In principle, anyone who works in Switzerland and lives within the EU/EFTA/UK has to be insured in Switzerland. However, cross-border commuters from Germany, Austria, France or Italy can choose whether to take out insurance in Switzerland or in their home country.
Optimal cover in Switzerland and at home. Calculate your premium and request a quote.
Once you start your employment, you have three months to select your health insurance. If you live in Germany, Austria, France or Italy, you have the right to choose: you have to make a one-off decision whether to be insured in Switzerland or in your country of residence.
Would you like to continue to be insured in your country of residence? If so, you must submit an application for exemption from the insurance obligation to the health insurance office of the canton where your employer is based. As a rule, their decision is final.
Important: if you don’t act before the end of the three-month period, you’ll automatically receive basic insurance in Switzerland. The insurance obligation also applies to any non-working members of your family, provided they have not been released from the insurance obligation in advance.
Are you a cross-border commuter looking to take out health insurance in Switzerland? Here’s how your insurance works, step by step.
Take out BASIS basic insurance. To do so, send us the application and the required documents:
Missing a document? Get in touch with us on 0844 80 81 82.
Once the insurance has been concluded, we will send you your policy. You will also receive an S1 form.
You submit the S1 form to your health insurer in your country of residence to register for international mutual benefits assistance there.
You will then receive an insurance card from your health insurer in your country of residence, along with an insurance card from Helsana. Each insured person receives a separate card for their own use.
Treatments in your country of residence: show the insurance card from your local health insurer. Any invoices from your country of residence should be submitted to that insurer. The costs will first be covered by your local insurer and then be charged to Helsana. Please note that you may only be treated by doctors and in hospitals that accept your insurance card.
Treatment in Switzerland: show your Helsana card. The costs are billed directly in line with the Swiss system. A co-payment applies.
Swiss basic insurance covers key medical benefits. These include visits to the doctor, medication and hospital stays.
Basic insurance only applies abroad in emergencies. It covers emergency treatment by public service providers such as hospitals, doctors’ offices and pharmacies – but up to a maximum cost: within the EU and EFTA/UK (Iceland, Norway and the UK), the social tariff of the respective country applies. In all other countries, basic insurance pays a maximum of twice the amount that would be required for treatment in Switzerland.
For cross-border commuters: in the event of an emergency outside your country of residence, you will receive the relevant social tariff within the EU/EFTA/UK. In all other countries, we will cover a maximum of twice the amount insured in Switzerland.
Basic insurance does not cover emergency transport abroad, nor excesses in the country of treatment.
Tip: take your insurance card with you when travelling within the EU/EFTA/UK. This serves as a European Health Insurance Card. The payment will then be processed directly with Helsana, and you can save yourself the Swiss co-payment such as your deductible and excess.
Basic insurance covers the costs throughout Switzerland in accordance with the tariff for treatment by a recognised doctor. This also applies to medically prescribed benefits such as chiropractic, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and midwives. All benefits are listed in the Health Care Benefits Ordinance (KLV).
Basic insurance pays for hospital costs in the general ward (multi-bed rooms). With your basic insurance, you have a free choice of hospitals from the cantonal list of hospitals. You are insured up to the tariff of the canton in which you work or are a weekly resident. You also pay an additional contribution of CHF 15.– per day in hospital.
For medically necessary emergency transport in an ambulance, basic insurance covers 50% of the costs up to CHF 500.– per calendar year. Basic insurance also covers transport costs for medically necessary treatment in a home nursing vehicle, wheelchair-accessible taxi or disability vehicle.
Medically prescribed medication is covered by basic insurance if it is included in the specialities list (SL) and is used in accordance with its authorisation.
How to save even more: always ask for generic medication as you will pay a lower excess. Medication and generics: what Helsana covers
You receive the contributions specified by law towards medically prescribed aids and equipment such as crutches, blood glucose monitors, inhalation and respiratory therapy equipment, compression stockings, milk pumps, etc. The aids recognised under basic insurance can be found in the medical aids and equipment list.
