Do you need health insurance in Switzerland?

The real rule

Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.

Basic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland, healthy or not. You have three months from arrival to sign up; if you do, cover goes back to the day you arrived, and if you are late, it does not, and a surcharge is added. As a newcomer, choose an insurer in your first month.

The three-month deadline and the late surcharge

The rule, explained

Basic health insurance is compulsory. The Federal Office of Public Health says anyone settling in Switzerland must take out health insurance within three months after taking up residence. If you sign up within that period, coverage takes effect from the beginning of your residence. If you sign up late, it does not go back, and a surcharge is added: our guide to the three-month deadline explains how it is calculated. Being young and never sick changes nothing. Choose an insurer in your first month.

Sources: FOPH (BAG), requirement to obtain insurance; ch.ch, health insurance for new arrivals

Questions people ask

How long do you have to get health insurance in Switzerland?

Three months from taking up residence (FOPH; ch.ch).

Is Swiss health insurance backdated?

Yes, to the start of residence, if you sign up within the three months.

More episodes

• 15. Swiss health insurance: when can you switch?
• 9. Do you have to register when you move to Switzerland?
• 3. Why is Switzerland so expensive?