Health Insurance For Swiss Living Abroad

As a Swiss citizen living abroad, you may find it difficult to get local health insurance in the country you live in. If you are leaving Switzerland to live in another country, you may wonder if you can keep your Swiss health insurance, or if you might be required to keep it.

Here, moneyland.ch answers the most important questions about health insurance for Swiss living abroad.

Can I get Swiss health insurance as a Swiss citizen living outside of Switzerland?

Certain pensioners and employees sent abroad by their employer are entitled to Swiss mandatory health insurance. But other Swiss living abroad are not entitled to the basic health insurance that is compulsory for residents of Switzerland.

Can I get Swiss health insurance if I receive a Swiss pension?

You may be required to have Swiss mandatory health insurance if you, as a Swiss citizen, receive a pension from a Swiss occupational pension fund (LOB), the Swiss Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance (OASI), the Swiss Disability Insurance (DI), Swiss employer-based accident insurance (UVG/LAA), or Swiss military insurance (MV/AM). 

Whether or not you are required to subscribe to Swiss mandatory health insurance when you begin receiving a Swiss pension or move abroad as a Swiss pensioner depends primarily on which country you live in. It also depends on your employment status: If you are employed in your country of residence, you are subject to the local public healthcare scheme even if you receive a Swiss pension.

If you are subject to Swiss mandatory health insurance due to receiving a Swiss pension, you will always be insured with the standard model (no gatekeeper) and the lowest deductible (300 francs for young adults and adults, 0 francs for children). As is standard for Swiss mandatory health insurance, you pay 10 percent of costs yourself as coinsurance, up to a limit of 700 francs per year.

Table 1: Health insurance for recipients of Swiss pensions

Can I keep my Swiss health insurance if my employer sends me to another country?

If you work for a Swiss employer, and your company sends you to a different country for work, you can keep your Swiss mandatory health insurance for all or part of your stay abroad. The rules vary depending on which country you move to.

Table 2: Health insurance for employees of Swiss companies sent abroad

*If you are also subject to the local mandatory health insurance scheme in your country of residence, you can apply for an exemption from Swiss mandatory health insurance. This is possible if the mandatory health insurance in your country adequately covers medical care in Switzerland and keeping both mandatory insurance plans would result in you paying twice for the same coverage.

Which other Swiss nationals living abroad can remain insured in Switzerland?

Dependents of people who work in Switzerland may be subject to Swiss mandatory health insurance, depending on the circumstances.

If you live and work in Switzerland and have non-employed dependents who live in an EFTA or EU country, those non-employed family members must be insured by compulsory health insurance in Switzerland. 

This also applies to cross-border commuters: If you live abroad but work in Switzerland and have compulsory health insurance in Switzerland, your non-working family members who live with you in a neighboring country must also have compulsory health insurance in Switzerland.

Exceptions may apply to countries with which Switzerland has direct bilateral agreements.

Which medical costs are covered?

It is important to understand how your medical expenses in foreign countries are covered by Swiss mandatory health insurance. That is true whether you have to keep Swiss health insurance due to receiving a Swiss pension, or voluntarily choose to remain insured as an employee of a Swiss company.

How you are covered depends on which country you live in, and which countries you are in when you receive medical care.

Table 3: Health insurance coverage for eligible Swiss living abroad

Depending on the specific country, the costs of medical care in EFTA, the EU, and the UK, may be settled directly with your Swiss insurance provider, or you may have to claim reimbursement. For medical care in all other countries, you must claim reimbursement for bills from your Swiss mandatory health insurance provider yourself.

Which Swiss mandatory health insurance offers are available to eligible Swiss living abroad?

Which insurance providers you can use depends on your situation, and on which country you live in. Insurance companies are required to insure you regardless of your age or preexisting health conditions.

Table 4: Mandatory health insurance providers that insure eligible Swiss abroad

How much does mandatory health insurance for Swiss abroad cost?

There are big differences between the insurance premiums charged by different insurers. Premiums for pensioners also vary between countries.

Table 5: Examples of premiums for EFTA, EU, and UK in 2025

*Adults (26 or older) with accident coverage. Eligible pensioners and their non-employed dependents can only use the standard insurance model with the lowest deductible.
**Adults (26 or older) without accident coverage, highest deductible.
Source: Priminfo. Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

Comparing offers can save you substantial amounts of money. You can find the current insurance premiums for Swiss abroad on the Priminfo website. Premiums can change on an annual basis. You can terminate your mandatory health insurance each year in keeping with the required notice period, and use a different offer for the next year.

Important: If you do not get mandatory Swiss health insurance yourself at the time that you become subject to it, then the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG / Institution commune LAMal will assign you a health insurance. The insurance they choose may not be the most affordable option. For that reason, it is important to compare offers and apply for insurance yourself.

Can I get premium reductions as a Swiss living abroad?

If you are subject to mandatory Swiss health insurance as a Swiss living abroad, then you may be able to receive subsidies towards the cost of your insurance premiums. Whether or not you are eligible for these premium reductions depends on your income, wealth, family situation, and other factors.

If you are subject to mandatory Swiss health insurance on account of receiving a Swiss pension, you have to contact the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG / Institution commune LAMal to apply for health insurance premium reductions.

If you are subject to Swiss mandatory health insurance due to working for a Swiss employer, you have to apply for premium reductions from the canton in which you are employed. You can find the contact information for the cantonal offices in the guide to health insurance premium reductions.

Can I get private Swiss health insurance if I live abroad?

Health insurance for expatriates is offered by several Swiss health insurance providers, as well as many non-Swiss insurance companies. You can find more information and a detailed overview in the guide to Swiss international health insurance.

Unlike mandatory Swiss health insurance, you do not have a legal right to international health insurance. If your health is poor, your application may be rejected, or your pre-existing conditions may be excluded from cover.

Does having private health insurance exempt me from mandatory Swiss health insurance?

If you become subject to mandatory Swiss health insurance but already have private health insurance, you can apply for an exemption from mandatory insurance. You must submit your application to the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG / Institution commune LAMal. You may be granted an exemption if your private health insurance meets the requirements.

It is worth comparing the coverage and premiums of Swiss mandatory health insurance with those of your private insurance to determine which is more favorable.

More on this topic:
Leaving Switzerland: A financial guide
Swiss bank fees for non-residents explained
Cross-border workers in Switzerland: A financial guide