House move: health insurance & other insurance

Health insurance and other insurance: What you need to remember when moving house

Moving house usually involves a lot of anticipation, but also stress. In addition to packing boxes, a number of administrative tasks need to be dealt with, including in relation to your health insurance and other insurance. By following these tips, you will be able to deal with everything quickly and simply. And you may even save money when doing so.

Inform your providers of health insurance and other insurance about your new address in good time. This means you can make sure that your policies are delivered to the right place and your insurance cover continues without interruption. With V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a you can change your address conveniently online.
Moving house is an ideal opportunity to check your insurance cover. For example, if the size of the living area or the value of your household contents changes, your insurance cover will need to be adjusted.
Premiums for basic and top-up insurance may change depending upon your place of residence. Check your new premiums and find out whether there is scope for any savings – for example under an alternative insurance model or with a higher deductible.

The right insurance solutions – before, while and after you move house

From basic insurance through to household contents insurance – as an all-lines insurer V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a offers comprehensive protection for the period before, while and after you move house.

Think about your health and top-up insurance premiums when you are moving

Are you changing your place of residence or even canton? If so, then it is possible that the premiums for your basic and top-up insurance may change in addition to your address. You should therefore check your new premiums at an early stage. This means you can avoid surprises and perhaps even save on your insurance costs.

The most important tips on health insurance when moving house

Report change of address in good time
Inform your health insurer at least two weeks before you move. This means that all documents and benefits will be allocated correctly.
Compare premiums and insurance models
Price and availability of insurance models – such as general practitioner, HMO or telemedicine model. This is why comparing is worth it.
Check cover
Consider whether your top-up insurance (e.g. for hospital or dental treatment) is still right for your new life situation.
Change choice of practice and physician
If you are insured under a general practitioner or HMO model, you should obtain information concerning available general practitioners and HMO centres at the new place of residence at an early stage. The V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a general-practitioner-search can help you do so.
The new premiums apply from the date you move house
The new premiums are valid from the date you move house. You will either need to pay the difference or the difference will be credited to you.
Check savings options
Whether by opting for a high deductible, a family discount or an economy model, there are many ways of lowering your health insurance premium. Find out now about our savings tips.

Mandatory health insurance provides you with sound basic medical care that is reliable and comprehensive.

Covers the most important medical treatment
Identical benefits throughout Switzerland – irrespective of place of residence
Amount of premium dependent upon premium region, deductible and insurance model

Upgrade your basic insurance with additional outpatient cover to ensure more flexibility and personal care.

Closes gaps in basic insurance
Optical aids, gym memberships, travel insurance & more
Premium dependent on place of residence, age and pre-existing conditions

Ideal for anyone wanting smart insurance: Close gaps in basic insurance with the S package and benefit from contributions for medication, vaccinations and check-ups.

Included for eight weeks per trip
- Vaccinations and check-ups
- Medication
- Alternative medicine up to CHF 1,000 per year
- Only if prescribed by a doctor
- General ward (without free choice of physician)

Ideal for anyone wanting more. The M package gives you higher contributions and more benefits. You also benefit for instance from contributions for glasses or greater comfort in hospital.

Included for eight weeks per trip
- Vaccinations and check-ups
- Medication
- Glasses/contact lenses
- Teeth (treatment and corrective work)
- Maternity/pregnancy
- Alternative medicine CHF 4,000 per year
- possible without a medical prescription
- Semi-private/private selectable
- Free choice of physician
- With cost contribution
- Lump-sum birth benefit included

Ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to compromise: The complete package including psychotherapy and high or even unlimited contributions to your costs.

- Included for eight weeks per trip
- Vaccinations and check-ups
- Medication
- Glasses/contact lenses
- Teeth (treatment and corrective work)
- Maternity/pregnancy
- Psychotherapy
- Alternative medicine up to CHF 10,000 per year
- possible without a medical prescription
- Semi-private/private selectable
- Free choice of physician
- With cost contribution
- Lump-sum birth benefit included

The right protection for your belongings

Did you leave a crack in the sink of your old flat or damage a mirror while you were moving? Moving house also affects household contents and personal liability insurance, and that applies not only for any damage. You should also review the insurance cover for your new home, especially if you make new purchases or have realised the dream of owning your own home.

