Health insurance in Switzerland.
Basic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
The rules
What Switzerland asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- Everyone who lives there must insure
Anyone resident in Switzerland must have health insurance, whatever their nationality. Each family member, adult or child, is insured on their own.
Source: bag.admin.ch - Permit of 3 months or more
Health insurance is compulsory if you have a Swiss residence permit valid for 3 months or longer.
Source: bag.admin.ch - 3 months to sign up
You must take out insurance within 3 months of taking up residence. Cover then starts from the day you arrived, and you pay premiums from that day too.
Source: bag.admin.ch - Late: cover starts later, with a surcharge
If you miss the 3 months, cover only starts on the day you sign up. You pay a surcharge unless you have a valid reason for the delay.
Source: bag.admin.ch - No sign up: the canton picks for you
If you do not insure yourself in time, the canton registers you and chooses the insurer on your behalf.
Source: bag.admin.ch - Insurers must accept you
For basic insurance, every insurer must accept you whatever your age or health. They cannot set conditions or a waiting period, and cannot ask for a health questionnaire.
Source: bag.admin.ch - Non-EU students can ask for an exemption
Students from outside the EU, EFTA and UK can ask to be exempt, if they have equivalent cover for healthcare in Switzerland throughout the period.
Source: bag.admin.ch
There is no separate public plan. The basic plan is the system, and approved private insurers run it. You can choose any approved insurer. Compare premiums by insurer and region on the official site priminfo.admin.ch.
Source: bag.admin.chLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
In Switzerland the basic plan is the system. Every approved insurer must accept you, so the choice is about price, deductible and extras. International cover can sit on top.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Switzerland. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Switzerland.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Switzerland and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What it costs
Published prices in Switzerland.
List prices from insurers and official schemes. Your quote depends on your age, health and the cover you pick.
- Average premium 2026: CHF 393.30 a month
The federal average for basic insurance in 2026, across all ages and plans. It rose CHF 16.60, or 4.4%, on 2025.
Source: srf.ch - By age: CHF 465.30, 326.30 and 122.50
Average 2026 monthly premiums for adults from 26, young adults aged 19 to 25, and children up to 18.
Source: srf.ch - Ticino CHF 501.50, Zug CHF 264.50
The highest and lowest cantonal averages for 2026. Geneva follows Ticino at CHF 489.80.
Source: srf.ch
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Switzerland.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- Deductible
You can choose the standard deductible or one of the higher deductibles the insurer offers. Check how much you pay before the insurer does.
- Premium by insurer and region
Premiums are listed by insurer and by canton or region. Compare them before you sign.
- Supplementary cover
Insurers can ask health questions for extras, add conditions, or refuse. Apply for supplementary cover while you are healthy.
- Accident cover you already have
If you are fully covered under the Accident Insurance Act, for example through your job, ask your insurer to stop its accident cover. It must then lower your premium.
Step by step
Getting covered in Switzerland.
- 01Note the day you take up residence. Your 3 months to insure start that day. Sign up in time and cover is back-dated to it, with premiums from that day too.
- 02Compare premiums for your canton. priminfo.admin.ch lists every approved insurer’s premium by canton and region. The same basic cover can cost much more in Ticino than in Zug.
- 03Pick your deductible. Choose the standard deductible or one of the higher elective deductibles the insurer offers. A higher deductible means a lower premium and more paid by you first.
- 04Apply to the insurer directly. If an insurer does not reply, or pushes a deductible you did not ask for, the BAG says to send your application by registered mail with your deductible and start date.
- 05Insure each family member. Every adult and child needs their own policy. A baby born in Switzerland also has 3 months from birth to be insured.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Waiting past 3 months. You pay a surcharge, and cover starts late.
- 02Letting the canton choose your insurer. Choose your own and compare premiums first.
- 03Thinking you can drop Swiss insurance for a trip or a study period abroad. If you do not take up residence abroad, you must stay insured.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Questions
People also ask.
Is health insurance compulsory in Switzerland?+
Yes. Anyone resident in Switzerland must have basic health insurance, and each family member needs their own.
How long do I have to take out Swiss health insurance?+
3 months from the day you take up residence. If you sign up in time, cover is back-dated to the start of your residence.
Can a Swiss insurer refuse me?+
Not for basic insurance. Insurers must accept you whatever your age or health, without conditions or a waiting period. They can refuse supplementary cover.
Can I pick any insurer?+
Yes, any insurer approved under the Health Insurance Act. Premiums differ by insurer and region.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
19South KoreaStay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.