Before you start

Completed Anmeldung at your commune
Swiss address
Residence permit or registration confirmation

Step-by-step

1
Complete your Anmeldung first
The three-month clock runs from your registration date, so the two deadlines are linked. Registering late compresses the time you have to choose insurance.
In personWho: YouWithin 14 days of arrival
2
Compare basic insurance offers
Basic KVG cover is identical by law across all insurers — the benefits do not vary. Only the price, the service and the model differ, so comparison is purely on cost and convenience.
OnlineWho: You
3
Choose your deductible (franchise)
You select an annual deductible, from a low option with high premiums to a high option with low premiums. Choosing the highest deductible is the standard move for healthy adults and saves substantially.
OnlineWho: You
4
Pick an insurance model
Standard, Telmed (call a hotline first), HMO or family-doctor models. The restricted models are noticeably cheaper and mostly change who you contact first, not what's covered.
OnlineWho: You
5
Enrol within three months of registering
Cover then backdates to your arrival, so you are never uninsured. Any medical costs incurred before enrolment are reimbursed under the backdated policy.
OnlineWho: YouWithin 3 months of AnmeldungCommonly CHF 350–550 per month for an adult
6
Add supplementary cover if you want it
Supplementary (VVG) policies cover private hospital rooms, dental and alternative medicine. Unlike basic cover, these are risk-rated and can decline you — apply while healthy if you want them.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Registration confirmation from your commune
Residence permit or application receipt
Swiss address
Passport

Things most newcomers don’t know

Basic cover is legally identical everywhere, so price is the only variable.

Insurers cannot differentiate the benefits of basic KVG. That means comparison shopping is unusually rational here — you are buying exactly the same product, and the spread between cheapest and most expensive is large.

Source: Gemeinsame Einrichtung KVG — compulsory insurance

Miss the three-month deadline and you lose the choice, not the cost.

The canton assigns you to an insurer and bills retroactively from your registration date. You end up paying anyway, on a policy you did not select, often at a higher premium than you would have found.

Source: Cantonal health insurance enforcement practice

This is a large personal cost your salary comparison must include.

Newcomers from countries with payroll-funded or employer-provided health cover routinely omit CHF 400+ a month per adult — and per child — from their budget. For a family it is a significant share of the apparent Swiss salary premium.

Source: Standard Swiss premium ranges, Zurich canton

Take supplementary cover while you're healthy or not at all.

Basic insurance must accept everyone, but supplementary policies are underwritten and can refuse you. If you want private hospital or dental cover, apply on arrival rather than after a diagnosis.

Source: Swiss insurance practice, VVG policies

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming your employer provides health insurance — it does not.
Missing the three-month window and being assigned an insurer with retroactive premiums.
Comparing Swiss salaries without subtracting compulsory premiums for every family member.
Choosing a low deductible by default when a high one suits most healthy adults.
Leaving supplementary cover until you need it, when underwriting can decline you.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.