The most important tips on property insurance when moving house:

Report change of address
Inform your insurer about your new address in good time. This means your cover will continue seamlessly and you will be properly issued with all documentation.
Adjust household contents insurance
If the size of the living area or the value of your furniture changes, you should check the insured sum. This means you can insure any new items in good time.
Maintain personal liability cover
Your personal liability cover extends to your new home. However, check whether members of the household are insured separately or need to be combined within a single policy (e.g. as a couple or within a house in multiple occupation).
Secure your own home
Buildings insurance provides you with reliable protection against expensive damage to the fabric of the building. This insurance is mandatory in some cantons. Even if it is not mandatory, buildings insurance is highly recommended.
Check additional cover
Additional cover under household contents insurance may make sense for particularly valuable items (e.g. jewellery, musical instruments or sporting equipment) or to provide additional protection (e.g. theft of e-bikes).
Benefit from combo discount
Take out household contents, personal liability and buildings insurance with V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a and save 10% on the premium.

Personal liability insurance is voluntary in Switzerland, although most people have a policy. This is because accidents can quickly end up costing a lot.

Comprehensive protection in relation to personal injury, damage to property and animal injury caused by you to a third party
Freely selectable insured sum: CHF 5,000,000 or CHF 10,000,000
Your pets are also insured

Household contents insurance protects your belongings from damage caused by natural hazards, fire or theft.

The insurance covers furniture, clothing, jewellery, electronic devices such as televisions or laptops, smartphones, sports equipment and pets
Individual insured sum possible
Compensation at replacement value

Dispute with the old building manager or the new neighbours? Legal protection insurance provides fast, straightforward help with legal disputes.

Support in relation to private, business and health-related disputes
Cover for the costs of lawyers, courts, expert’s reports and mediation
Worldwide cover
Free legal information over the phone with JurLine

Comprehensive protection for your home – against fire, water and natural hazards.

Cost coverage in the event of damage to buildings due to fire, water, storms or hail
Cover for natural hazards and weather-related damage
Optional cover for glass breakage, loss of rental income and building systems
Quick and straightforward settlement of claims

Inform your car and travel insurers about your move

The rule is the same for car and travel insurance: Report your new address in good time so that you receive all documents in the right place. Ideally you should do this in advance at the same time as you update your address for other insurance policies.

The most important tips on car and travel insurance when moving house

Submit proof of insurance to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office
If you notify your car insurance provider of your new address, it will report it to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office. Most cantons require you to report changes of address within 14 days.
Re-register your vehicle if you change of canton
Your vehicle has to be re-registered if you move to a new canton. You can get the necessary information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Office in the canton concerned.
Car insurance is maintained when you move house
Your car insurance remains valid even with a new numberplate. Moving house within Switzerland is not grounds for cancellation. You are allowed to cancel your insurance outside the termination period if you move abroad.
Check travel insurance
The main task as regards travel insurance is to update your address. However, you should still take advantage of the opportunity to check your travel insurance cover too.

Well protected when things don’t go according to plan, with a guaranteed fixed premium and flexible additional options such as breakdown assistance, parking damage cover and legal protection for traffic-related disputes.

Fixed premium without no-claims-bonus system
Customer-friendly one-year contracts
Fast claims handling
Gross negligence included in all insurance packages
Generous compensation in the event of total loss

Safe on the road, whatever happens. Valid worldwide. Whether you’ve come down with food poisoning after a street food festival, had an accident on a scooter in Vietnam or become involved in a troublesome legal dispute with the person renting you a finca in Ibiza – with our travel insurance you’re well protected in any eventuality.

Worldwide protection in the event of illness, accident or emergency
Flexible rates for individual trips or full-year cover
Vacanza assistance: 24-hour immediate assistance service
Included free of charge in S, M and L health packages

Check your pension as well in your new life situation

What does moving house have to do with your retirement pension? Quite a lot. It often comes with a change in life circumstances and financial priorities. Perhaps you need capital to renovate your house or need to purchase new furniture. This might involve retirement planning being put on ice for a moment. This is precisely why you should review your pension situation when moving house.

The most important tips on your pension when moving house

Review pension strategy
Moving house impacts your budget. It’s absolutely essential to ask what that means for your current pension strategy and how you might potentially adapt it. It is worth talking to an expert – for instance during a V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a consultation.
Avoid pension gaps
Even if you require capital at short notice, you should make sure that no pension gaps arise over the long term. One way of doing this is to take advantage of the options offered by a private pension plan (Pillar 3a).
Use tax advantages
Bear in mind that, when saving for a pension, you are not only investing in a future free of concerns but can also save tax.

