depends on the occasion: birth, moving to Switzerland, late registration or switching health insurer. In supplementary insurance under the Insurance Contract Act (ICA, VVG in German), by contrast, the start date is set out in the contract.

The difference from the day you register is important. If you register within the three-month deadline to take out insurance, you are insured retroactively. The start of cover is then earlier than the day on which the policy is issued.

How it works

Birth. If you register your child within three months, cover starts on the day of birth. With registration before birth, the insurer is already fixed before the baby is born.

Moving to Switzerland. If you register within three months of taking up residence, cover starts on the day you moved. For people with a residence or settlement permit, what counts is registration with the residents’ registration office; for cross-border commuters, it is the date from which the permit is valid.

Late registration. Once the three months have passed, cover only starts when you join. More on this under late enrolment.

Switching health insurer. After you receive notice of the new premium, you can switch with one month’s notice to the end of the year; the new insurance starts on 1 January. With the standard insurance with a CHF 300 deductible and free choice of physicians, you can also switch with three months’ notice to the end of June; the new insurance then starts on 1 July. Optional deductibles and special insurance models can only be switched at the end of the year. The whole procedure is described under changing health insurer.

Changing model. You can switch from the standard model to a GP, HMO or telemedicine model at any time. The insurer decides when the new model starts.

Supplementary insurance. It starts on the day stated in the policy, provided the insurer has accepted your application. Under Art. 2a ICA, you can withdraw the application within 14 days.

Legal basis

Art. 5 para. 1 KVG: if you join on time, cover starts at the time of birth or of taking up residence. Art. 5 para. 2 KVG: if you join late, it starts at the time you join. Art. 7 of the Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV) contains special rules for people with a foreign permit, cross-border commuters and asylum seekers.

Switching is governed by Art. 7 KVG: para. 1 allows a switch with three months’ notice to the end of a calendar half-year, para. 2 a switch after notice of the new premium with one month’s notice to the end of the month before the new premium applies. Under para. 5, the old insurance relationship only ends once the new insurer has given notice that cover continues without interruption. Art. 94 para. 2 and Art. 100 para. 3 KVV restrict switching with an optional deductible or a special insurance model to the end of a calendar year; Art. 100 para. 2 KVV allows a switch into a model at any time.

Example: five situations in 2026

The table shows when basic health insurance starts in typical cases. All the people are fictitious; the rules are taken from Art. 5 and 7 KVG.

Situation	Registration or notice of cancellation	Start of cover
Mia is born on 14.02.2026	registered on 10.04.2026 (within three months)	14.02.2026
Jonas moves to Switzerland from abroad on 01.03.2026	registered on 20.05.2026 (within three months)	01.03.2026
Elena moves to Switzerland from abroad on 01.03.2026	registered on 01.08.2026 (late)	01.08.2026
Paul, standard insurance with a CHF 300 deductible	notice of cancellation received by the old insurer on 25.03.2026	new insurer from 01.07.2026
Sara, GP model with a CHF 2,500 deductible	notice of cancellation received on 27.11.2026	new insurer from 01.01.2027

The deadline calculator works out for you the latest date by which your notice of cancellation must arrive. You can create the letter to your current insurer with the cancellation letter generator.

What this means for you

Before every step, check which start date applies to you and avoid gaps:

1. New to Switzerland or a new baby? Register within three months. You are then covered from the first day and pay premiums from that day.
2. Planning to switch? Choose the new insurer in the premium calculator and sign up there before you cancel with the old insurer. That way, the new insurer issues the confirmation in time.
3. Wait for the confirmation. Your old insurer sends you a confirmation of cancellation with the end date. The end date of the old insurance and the start of the new one must follow on without any gap.
4. Plan supplementary insurance separately. Only cancel supplementary insurance once you have the new policy with a fixed start date. The new insurer can turn you down on the basis of the health questionnaire.

You will find the profiles of all insurers, with contact details, under health insurers.

Common mistakes

• Taking the day of registration for the start of cover. If you register on time, basic health insurance applies retroactively, and so do the premiums.
• Wanting to switch on 1 July despite having an optional deductible or a model. The half-yearly switch only applies to the standard insurance with a CHF 300 deductible.
• Treating basic health insurance and supplementary insurance the same way. Only in basic health insurance does the law set the start date and must the insurer accept you.
• Cancelling with the old insurer before the new one has accepted you. In basic health insurance, Art. 7 para. 5 KVG protects you from a gap; in supplementary insurance, it does not.