What basic insurance covers in the event of maternity:
Alternative medicine is only partially covered by basic insurance. Basic insurance covers the costs of outpatient treatment using the following methods, provided the doctor has recognised training (Swiss Medical Association (FMH) certificate of proficiency):
Limit: basic insurance pays for a maximum of 180 minutes per method within six months; additional benefits are covered by supplementary insurance.
Your basic insurance supports medical check-ups such as mammograms for the early detection of illnesses. Basic insurance also pays for prevention, such as vaccinations (e.g. the flu vaccination or tick vaccination), if prescribed and administered by a doctor. Basic insurance pays for a gynaecological checkup every three years. The cost of mammograms is covered by basic insurance under certain conditions.
You are welcome to call us for information about which medical check-ups in Switzerland are covered by basic insurance.
You receive CHF 10.– per day for up to 21 days per calendar year for medically prescribed balneotherapy at recognised therapeutic spas in Switzerland. However, basic insurance does not cover stays in convalescent facilities (inpatient convalescent care).
Cross-border commuters must take out insurance within three months of commencing work in Switzerland (if they do not exercise their right to choose). If registration occurs after this deadline, a premium surcharge of at least 30% is imposed. This is a legal requirement pursuant to Art. 8 of the Health Insurance Ordinance. The surcharge is applied for twice the duration of the delay (maximum 5 years) and is also levied against any family members to be insured.
This gives cross-border commuters from neighbouring countries – generally Germany, Austria, France or Italy – a one-off right to choose: you can decide within three months of starting work in Switzerland whether you want to be insured in Switzerland pursuant to the Health Insurance Act (KVG) or to apply for an exemption so you can keep your health insurance in your home country. The decision is usually final and applies to all family members to be insured.
That depends on your place of residence. An up-to-date list about the right to choose can be found on the website of the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG under “Versicherungspflicht und Optionsrecht”.
Applications for exemption from the Swiss insurance obligation must be submitted in writing to the canton where your employer is based. As a rule, you and any non-working family members must exercise your right to choose as a single unit.
If you are employed in Switzerland, your non-working dependants are also subject to the Swiss insurance obligation (except in cases where there is a separate right to choose, e.g. in Germany). This includes minors, adults in education and non-working spouses. The insurance obligation does not apply to the parent who is employed in the home country, unemployed people or pension recipients.
The following health insurance costs are incurred by cross-border commuters: You pay the premium every month. It applies regardless of your healthcare costs. The deductible is CHF 300.– per year. You pay this fixed amount yourself for healthcare costs. Once your deductible has been used up, you pay a 10% excess. This amount is limited to CHF 700.– per year. There is an additional daily hospital cost contribution of CHF 15.– for inpatient hospital stays. Co-payments only apply to treatments in Switzerland.
You have a free choice of doctor for outpatient treatment (e.g. a visit to the doctor or a procedure in hospital without an overnight stay).
For inpatient treatment, you have a free choice of hospitals in Switzerland from those that are included on the cantonal lists of hospitals. You are insured up to the tariff of the canton in which you work or are a weekly resident. You also pay an additional contribution of CHF 15.– per day in hospital.
You have to pay an annual deductible of CHF 300.– yourself. After that, we will cover the costs – you pay a 10% excess per invoice, up to a maximum of CHF 700.– per year.
If this relates to a framework employment contract with a regular job, you will continue to be insured.
If you are no longer working in Switzerland, you must notify us immediately – in writing or by telephone. Your insurance obligation in Switzerland also ceases at this point. You will then have to take out insurance in your country of residence. However, if you still receive unemployment benefit from Switzerland, you will remain insured in Switzerland until you stop drawing this – please send us proof of this.
Good to know: if you cease gainful employment and retire immediately, you will remain subject to compulsory insurance in Switzerland, as long as you do not receive a pension from your country of residence. In this case, we recommend that you contact us to check your insurance obligation.
You will only remain insured with us during this period; your insurance obligation will then lapse. Contact us shortly before your last day of work – in writing or by phone – so that we can terminate your insurance properly. If you do not contact us until after this point, your insurance coverage will still be terminated retroactively from the last working day. However, any treatment you received after the end of your employment may not be covered.
If you change employer without interrupting your employment in Switzerland, you will remain insured. In this case, please notify us of your new employer.
We're here to help.