Save for your retirement and also save tax with a 3a account.

The amount you pay in each year is tax-deductible
Choose between an account at Berner Kantonalbank BEKB or Liberty Pension Ltd
Large selection of various investment strategies

Exceptions and special cases

If children move out of the parents’ home, they need to take out their own health insurance policies. This has implications for both the parents and the children:

Parents and children

both lose the family discount if there is only one child left on the parents’ policy.

The children who are moving out

get their own policy, which differs depending on the canton and place of residence.
Check which insurance you require now. It also depends on the living arrangements. Household contents insurance may already be in place for a house in multiple occupation, or if you move in with your partner you may both need to take out certain types of insurance jointly.

Providers of health insurance and other insurance (household contents, personal liability etc.) need to be informed of the move in good time to ensure uninterrupted cover.

In relation to health insurance,

avoid any surprises by checking your new premiums before you move.
Tip: Find out whether you are entitled to a premium reduction.

For other types of insurance such as household contents or liability insurance,

check whether you would like to adjust or reduce insurance cover.
Here too it is important to notify your insurer of your new address in order to ensure that cover remains in place.

In many cases, the obligation to have mandatory health insurance ends when you leave Switzerland. However, there are exceptions, for instance if you are working abroad for a Swiss company for up to a maximum of two years.

We have put together more detailed information concerning health insurance schemes, insurance and emigration for you on the page «health insurance for Swiss citizens abroad».

Your advantages at a glance

When you are moving house, it is the perfect time to check your insurance cover
Comprehensive cover – no matter where in Switzerland you live
A wide range of insurance from a single source: from health and household contents insurance to pension provision
Combo discounts and flexible models
Quick calculation of benefits and reimbursement

Useful services for you

If you have moved house, let us know your new address quickly and easily – via the form, in the myVisana customer portal, or directly in the app. This ensures that your details are always up to date.

In V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a’s digital bonus programme myPoints, we help you to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine and reward you with up to CHF 120 per year.

Frequently asked questions on insurance and moving house

No, your health insurance fund is not automatically notified of your change of residence. You need to inform your health insurance fund of your new address in plenty of time. As a V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a customer, the easiest way to do this is to use the myVisana customer portal or the V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a app. That way, you can make sure that all documents and premium invoices are delivered to the right place.

You do not have to change health insurance fund if you are moving to a new address in Switzerland. Your compulsory basic insurance is unaffected. However, you need to inform your health insurer of your new address.

Your premiums may also change when you move house because they vary by canton of residence and premium region. Furthermore, not all insurance models (e.g. VIVA) are available in all cantons or you may find that your existing model no longer meets your needs in your new place of residence. It may be worthwhile changing your health insurer if the premiums in your new region are significantly higher or if you want to switch your insurance model.

No, your new address will not be automatically communicated to your health insurance fund if you move. Neither Swiss Post nor the Residents’ Register Office will forward your new details.

You will therefore have to notify your health insurer of your new address yourself. If you are a V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a customer, you can do this easily online or using our myVisana customer portal. You will find more information on the Notify change of address page.

Change your address early on. Doing so ensures that your premium invoices, policies and information continue to be delivered to the right place and your insurance cover continues without interruption.

Yes, you have to terminate your health insurance if you leave Switzerland permanently because you are no longer subject to the country’s compulsory insurance requirement. To cancel your insurance, your insurer will need the official certificate of departure issued by your commune of residence or proof of your new residence abroad.

In some cases, such as if you are spending only a limited period abroad, you can keep your insurance cover under certain conditions.

You will find more information on the page Health insurance for Swiss citizens abroad.

While your insurance contract generally continues when you move house, whether or not you change general practitioner or HMO depends on your new place of residence:

General practitioner model: If your existing general practitioner’s surgery is still within easy access after you have moved, you can generally stay with the same doctor.
HMO model: Your HMO practice has to be nearby. If you move to a different region, you may have to change HMO so that you can continue to get comprehensive care near to your new home.

It is best to give V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a plenty of notice of your move. We will check if you need to switch and help you find a suitable practice near to your new home. V⁠i⁠s⁠a⁠n⁠a’s general practitioner search feature also provides a way of finding general practitioners and group practices in your new place of residence in just a few clicks.