Child Benefits in Switzerland Explained

If you have children, you may be entitled to Swiss child benefits. Get answers to the most important questions in this guide.

What are child benefits?

Child benefits are payments which parents receive to help compensate for some of the added costs associated with raising children. In Switzerland, child benefits are paid out by the family allowance (FZ) social insurance scheme. They are made up of four different kinds of allowances, which are collectively known as family allowances.

• Child allowances: You receive a child allowance for each child aged 0-15 years old. If a child is unable to earn an income due to health problems, you can continue receiving a child allowance until they turn 20 years old. Allowances vary between cantons, but cannot be lower than 200 francs per month and child.

• Education allowances: You can receive an education allowance for children aged 16-25 while they are completing their initial education (including apprenticeships). Allowances vary between cantons, but cannot be lower than 250 francs per month and child. You will not receive education allowances for children who are not studying.

• Birth allowances: Some cantons give parents a one time birth allowance after the birth of a child.

• Adoption allowances: Some cantons give adoptive parents a one-time adoption allowance when they adopt a child.

Who can get child benefits?

You can claim Swiss family allowances for:

• Your own biological and adopted children

• Grandchildren in your care

• Siblings in your care

• Step children who live with you (including the children of your registered partner)

• Foster children whom you care for on an unpaid basis

How do I receive Swiss child benefits?

In order to receive Swiss family allowances, you have to actively claim them, or have your employer do this on your behalf. You will not receive them automatically without claiming them. You can claim Swiss family allowance entitlements up to five years in arrears.

If you are employed or self-employed and earn at least 7350 francs per year, then you receive child benefits in the canton which your employer is in.

• If you are employed, then you receive family allowances via your employer along with your salary.

• Self-employed individuals receive child benefits directly from the social security office which they are registered with.

If you are not employed, then you will receive child benefits from either the unemployment insurance, or from the canton you live in.

• If you receive unemployment benefits from Swiss social unemployment insurance and do not earn at least 7350 francs per year from an employer, then you can receive child benefits from the unemployment insurance as a markup on your unemployment benefits.

• If you do not earn at least 7350 francs per year from one employer or self-employment, and are not entitled to unemployment insurance benefits, then you can claim family allowances from the social security office of the canton which you live in. In most cantons, you can only claim these family allowances if your income falls below a limit set by the canton. Geneva, Jura, and Ticino do not have any income limits for claiming child benefits.

Can I receive child benefits if I or my children live outside of Switzerland?

If you work for a Swiss employer, you may be entitled to Swiss child benefits even if you and/or your children do not live in Switzerland.

• Cross-border workers who are employed in Switzerland receive Swiss child benefits.

• If you are employed in Switzerland and are subject to Swiss social security, you can receive child benefits for your children who reside in an EFTA or EU member country.

• If you are temporarily stationed abroad by your Swiss employer but remain subject to Swiss social security, you can continue to receive Swiss child benefits. 

If you (or your spouse) also receive child benefits for children living abroad from their country of residence, you can only claim Swiss child benefits to make up the difference between the foreign benefits and your (higher) Swiss family allowance entitlements.

How high are child benefits in Switzerland?

Family allowances vary between cantons. For employees and self-employed individuals, the family allowances of their canton of employment apply. That means you will receive child benefits from the canton where your employer is domiciled, and not the canton which you live in (if you work and live in different cantons).

If you do not earn an income, then the family allowances of your canton of residence apply. You will receive child benefits from the canton which you live in.

This table provides an overview of child benefits in all of Switzerland’s cantons.

Table 1: Family allowance entitlements per child and month

Child benefits for farmers in Switzerland are provided by a countrywide child benefits scheme, so cantonal allowances do not apply to farmers. You can find more information about this towards the end of this article.

Which parent receives the child benefits?

A maximum of one family allowance can be claimed per child. Which parent has to claim the benefits depends on your situation.

• If only one parent is employed, child benefits are paid out to that parent. 

• If both parents are employed (including self-employed), child benefits are paid to the parent who earns the higher salary. Exception: If the parent with the lower salary works in the same canton that the child lives in, and the parent with the higher salary works in a different canton, the child benefits will be paid out to the parent who works in the child’s canton of residence. If that rule results in your receiving a lower family allowance, then the social security office should make up the difference.

• If parents are separated or divorced, child benefits are paid out to the parent who is the child’s primary caretaker. If the primary caretaker is not employed, the employed parent will receive the benefits, and is required by law to pass the money on to the primary caretaker.

How are child benefits in Switzerland funded?

Child benefits for people who are employed or self-employed are financed by mandatory insurance premiums which must be paid to the FZ social insurance scheme.

As an employee, your contributions are covered entirely by your employer in most cantons. The only exception is Valais, where a portion of the contribution is deducted from your salary. Employers generally account for FZ contributions when calculating gross salaries.

If you are self-employed, then you must cover the premiums yourself. Contributions are based on the portion of your income which falls below 148,200 francs per year. In some cantons, the contribution rates for self-employed individuals differ from those that employers pay for their employees.

Table 2: Contributions

The contributions shown in Table 2 are primarily those applicable to cantonal compensation offices. The contributions required by union compensation offices may differ slightly from those shown in Table 2. 

The family allowance markups for recipients of unemployment insurance benefits are funded by unemployment insurance premiums. The child benefits paid out to people who do not earn an income are financed by the government of the canton in which they reside.

Do I have to pay income taxes on Swiss family allowances?

Yes, family allowances count towards your taxable income. You have to pay income tax on the money you receive. 

If you have temporary residence in Switzerland and pay withholding taxes which are deducted from your salary by your employer, the family allowances will be accounted for in your withholding tax.

More on this topic:
Swiss health insurance premium subsidies explained
Swiss unemployment insurance explained
Saving tips for families in Switzerland
Health insurance discounts for families explained
How to take cheap family holidays
Having a baby in Switzerland: Your financial questions answered
Financial tips for apprentices in Switzerland