How to cancel health insurance in Switzerland
You can't simply cancel basic health insurance in Switzerland, because everyone who lives here has to have it. What you can do is leave your insurer to join another one, or end the cover when you leave the country. This guide has the deadlines, a letter template and the law behind each step.
· 9 min read
The short version
- To switch insurer for 1 January 2027, your notice has to reach your current insurer by Monday 30 November 2026.
- If you are leaving Switzerland, the insurance ends on your deregistration date, and at the latest on the day you leave.
- Supplementary insurance is a separate contract with its own notice period. Your insurer can't force you to cancel it when you switch basic insurance.
- Cancelling without a replacement while you still live here leads to a surcharge of 30 to 50% of your premium.
Can you cancel at all?
Anyone who lives in Switzerland has to take out basic insurance within three months of moving in (KVG Art. 3). So there are only three good reasons to end a policy: you are switching to another insurer, you are leaving the country, or your insurer can no longer cover you. That last case happens when it loses its licence, or when you move or change jobs and have to leave an insurer tied to your employer.
Cancelling without a replacement while you still live here is a mistake. The law treats it as joining late, so cover only starts on the day you sign up again (KVG Art. 5). On top of that you pay a surcharge of 30 to 50% of your premium for twice as long as the delay lasted, up to five years (KVV Art. 8).
Which deadline applies to you?
| Situation | Deadline | Cover ends | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switching after the new premiums are announced | Notice must reach the insurer by the end of November | 31 December | KVG Art. 7(2) |
| Switching with the usual three months' notice, year end | By 30 September | 31 December | KVG Art. 7(1) |
| Switching mid-year (standard deductible and free choice of doctor only) | By 31 March | 30 June | KVG Art. 7(1) |
| Lowering your deductible, joining a bonus insurance, or switching insurer while you have a chosen deductible | Same notice periods, but only at year end | 31 December | KVV Art. 94(2) |
| Moving to a higher deductible | Nothing to send to the old insurer. It only works from the start of a calendar year, and insurers set their own cut-off, usually in December | 1 January | KVV Art. 94(1) |
| You have to leave your insurer because you move or change job | No notice period | The day you move or start the new job | KVG Art. 7(3) |
| Your insurer stops offering social health insurance | None | When its licence ends | KVG Art. 7(4) |
| You leave Switzerland for good | None | The reported deregistration date, at the latest the day you actually leave | KVV Art. 7(3) |
About the mid-year row: the federal premium site says that only people with the standard deductible of CHF 300 and free choice of doctor can end their insurance on 30 June, with notice reaching the insurer by 31 March. Higher deductibles, restricted provider models and bonus policies don't allow a mid-year switch (priminfo FAQ).
Insurers have to tell you the new approved premium at least two months before it takes effect, and they have to point out your right to switch (KVG Art. 7(2)). For 2027 the average premium is CHF 412 a month, up 5.0%. For adults the average is CHF 487.60. Your insurer has to send your exact figure by the end of October (federal health office, press release of 29 September 2026). Our 2027 premium guide has the figures for every canton.
What counts as on time
The deadline is about arrival, not posting. Your notice has to be in the insurer's hands by 30 November, so the postmark won't save you. The federal premium site recommends registered mail around mid-November (priminfo). The law doesn't require it, but a registered receipt settles any argument about dates.
Your old insurance doesn't end until the new insurer tells it that you are covered without a gap (KVG Art. 7(5)). If the new insurer forgets, it has to pay you the damage, including the premium difference. The same applies to your old insurer if it blocks the switch (KVG Art. 7(6)).
Unpaid bills stop you. If you owe premiums, co-payments, default interest or collection costs, you can't change insurer until everything is paid (KVG Art. 64a(6)). Pay first, then send your notice. If the only arrears are for your children, you can still switch.
You don't have to worry about being turned down. Basic insurance has no health questions, and insurers have to accept everyone.
Letter template
Send it by registered mail and keep the receipt. Sign up with the new insurer at the same time. The new insurer then tells the old one that you are covered (KVG Art. 7(5)). The priminfo site also has official sample letters.
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Supplementary insurance
Your insurer can't force you to cancel supplementary policies when you change basic insurance (KVG Art. 7(7)). It also can't cancel them just because you switched (KVG Art. 7(8)). Supplementary policies are private contracts with their own notice periods. Some run for several years with a six-month notice period (priminfo FAQ), so read the terms. If you want to keep one, say so in your letter.
One piece of practical advice, which is our suggestion and not a legal rule: if you plan to take new supplementary cover with the new insurer, get their written decision before you cancel the old policy. Supplementary insurance can involve health questions, and you don't want to end up with neither. Our premium guide covers this in more detail.
If you are leaving Switzerland
For foreign nationals with a residence permit, basic insurance ends on the day of your reported departure from the commune, and in any case on the day you actually leave (KVV Art. 7(3)). So you don't cancel in the usual sense, but you should still do these things:
- Deregister with your commune. The federal foreign affairs department says this is required if you will be abroad for more than three months, give up your home and don't plan to come back soon (EDA).
- Send your insurer the deregistration confirmation and ask for the end date in writing.
- Pay any open bills and ask for a final statement.
- Find out whether an exception applies to you. People who keep working in Switzerland while living in an EU or EFTA country or the UK, and cross-border commuters, can stay subject to Swiss insurance (KVG Art. 4a, KVV Art. 7(4)). Your insurer can tell you which rule fits.
- Arrange cover in your new country. Outside the EU and EFTA, Swiss insurance usually covers emergencies only (EDA).
Our guide to leaving Switzerland covers pensions, 3a, taxes and customs.
Mistakes that cost people a year
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Notice arrives on 1 December | You can't switch until the following year | Send it by mid-November |
| Cancelling without new cover while you stay | Late-joining surcharge of 30 to 50% for up to five years | Sign the new contract first |
| Open reminders at the old insurer | The switch is blocked | Pay everything, then give notice |
| Assuming the supplementary policy ends too | A gap in cover, or double premiums | Check each policy on its own |
| Not naming the new deductible | You may stay at the old level | State the deductible in the new application |
FAQ
What is the deadline to cancel health insurance in Switzerland for 2027?
Your written notice has to reach your insurer by Monday 30 November 2026 for the switch on 1 January 2027. What counts is the day the insurer receives it, not the postmark.
Can I cancel basic health insurance in the middle of the year?
Only in limited cases. With the standard CHF 300 deductible and free choice of doctor you can switch on 1 July if your notice reaches the insurer by 31 March. You can also leave if you move or change employer and have to leave your insurer, or if your insurer stops offering the cover. Otherwise the next date is 31 December.
Do I have to cancel my health insurance when I leave Switzerland?
Basic insurance ends on your deregistration date, and at the latest on the day you actually leave. Tell your insurer anyway, send the deregistration confirmation and ask for the end date in writing.
Will I lose my supplementary insurance if I switch basic insurer?
Not automatically. Your insurer may not force you to cancel supplementary policies when you change basic insurance, and it may not cancel them only because you switched (KVG Art. 7). Supplementary policies are separate contracts with their own notice periods.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
You stay with your current insurer for another year, unless one of the special cases applies, such as a move, a change of employer or an insurer that stops offering the cover.
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