Health insurance in Switzerland simply explained

There is no compulsory health insurance requirement if:

• You are a Swiss citizen or national of the EU/EFTA/UK and live in Switzerland but, for example, work in the EU/EFTA/UK or receive your pension only from the EU/EFTA/UK.
  
  
• You are staying in Switzerland as an EU/EFTA/UK student for training or further education, provided that you are not gainfully employed in Switzerland and therefore remain insured under the social security system of your country of residence. However, if you are gainfully employed, you must be insured in Switzerland (principle of insurance at place of employment). Students who have private insurance may be exempted, provided that their insurance coverage is equivalent.
  
  
• You are a national of the EU/EFTA/UK and have been posted to Switzerland for a period of up to 24 months.
  
  
• You enjoy privileges under international law as a member of a diplomatic or consular mission or an employee of an international organisation.
  
  
• You are visiting Switzerland exclusively for medical treatment or convalescence.

For seasonal work, health insurance is generally compulsory, including for foreign nationals with a temporary residence permit.

Exemption from compulsory insurance may be granted on application if you have equivalent insurance cover for treatment in Switzerland throughout the entire exemption period. You can find more information from the FOPH.

If you move to Switzerland with a baby or child, the child must also be registered for basic health insurance with a Swiss health insurer. The same deadlines apply as for the parents. If you are pregnant, you can register your baby before birth.

Deductible
The deductible is the initial amount that you need to pay each year. Your health insurer will only cover costs in excess of this amount. The higher your deductible, the cheaper your premium. The minimum deductible is CHF 300.– for adults and CHF 0.– for children.

Important: you do not pay a basic health insurance deductible for maternity benefits. 

Do you have low health costs and pay less than CHF 1,700.– per year? Then select the highest deductible of CHF 2,500.–. 

Do you have high health costs and pay more than CHF 1,700.– per year? Then select the lowest deductible of CHF 300.–.

Amend your deductible

Excess
Health insurance benefits are not paid until this amount has been reached. The insured person additionally contributes an excess of 10% to the remaining balance, up to 700 francs per calendar year for adults and 350 francs for children. 

Once the deductible and excess limits have been reached, 100% of the statutory benefits are reimbursed by health insurance.

You are liable to pay 40% for certain medications instead of the usual 10% excess. This applies to medicinal products that are more expensive than comparable alternatives. An overview can be found in the list of pharmaceutical specialities (LS). 

Important: you do not pay an excess for maternity benefits under basic health insurance. 

Calculation example: You have chosen a 300-franc deductible and receive a medical bill for 2,000 francs. The first 300 francs is payable by you. You also pay 10% of the remaining 1,700 francs (excess). This means that you pay 470 francs in total, while the health insurance pays 1,530 francs. 

If you have chosen the highest deductible of 2,500 francs, you would pay the entire doctor’s bill yourself. In return, you would pay a lower monthly premium. A high deductible is therefore particularly worthwhile for people with low health costs.

Hospital cost contribution
You are liable to pay CHF 15.– per day for a hospital stay. Children under the age of 18, young adults under the age of 25 in training/education and women receiving maternity care are exempt from this payment.

Go to basic health insurance models

In 2026, the average monthly premium in Switzerland is CHF 393.30.

Please note: Basic health insurance depends on the insurance model chosen, your age, place of residence and the selected deductible. The higher the healthcare costs in the canton, the higher the premiums charged by health insurers for that canton.

Example 1: City of Zurich

Age: 30
Postcode: 8001
Year: 2026
Deductible: CHF 2,500.–
KPTwin.smart digital model with GP
Without accident insurance

Monthly premium including environmental tax refund:

CHF 381.25

Example 2: Geneva:

Age: 30
Postcode: 1201
Year: 2026
Deductible: CHF 2,500.–
KPTwin.smart digital model with GP
Without accident insurance

Monthly premium including environmental tax refund:

CHF 458.25

Health insurance premiums depend on your place of residence, the insurance model you have chosen, your age and your selected deductible. You will find KPT’s most affordable health insurance model on our comparison page.

All 34 licensed health insurers and their premiums can be found on priminfo.ch.

• Choose an alternative basic health insurance model  
  The standard basic health insurance model gives you a free choice of doctor, which is why the premiums in this model are usually higher. If you are willing to partially restrict this freedom of choice, you can choose one of our alternative basic health insurance models. With these models, you must use the defined point of contact in the first instance in the event of illness. With KPTwin.smart, KPT’s digital health insurance model with GP access, for example, you must first use the symptom checker in the app if you are ill. In return, you benefit from an attractive premium discount.
  
  
• Select a higher deductible
  The deductible is the amount you pay each calendar year towards medical treatments before health insurance will cover any costs. For people over the age of 18, KPT offers the choice of the following deductibles: 300, 500, 1,000, 1,500 or 2,500 francs.
  The higher your deductible, the lower your monthly premium. A high deductible is particularly worthwhile if you are unlikely to require significant medical care.
  
