What types of insurance do you need in Switzerland?

You’re probably already covered by the most important type of mandatory insurance: anyone who is born in Switzerland or who moves to or works in Switzerland must be covered by health insurance within three months. Mandatory basic insurance pursuant to the Health Insurance Act (HIA; more information at The link will open in a new window bag.admin.ch) provides solid basic coverage in the event of illness, accident and maternity. Young adults are responsible for their own health insurance as of 1 January following their 18th birthday. As the benefits of mandatory basic insurance are the same across all health insurance providers, it’s worth making a detailed comparison of all providers in your place of residence on a yearly basis, when new premiums are published and you can cancel your current policies. You can also save money by choosing a higher excess (deductible), opting for alternative insurance models (family doctor model, HMO, telemedicine, etc.) and excluding accident insurance if you work more than eight hours per week in the same company. If your financial circumstances are modest, you may be eligible for a premium reduction. For more information, contact the social insurance institution (SVA) in your canton of residence.

If a motor vehicle (car, motorcycle or scooter over 125 cc) is registered in Switzerland, liability insurance must be taken out: the vehicle registration (number plate) can only be issued upon submission of a written confirmation of the mandatory liability insurance (proof of insurance). This obligation is intended to ensure that the direct costs – and any consequential costs – of an accident are covered.

What costs are covered?

Under legal regulations, all providers cover the costs if an accident involving the vehicle of the insured person(s) causes damage to “people, animals or property”; in this case, the maximum coverage amount is 100 million francs. There are not only significant differences in premiums, but also in the fine print and possible additional coverage (reduction of the excess, premium reduction for accident-free driving, insurance coverage in case of gross negligence, etc.). A careful comparison of offers, taking individual needs into account, can therefore save you a great deal of money. By the way: e-bikes with a maximum speed of 45 kilometres an hour and a maximum output of 1,000 watts are covered by liability insurance through the annually renewable sticker on the yellow licence plate.

In Switzerland, employers are obliged to insure their employees against occupational accidents and illnesses pursuant to the Accident Insurance Act (AIA; more information at The link will open in a new window bag.admin.ch). If an employee works at least eight hours per week for the same employer, non-occupational accidents are automatically covered as well. Accident insurance is also mandatory for remote workers, apprentices, interns, volunteers, individuals in training and disability workshops, as well as employees in private households (such as cleaning staff, etc.). This means that if you are in regular employment, you don’t need to worry about the mandatory accident insurance. The same applies to unemployed people, who are covered against accidents through their unemployment insurance (UI; more information at The link will open in a new window ahv-iv.ch). The situation is different for students, pensioners, self-employed people and stay-at-home partners, as they must include accident coverage in their mandatory health insurance, but fortunately this only costs a few francs per month.

Building insurance is mandatory for property owners in almost all cantons, except Geneva, Valais, Ticino and Appenzell Innerrhoden. However, anyone who doesn’t take out voluntary insurance coverage in these cantons has to cover the often very high costs of natural hazard damage themselves in an emergency. Building insurance is usually taken out with the canton’s building insurance office – except in the cantons of Geneva, Valais, Ticino, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Appenzell Innerrhoden, where insurance coverage is offered by private providers. Basic coverage always covers damage to the building caused by fire or natural hazards, but if necessary you can take out an additional policy to expand this coverage to include other hazards, such as water damage due to burst pipes, earthquakes, deliberate damage or building collapse.

In most cantons, personal liability insurance for dogs (dog liability insurance) is mandatory and tends to be included with the personal liability insurance. Optional personal liability insurance generally offers good protection against expensive surprises in the event of damage – particularly for tenants.

What costs are covered?

Personal liability insurance basically covers damage that you cause to third parties. This includes personal injury and damage to property as well as financial losses (such as loss of an injured person’s income) incurred as a result of personal injury or property damage. The insurance also covers defence against unjustified claims. Despite being voluntary in Switzerland, this type of insurance – with a maximum coverage of 3 to 20 million francs – is widely used. This is hardly surprising, given that growing numbers of landlords require their tenants to take out personal liability insurance to avoid protracted discussions about responsibility in the event of expensive damage to the rental property. Personal liability insurance also offers good protection against costly surprises in other areas of life. For example, it covers claims for compensation arising from incidents with e-bikes and electric scooters without a number plate.

Although household insurance isn’t mandatory, it is often taken out with personal liability insurance. With this type of insurance, you protect the belongings in your home. It also covers damage to your home caused by fire, natural disaster, water, break-in, robbery and petty theft. You determine the insured amount and therefore the premium amount depending on how many items you own, how valuable they are and whether you wish to insure your belongings at replacement value or current value. Insurance companies offer a wide range of models with a variety of supplements. These include for example insurance against petty theft away from home or insurance for damage that you cause yourself (comprehensive household insurance). By the way: people living in shared accommodation can insure the community’s entire property with a single policy, which tends to be less expensive than several individual policies.

In addition to mandatory health insurance pursuant to the Health Insurance Act (KVG), a wide range of additional health insurance policies are available in Switzerland, which are governed by the Insurance Policies Act (VVG); more information at The link will open in a new window fedlex.admin.ch. Examples include supplementary hospital insurance (private instead of shared room, free choice of institution and practitioner, etc.), alternative medicine insurance, dental insurance or daily allowance insurance in the event of an accident or illness. All of these additional insurance policies are voluntary and can be taken out with any provider. You can therefore choose different providers for your mandatory health insurance and for any additional insurance policies. Unlike with mandatory health insurance, health insurance providers are not obliged to accept everyone who applies for additional insurance policies. A provider can reject an applicant without stating a reason, impose conditions (such as dental restoration work before taking out dental insurance) or demand a health check. It therefore makes sense to take out additional policies as early as possible while you’re in a good state of health.