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Expatriates · new residents · cross-border commuters
The Swiss system, explained in your language
People arriving in Ticino find an insurance system unlike any other in Europe: compulsory, private, chosen individually and governed by strict deadlines. We support you from day one, so that you do not have to learn it alone.
An international region
You are not an exception: you are almost a third of the canton
foreign residents in Ticino, 29.4% of the population (31.12.2024).
arrivals from abroad recorded in Ticino during 2024.
different nationalities live together in the city of Lugano alone.
the statutory deadline for taking out cover with a Swiss health insurer after taking up residence.
Sources: Statistical Office of the Canton of Ticino, City of Lugano, art. 3 para. 1 LAMal/KVG and art. 7 para. 8 of the Ordinance on Health Insurance (OAMal/KVV).
The path
From arrival to everyday life
Each stage has its deadlines. We know them and remind you of them before they become a problem.
Before you leave
Review of the cover in your country of origin, continuity of health cover during the move, travel insurance and transport of your belongings.
The first three months
Registration for basic health insurance for the whole household, choice of deductible and model, and an application for a premium reduction subsidy if you are entitled to one.
Settling in
Household contents insurance, private liability insurance, legal expenses insurance, vehicle, driving licence and — if you have taxable income in Switzerland — pillar 3a.
Returning or moving on
What to do with your 2nd pillar, your pillar 3a and your existing policies when you leave Switzerland, so that you do not lose the rights you have built up.
The real questions
Where people get lost
These are not technical details: they are the decisions that, if taken badly in the first months, stay with you for years.
Health insurance is not what it is in your country
In Switzerland it is compulsory, individual — including for newborns — and the responsibility of each person, not of the employer. The premium does not depend on income but on age, canton and premium region. Premiums in Ticino are the highest in the country: the choice of insurer, deductible and model is worth several thousand francs a year for a family.
Supplementary cover is taken out on arrival, not later
Supplementary insurance (LCA/VVG) involves a health questionnaire and there is no obligation to accept: with age, or after a diagnosis, exclusions, restrictions or a refusal may follow. Those who arrive in good health have a window of opportunity that is better not wasted.
Cross-border commuters and the right of option
Anyone who works in Ticino and lives in Italy, France, Germany or Austria may apply for exemption from the LAMal/KVG obligation within three months of the start of the validity of their G permit. The choice binds the entire household and is, as a rule, irrevocable: it should be made with the figures on the table.
Pillar 3 reduces withholding tax
People taxed at source (withholding tax, impôt à la source) can claim their pillar 3a contributions: up to CHF 7'258 a year if they belong to a pension fund. If gross income exceeds CHF 120'000, subsequent ordinary assessment applies, with a tax return due by 31 March of the following year.
The car you bring with you
A vehicle may be imported duty-free as removal goods if it has been used abroad for at least six months, and must be registered in Switzerland within a year. A foreign driving licence must be converted within twelve months. The claims record from your previous insurer saves you money on the premium.
When you leave
The vested benefits of the 2nd pillar cannot be paid out in cash if you move to an EU/EFTA state and remain subject to compulsory pension insurance there: the mandatory portion stays blocked on a vested benefits account. Pillar 3a and life policies follow different rules again.
What we actually do
One point of contact for the whole family
We look after you in Italian, Portuguese and German — and in French for day-to-day meetings; in English we handle written correspondence and documentation. We do not translate a meeting: we hold it in your language, from the analysis to the handling of a claim.
- Registration of the whole household with a health insurer, within the statutory deadlines.
- Written comparison of at least three insurers, with the actual premiums for each family member.
- Check of entitlement to the cantonal premium reduction subsidy (RIPAM).
- Basic everyday cover: household contents, private liability, legal expenses insurance.
- Pension and tax analysis of pillar 3a for people taxed at source.
- Assistance in the event of a claim, with the forms and correspondence handled by us.
- Preparation of your file if you leave Switzerland.
Portuguese is an advisory language in its own right: the Portuguese-speaking community is the second largest in the Canton after the Italian-speaking one. Official communications from Swiss insurers and authorities remain in the language of the canton: we translate them and go through them with you.
Frequently asked questions
What new arrivals in Ticino often ask
My employer does not provide me with health insurance. Is that normal?
Yes. In Switzerland basic health insurance is a personal obligation, not a company benefit: every member of the family, newborns included, must have their own policy. The employer instead insures occupational accidents and, if you work at least eight hours a week, non-occupational accidents as well.
Can I choose any health insurer?
For basic insurance, yes: every insurer must accept you, with no health questionnaire and no exclusions, and by law they all provide the same benefits. What changes is the premium, which can vary by more than ninety francs a month from one insurer to another in the same region. For supplementary insurance, by contrast, the insurer may refuse you or impose restrictions.
My children attend an international school. Does that change anything?
Not for basic health insurance: the obligation applies to every person domiciled in Switzerland. What does change are the additional needs — school liability, accidents during sporting activities, cover for study trips and sometimes cancellation insurance for the fees. We review them with you.
How long does it take to put everything in order?
A first meeting of about an hour, the time needed to gather your existing policies and residence documents, and generally two weeks for the complete file. Urgent registrations — health insurance in particular — are dealt with as a priority.
Do you also work with people who do not speak Italian?
It is an important part of our work. Advice and the handling of claims take place in Italian, Portuguese or German; in French we handle meetings and correspondence, and in English written correspondence. The website and the summary documents exist in five languages.
Welcome to Ticino
Let's start with the first three things to do
Tell us when you are arriving and with whom. We reply with a written plan and the deadlines to meet.