Health insurance for students from abroad
What health insurance do foreign students have to take out in Switzerland? What applies to an internship in Switzerland with regard to health insurance? Comparis provides the answers.
11.07.2022
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1. Which health insurance do foreign students need in Switzerland?
As a basic principle, anyone living or working in Switzerland must take out the compulsory basic health insurance. Health insurance companies are required by law to accept every applicant. Therefore, you can freely choose the insurance company for the basic health insurance.
Students from abroad can be exempted from compulsory health insurance in certain cases. The conditions to be met depend on the country of origin. The cantons are responsible for verifying the insurance obligation. An overview of the responsible cantonal authorities is provided by the Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG.
2. Health insurance for students from the EU/EFTA: what rules apply?
Are you studying in Switzerland and do you come from an EU/EFTA country? Is your stay in Switzerland less than three months and you are not working? Then you do not need Swiss health insurance.
Is your stay longer than three months? Then you may apply for exemption from compulsory health insurance under certain conditions. Submit your application within three months of your arrival in Switzerland.
The conditions for exemption from compulsory insurance are:
You are covered by the social security system of your country of residence.
Insurance coverage is equivalent to Swiss basic insurance.
No gainful employment in Switzerland (exceptions for cross-border commuters are possible)
Which treatments are covered by health insurance?
If you would like to be treated in Switzerland, you must present your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You are entitled to medically necessary treatments that you cannot postpone until your return.
With the EHIC, you can be treated under the same conditions as people with Swiss basic insurance. In concrete terms, this means that basic insurance covers the costs of necessary treatments in Switzerland only if they are defined as compulsory benefits of compulsory basic health insurance. An example of a compulsory benefit would be treatments related to pregnancy. On the other hand, most dental treatments are not covered by the basic insurance.
Do I have to contribute to the treatment costs?
All insureds in Switzerland must pay a share of their treatment costs. These out-of-pocket expenses are also payable by persons who are only temporarily staying in Switzerland and who have not taken out basic insurance.
Even if you are exempt from compulsory insurance in Switzerland, you should expect the following out-of-pocket expenses:
A flat rate of CHF 92 per 30 days for adults and CHF 33 for children up to the age of 18. The 30-day period begins with the first day of treatment.
A daily contribution towards the costs of a hospital stay of CHF 15 for persons aged 25 and over.
3. Do students from other countries need health insurance?
Students from countries outside the EU/EFTA can be exempted from compulsory health insurance in certain cases. However, this only applies if your private insurance corresponds to the coverage of the Swiss health insurance. The duration of the exemption is limited to three years. It is possible to apply for an extension for a further three years.
Private insurance rarely corresponds to the coverage of Swiss health insurance companies. Therefore, an exemption from the health insurance obligation for students from outside the EU/EFTA is often not possible. In this case, you must take out insurance with a health insurance company licensed in Switzerland.
4. Which health insurance is worthwhile for foreign students?
In Switzerland, you are free to choose between the various health insurance companies. The benefits covered by basic insurance are the same with all health insurers. The premiums differ depending on the insurance provider, the insurance model and the deductible. In addition, criteria such as age or place of residence determine the amount of the premium. Comparing health insurance providers is worthwhile.
Some health insurance companies offer special student insurance for foreign students. Usually, the co-payment that you would otherwise have to pay after the deductible has been exhausted is not applicable here. In addition, the premiums are cheaper than with basic insurance: with Swica, you pay around CHF 91.70 per month for student insurance up to the age of 25. Normal basic insurance with Swica costs at least CHF 210 per month in the city of Zurich.
Premium reductions in Switzerland
Premium reductions are available for people on low incomes. Check whether you are entitled to a premium reduction.
5. Internship in Switzerland: which health insurance do I need?
In the case of compulsory health insurance, the place-of-employment principle applies. This means that as soon as you work in Switzerland, you must always take out basic insurance.
There are individual exceptions for employees residing in Germany, Austria, France and Italy. To be exempt from compulsory insurance, you must return to your country of residence at least once a week.
Do you come from a country outside the EU/EFTA and are you working in Switzerland for less than three months? Then you may be exempted from compulsory health insurance if your own insurance coverage is equivalent to Swiss basic insurance.
6. By when do I have to register with a Swiss health insurance company?
If you are subject to compulsory insurance, you have three months to register with a Swiss health insurance company. If you fail to meet the deadline, you may be forced to pay for statutory insurance cover, with retroactive effect from the date of entry. If it is a non-excusable delay, there may also be a premium surcharge, and things could get expensive!
7. How does the health insurance end?
As a rule, health insurance ends as soon as you leave Switzerland. You need to de-register from the municipality. Inform your health insurance company about your planned departure date and send the confirmation of de-registration.
8. What do I need to know about the Swiss health insurance system?
The premium is the amount that you must pay the health insurance provider for your cover. Billing is done monthly, semi-annually or annually. You are responsible for paying your premium — it will not be deducted directly from your salary, for example. Premiums vary depending on:
Place of residence of the person
Age of the person
Deductible chosen
Health insurance model
Policyholders have to pay a portion of any medical costs themselves up to a certain amount each year. Basic insurance does not step in to cover the remaining costs until this amount — the deductible — has been exceeded.
You are free to choose the deductible yourself. Deductibles may be between 300 and 2,500 francs per year. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium.
Is your deductible exhausted? Then you have to pay 10% of your further health costs. For adults, the annual coinsurance contributions are capped at 700 francs. The level of the coinsurance depends on the deductible you choose.
Your out-of-pocket expenses with basic insurance are made up of the deductible and the coinsurance. With the minimum deductible, your annual out-of-pocket expenses will therefore be no more than 1,000 francs (CHF 300 + 700). With the maximum deductible, they will be no more than 3,200 francs (CHF 2,500 + 700).
For a hospital stay, there are additional hospital cost contributions of 15 francs per day.
There are different models of basic insurance. The main difference between these health insurance models is who you have to contact first if you're ill. With certain models the insurance premiums are lower.
You can take out supplemental insurance alongside your basic insurance. It pays for treatments and benefits that are not covered by basic insurance.
The benefits covered by supplemental insurance products vary from one provider to another. Unlike basic insurance, applicants may be refused cover for supplemental insurance. The insurer does not have to give a reason.
This article was first published on 11.07.2022
