Are you planning on emigrating? We have some tips for your health insurance

For some, emigrating is a long-held dream. But it involves a lot of organisation. Contact us in good time so that we can start making all the important arrangements.

What happens with my basic insurance?

When you leave Switzerland your health insurance situation can change. Special contractual or statutory provisions apply to insured people who live, reside or work abroad on a permanent basis.

Whether you’re still obliged to have health insurance in Switzerland once you’ve taken up residence abroad depends on a variety of factors:

  • Country you’re moving to (EU/EFTA states, third countries)
  • Earnings situation (e.g. place of work, pension)
  • Personal status (e.g on secondment, cross-border commuter)

Please contact us in good time so that we can make sure you continue to have insurance cover in compliance with the law in the future.

What happens with your supplementary insurance?

If you’re subject to the mandatory health insurance requirement and have your legal domicile in Switzerland, you can continue your supplementary insurance cover for a maximum of 12 months after leaving the country. Your supplementary insurance cover expires once you’ve spent more than 12 months abroad. The same applies if you aren’t subject to the compulsory insurance requirement or don't have a legal domicile in Switzerland.

Suspending supplementary insurance plans

If you intend to return to Switzerland within six years you can apply for your supplementary insurance to be suspended. In this case your supplementary cover will be put on hold and you will pay a special premium (30% of your current premium) for your suspended insurance. You can reactivate it at a later date when you return to Switzerland without another health check.

Conditions

  • Minimum suspension period: 3 months
  • Maximum suspension period: 6 years up to the age of 70
  • No ongoing claims

Your basic health insurance, however, cannot be suspended if you emigrate or spend a period abroad. If you’d like to suspend your supplementary health insurance the easiest thing is to get in touch with us.

Entitlement to transfer

If you leave Switzerland for more than 12 months or move your legal domicile abroad, you have the option of taking out equivalent international insurance cover without a health check.

International health insurance

To be able to offer you a comprehensive insurance solution when you live abroad, we’ve entered into a partnership with ASN, Advisory Services Network AG, a provider specialising in international insurance solutions.

ASN has many years of experience in dealing with the best hospitals and doctors around the world and offers you many other benefits:

  • Admission without a risk assessment if you already hold supplementary outpatient or inpatient insurance with Sanitas (restrictions will be carried over)
  • Free choice of doctors and hospitals
  • Hospitalisation worldwide in the private ward
  • Lifelong insurance cover
  • Free medical advice on the phone, second medical opinions and worldwide concierge service
  • Additional options such as dental treatment and eye care, medical evacuation and repatriation

Please contact ASN directly if you wish to benefit from this option to transfer. Don’t forget to mention that you were insured with Sanitas.

ASN, Advisory Services Network AG
Bederstrasse 51
Postfach 1585
8027 Zürich

043 399 89 89

info@asn.ch

Instant advice

Our customer advisors are familiar with the requirements of cross-border commuters. Give us a call to arrange a non-binding consultation:

Calls from Switzerland:

0800 22 88 44

Calls from abroad:

0800 22 88 44 22

Outside Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein:

+41 44 298 64 90

Sanitas magazine: Spotlight on health-related issues