  
• Exclude accident insurance
  If you work at least eight hours a week for the same employer, you can exclude accident insurance from your basic health insurance. In this case, you are already insured for non-occupational accidents by your employer.
  
  
• Receive a prepayment discount by paying your premiums every six or twelve months
  Receive a 0.5% discount by paying six months of premiums in advance or a 1% discount by paying for twelve months.
  
  
• Apply to the canton for a premium reduction
  If you are on a low income, you may be entitled to a premium reduction. Check with your canton of residence. Find more information here.

Check out this list for more tips on keeping health insurance premium costs down.

You can partially deduct the premiums for basic and supplementary health insurance from cantonal tax and federal tax. Please note that a maximum amount applies. This can differ from canton to canton.

Basic health insurance
Basic health insurance only covers medical costs abroad in exceptional cases, such as an emergency for example. In EU and EFTA countries, reimbursement is based on the tariffs applicable in the country where treatment is received.
Outside the EU/EFTA, a maximum cost limit applies: the maximum amount covered is twice the amount payable by the health insurer in Switzerland for the same treatment. Medical treatment can be significantly more expensive in some countries outside the EU and EFTA. This can result in high additional costs for you. Basic health insurance does not cover costs for return transport (repatriation) from the country of treatment to Switzerland.

If you have an emergency abroad, you can contact KPT by calling the SOS number +41 58310 9999.

Supplementary health insurance
Supplementary holiday and travel insurance provides you with additional protection in the event of medical emergencies and other unexpected incidents while abroad.

Pulse supplementary outpatient insurance and supplementary hospital insurance from KPT come with travel and holiday insurance included for up to eight weeks per calendar year. If you travel for longer or do not have any such supplementary insurance, you can also take out travel and holiday insurance separately.

If receiving medical treatment in EU and EFTA countries, always present your KPT Card as proof of your health insurance cover. This functions as your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and is needed by doctors and hospitals to settle costs directly with KPT. If you do not have your KPT Card with you, call the SOS number +41 58310 9999. KPT will send a replacement certificate to the doctor or hospital.

Outside the EU/EFTA, KPT and its partners will coordinate the commitment to cover costs and cost coverage in the event of medical emergencies, provided that you have valid travel and holiday insurance. If you have to pay for treatment directly while abroad, when applying for the costs to be reimbursed, always send us the original bills together with the illness notification. You can do this by post or in the KPT app.
The costs will be reimbursed in line with the statutory and contractual conditions.

Return transport following an accident or illness while abroad
If you need to be returned home for treatment following an accident or illness abroad, KPT will organise this return transport, provided that you have valid travel and holiday insurance. It is important for you to report any such emergency immediately by calling the SOS number +41 58 310 99 99.
If you organise your return transport independently – for example, via the Swiss air rescue service Rega – KPT will pay a maximum of 200 francs.

For more information: What should you do if you fall ill or have an accident abroad, and who covers the costs?

As a rule, basic health insurance can be changed on 1 January of a given year. The cancellation notice must be received by your current health insurer by the end of its published opening hours on 30 November. If 30 November falls on a weekend, the cancellation notice must be received by the health insurer on the final working day in November. Note that the relevant date is the date of receipt of the notice of cancellation by your health insurer, not the postmark date. If you want to be sure that your notification has been received, send it by registered post.

Once you have done this, you can arrange your new basic health insurance with an insurer of your choice. All health insurers are legally obliged to accept anyone applying for basic health insurance, irrespective of their age or health.

Please note: You cannot change to a different basic health insurance provider if you still have unpaid bills with your existing insurer on 31 December. This applies to bills for which you have received a payment request within the meaning of Art. 64a (1) of the HIA by 30 November. It includes outstanding premiums, co-payments, interest on arrears and debt enforcement costs.

You do not need to take out supplementary health insurance with the same provider as your basic health insurance. Supplementary health insurance can be arranged at any time of year.

Waiting periods may apply for some benefits, such as glasses, dental treatments or pregnancy-related benefits.
A health check is usually required when applying for supplementary health insurance. The health insurer then decides whether or not to accept you.

Your cancellation notice for supplementary health insurance must be received by your current health insurer during its published opening hours by 30 September at the latest. If 30 September falls on a weekend, the notice must be received on the final working day of September.

Otherwise, you can cancel your supplementary health insurance with effect from 31 December; the notice period is usually three months. Other notice periods may apply if the premiums are increased. In such cases, you can usually cancel until 30 November.

Please note: Do not cancel an existing policy until your new provider has confirmed your acceptance in writing. Otherwise, you risk a gap in your cover because, unlike with basic health insurance, health insurers have no legal obligation to accept applications for supplementary health insurance.