Health insurance: Recipients of an EU/EFTA pension

Under the Agreement on the free movement of persons, pensioners resident in Switzerland who draw a pension exclusively from an EU/EFTA country are required to obtain health insurance in that country. 

Since the Swiss-EU Agreement on the free movement of persons came into force, health insurance obligations have been based on the place-of-work principle. In the case of pensioners, this refers to the place where a remunerated activity was formerly pursued, now entitling the person concerned to receive a pension.

Pensioners resident in Switzerland who draw a pension exclusively from an EU/EFTA country are required to be insured in that country.

Pensioners resident in Switzerland who simultaneously draw a pension from an EU/EFTA country and a Swiss pension (AHV/IV/MV/UV/BV) are required to be insured in Switzerland, irrespective of the amount of the Swiss pension.

Common Institution under the KVG

In Switzerland, the institution responsible for international coordination of health insurance for persons resident in Switzerland and drawing a pension from an EU/EFTA country is the Common Institution under the Health Insurance Act (KVG) in Olten.

The Common Institution under the KVG determines whether or not persons drawing an EU/EFTA pension are required to be insured in Switzerland and registers those persons who are still required to obtain health insurance in the EU.

All the relevant information can be found on the website of the Common Institution under the KVG (see link below), to which any queries should be addressed directly.

Links

Common Institution under the KVG – Registration of persons insured in an EU/EFTA country who are resident in Switzerland

Further information

Last modification 04.05.2020