What insurance do you need to have in Switzerland?

The deductible is the amount you pay yourself each year before your health insurance covers your healthcare costs. Basically, the higher the deductible, the lower the premium.

You can choose between free choice of doctor and economic models such as the Telmed model. With economic models, you can save up to 25% compared to free choice of doctor. But be aware that economic models are not available everywhere and offer a limited choice of doctors.

With cost-saving models, if you have health problems, you must first contact an insurance contact point, your family doctor, or an HMO practice (known as the “gatekeeper” principle). They will coordinate your treatment and refer you to a specialist or hospital if necessary.

If you have just moved to Switzerland, you must take out compulsory health insurance for each person within three months of registering with the local authority. Children and newborns must also be insured, as there is no “family insurance” in Switzerland.

Insurance coverage is valid retroactively from the day you register. As the insurance premium is usually several hundred francs per month, it is best to take out insurance as soon as possible.

It depends on your needs. As the offers from different insurance companies vary greatly, it is a good idea to seek advice from someone. Below, we give you just an overview of the main supplementary insurance policies.

Tip: Unlike basic insurance, health insurance companies can refuse to provide you with supplementary insurance because of a previous illness. So make sure you take it out while you are still healthy.

• Outpatient supplementary insurance (supplementary insurance for medical care): This is the most popular option, as it covers lots of small expenses that add up. It mainly includes visual aids, prevention and fitness, as well as emergency transport.
   
• Complementary medicine: This supplementary insurance is worthwhile if you want to use alternative healing methods such as acupuncture, osteopathy, or homeopathy, which are not included in the basic insurance benefits catalog.
   
• Dental insurance: Dental insurance is recommended for children due to the high cost of dental corrections. For adults, this supplementary insurance is generally not worthwhile due to its high cost.
   
• Supplementary hospital insurance: Supplementary hospital insurance offers greater comfort and guarantees free choice of doctor in Switzerland and abroad. It is particularly useful for commuters who travel between several cantons, as well as for people who prefer specialist clinics.
   
• Coverage abroad: For those who travel a lot, travel and vacation insurance supplements are worthwhile, as basic insurance only covers twice the Swiss costs abroad. This is often not enough, especially in the United States and Canada.

Third-party driver insurance is useful if you occasionally borrow motor vehicles from friends or acquaintances who have comprehensive insurance. If you accidentally cause damage to the vehicle, third-party driver insurance covers the deductible as well as any premium increases related to the damage under the vehicle insurance (known as “bonus losses”).

As third-party driver insurance only covers the deductible and additional costs associated with the damaged vehicle's insurance, only damage covered by this insurance is covered. Basically, if the vehicle does not have comprehensive insurance, dents and scratches are not covered. In general, only comprehensive insurance covers dents and scratches that you cause to your own vehicle.

Important: Third-party driver insurance does not usually cover vehicles belonging to people who live with you. In addition, vehicles registered in the name of a company are often excluded from insurance coverage. This also includes vehicles from car-sharing providers, such as Mobility. So, if, for example, your colleague has rented their car through their company, your third-party driver insurance will generally not cover the damage.

Fast e-bikes that can reach speeds of up to 45 km/h require a yellow license plate and vehicle liability insurance. Slow e-bikes and e-scooters, which can reach speeds of up to 25 km/h, can often be covered by private liability insurance.

Check carefully that your private liability insurance actually covers damage caused to third parties by an electric bike or scooter. Also make sure that your policy includes protection against gross negligence. With the “simple theft outdoors” option in your household insurance, you can also insure electric bikes and scooters that go up to 25 km/h against theft.

Not all private liability insurance policies automatically cover damage caused to third parties by your pet. So make sure that your private liability insurance does indeed cover damage caused by pets. Some providers offer an additional option for this purpose, known as “pet owner liability,” for example. Also make sure that coverage for gross negligence is included for damage caused by dogs.

If you have a dog, check that your private liability insurance complies with the requirements of your canton's dog law. In some cantons, minimum coverage of five million francs is mandatory. In addition, in some cantons, private liability insurance must also cover damage caused by your dog when it is being looked after by someone who is helping you.

Damage you cause to people living with you or to your employer is not covered by private liability insurance. In addition, private liability insurance generally only covers sudden damage. Damage that occurs gradually is not covered.

Here are a few examples: If a bottle of perfume falls into the sink and breaks it, the damage is covered in a rented apartment. However, if a houseplant leaves a black mark on the parquet floor, the damage is not covered because it occurred gradually and could have been prevented.

In the event of damage caused by the tenant, a deductible per claim or per room generally applies: if, for example, you have one or more instances of damage caused by the tenant covered in three rooms when you leave your rented apartment, you will generally have to pay three times the deductible.

If the cat scratches the door frame over a long period of time, the damage is generally not covered. If the cat knocks over a vase that leaves a mark on the parquet floor, the damage is covered.

If, at the time of the claim, only 80% of your property is insured, the insurance will only cover 80% of the claim, as 20% of your property was not insured. It is therefore a good idea to adjust the insured amount regularly.

Example: Someone breaks into your home and steals jewelry and valuables worth CHF 10,000. While processing the claim, it is discovered that your belongings have a total value of CHF 60,000. However, your insurance policy only covered CHF 30,000. Due to the 50% underinsurance, the household insurance only covers CHF 5,000 of the CHF 10,000 in damages.

With household comprehensive insurance, your belongings, such as electrical appliances or sports equipment, are also covered in the event of accidental damage caused by you. If, for example, you accidentally spill coffee on your laptop or break a ski when falling, household comprehensive insurance will cover the damage. As the insurance premium is high, household insurance is generally not cost-effective.

The distinction between basic and additional coverage varies slightly from one legal protection insurance policy to another. It is therefore best to seek free advice.

If you are often on the road, traffic legal protection insurance may be useful. It helps you in the event of legal disputes related to accidents and other events that occur in road traffic. Some providers already include traffic legal protection in their car insurance. 

For owners of leased or used vehicles, contractual car legal protection insurance may be of interest. It helps you, for example, in the event of defects when purchasing a vehicle, disputes with the garage, problems with leasing contracts or with your car insurance.

For owners of real estate that they do not use themselves, real estate legal protection insurance with integrated legal protection for landlords and lessors can be useful. In Switzerland, no other area of law gives rise to as many disputes as tenancy law. In addition, tenants are generally well protected by law.