Health insurance: Requirement to obtain insurance

People leaving Switzerland to live abroad are no longer subject to compulsory health insurance. However, certain groups of people must retain their Swiss health insurance, while others may continue their coverage on a contractual basis. 

Leaving Switzerland to live abroad

In general, when people take up residence abroad, their compulsory health insurance coverage ceases when they leave Switzerland. However, exceptions apply for certain groups of people (e.g. pensioners, cross-border commuters, posted workers) under the Swiss-EU Agreement on the free movement of persons, the EFTA Convention, the new social security Agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) and other international social security agreements.

Voluntary health insurance

Insurers can offer their insured persons who move abroad (in a non-EU/EFTA country and UK) a continuation of the insurance cover on a contractual basis. This is a contract under private law in accordance with the Federal Law on Insurance Contracts.

EU member states

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

Members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland

Last modification 06.07.2023

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Contact

Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Health and Accident Insurance Directorate
Legal Supervision of Health Insurance Section
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
3003 Bern
Switzerland
Tel. +41 58 462 21 11
E-mail

Print contact

https://www.bag.admin.ch/content/bag/en/home/versicherungen/krankenversicherung/krankenversicherung-versicherte-mit-wohnsitz-im-ausland/versicherungspflicht.html