Swiss abroad

What are the Swiss abroad?

The Swiss abroad (Auslandschweizerinnen and Auslandschweizer) are people with Swiss citizenship whose place of residence is outside Switzerland. In health insurance, however, it is not your passport that counts but your place of residence: compulsory basic health insurance under the Federal Health Insurance Act (KVG) is linked to residence in Switzerland, not to nationality. A Swiss woman living in Canada is therefore not covered by basic health insurance, whereas a German man living in Basel is.

The requirement to take out insurance applies to every person resident in Switzerland within the meaning of the Civil Code (Art. 3 para. 1 KVG, Art. 1 para. 1 KVV). If you move your residence abroad, the requirement no longer applies and your insurance ends (Art. 5 para. 3 KVG). If you spend a longer period abroad without moving away, for example on a trip or a language stay while keeping your residence in Switzerland, you remain insured.

There are three important exceptions in which Swiss nationals remain in Swiss basic health insurance despite living abroad:

• Posted workers: if you are posted abroad by an employer based in Switzerland and were required to be insured in Switzerland immediately before, you remain insured for two years, or up to six years on application. The same applies to accompanying family members, provided they do not pursue an activity abroad that is subject to compulsory insurance (Art. 4 KVV).
• People in the public service: employees of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) who are subject to rotation and other federal employees abroad remain required to be insured, as do accompanying family members (Art. 5 KVV).
• Pensioners and employed persons in the EU, EFTA or the United Kingdom: if you are subject to Swiss insurance under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons or the EFTA Convention, for example with a Swiss pension, you remain or become required to be insured in Switzerland (Art. 1 para. 2 let. d–ebis KVV; for the United Kingdom, the agreement on social security applies). The canton informs pensioners who move away about this requirement (Art. 6a para. 1 let. c KVG).

How it works

When you move away: deregister with your municipality and send the deregistration confirmation to your health insurer. Basic health insurance ends when the requirement to be insured ends. Your supplementary insurance is separate: it is governed by the contract and the insurer’s terms. Clarify in advance whether it continues, is suspended or ends, and whether benefits abroad are covered.

Insurance abroad: in your new country of residence, you need health insurance under its rules. Swiss insurers may also offer former insured persons a continuation of cover on a contractual basis (Art. 7a KVV). These contracts are subject to the Insurance Contract Act (VVG); the insurer sets the terms and the premium.

If you remain in Swiss insurance: for insured persons living in an EU or EFTA state or in the United Kingdom, the insurer calculates the premium per country of residence (Art. 61 para. 4 KVG). Special types of insurance such as the GP or telemedicine model are not open to them (Art. 101a KVV). For posted workers, the insurer covers treatment abroad up to a maximum of twice the amount the treatment would cost in Switzerland (Art. 36 para. 4 KVV).

When you return: when you take up residence in Switzerland, you are once again required to be insured. You have three months to register with an insurer of your choice. If you register in time, the insurance starts on the day you moved in (Art. 5 para. 1 KVG). Every insurer must accept you without health questions.

Legal basis

Art. 3 para. 1 KVG requires every person resident in Switzerland to take out insurance within three months of taking up residence. Para. 3 allows the Federal Council to extend the requirement to people not resident in Switzerland, in particular those employed abroad by an employer based in Switzerland. Art. 5 KVG governs the start and end of insurance: it ends when the requirement to be insured no longer applies (para. 3); if you join late, it only starts when you join, and the insurer charges a premium surcharge (para. 2).

The Health Insurance Ordinance (KVV) specifies this: Art. 1 KVV defines the persons required to be insured, including those resident in an EU or EFTA state who are subject to Swiss insurance under the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons. Art. 4 KVV governs posted workers, Art. 5 KVV people in the public service and Art. 7a KVV the contractual continuation. Art. 8 KVV sets the premium surcharge for late membership: 30 to 50% of the premium for twice the duration of the delay, for a maximum of five years.

Example: returning to Bern

Heinz is 65 (born 1961) and returns to Switzerland after 20 years in Asia. He registers in the city of Bern on 1 June 2026. The premiums come from the FOPH data for 2026, municipality of Bern (region 1), adults with accident cover; source FOPH.

Within the range of 30 to 50%, the insurer sets the surcharge according to your financial situation; if it would cause hardship, it may be lower (Art. 8 para. 1 KVV). If social assistance pays the premiums, there is no surcharge.

What this means for you

Before you move away:

• Check whether one of the exceptions applies to you: posted abroad, in federal service or with a Swiss pension in an EU or EFTA state. In that case, you remain in basic health insurance, and your insurer needs to know.
• Arrange insurance in your new country of residence before your Swiss insurance ends.
• Check each supplementary insurance policy individually. If you come back later, you will have to answer health questions again for new supplementary insurance.

When you return:

• Register with an insurer within three months of moving in. You do not have to take out basic health insurance with your former insurer.
• Compare the premiums for your new municipality in the premium calculator and the insurers in the overview Health insurers.
• Check whether you are entitled to a premium subsidy.

Common mistakes

• Believing the Swiss passport is enough. What counts is your place of residence, not your nationality.
• Continuing to pay for basic health insurance after moving away. Without the requirement to be insured, there is no basic health insurance. Continued insurance is only possible as a voluntary contract under the VVG.
• Waiting too long when you return. After three months, the insurance no longer applies retroactively, and you risk a premium surcharge.
• Cancelling supplementary insurance without thinking ahead. New supplementary insurance after your return is not guaranteed.

We explain how we process the premium data under How we calculate.