New to Switzerland or reviewing your coverage? We read the Swiss insurance contracts so you don't have to. We spot the traps sales agents won't mention. We match you with what you actually need — not what someone's trying to sell.

Free · 45 minutes · In English · With Robert or Nicole

Not ready to book? See how a first review works

2,500+ expat households
advised since 2017

45 minutes with Robert. Free.

In English · With or

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We'll send you a short intake form so we understand your needs before we speak.

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Expat Savvy · Zürich · Since 2017

Expat Savvy is an independent, FINMA-registered insurance advisor for expats in Switzerland — health, pension and tax, in plain English.

FINMA Registered broker F01067278 4.8 / 55 Google reviews

After 2,500 household reviews, the same four patterns keep coming back.

Diagnostic

Here's what most expats miss.

Not because expats are uninformed — because these are the things that comparison sites and sales agents don't tell you.

1
The age-curve trap

Some supplementary plans are cheap at 32 and brutal at 55. A plan that costs CHF 180/month when you sign up can climb past CHF 680/month by the time you actually need it. We model the 20-year cost, not the signup price.
2
The three-month deadline

Swiss law requires every new resident to register for basic health insurance (KVG) within three months of arrival. Miss that window and you face a penalty surcharge — often as expensive as the premiums for the uncovered period — and your canton assigns you to an insurer. Most new arrivals don't realise the clock starts on their registration date, not their move-in date.
3
Coverage that pays vs. coverage that fights

Every insurer's brochure looks generous. The real question is which ones actually approve claims, and which ones turn a dental crown into a six-month case-manager dispute. We know which is which because we've filed claims with all of them.
4
We match coverage to your life

There are dozens of supplementary products — semi-private, private, dental, alternative medicine, worldwide cover. Not all of them fit every situation. We look at your actual needs, your plans, and your budget, and recommend only what makes sense for you. Sometimes that means fewer products than you expected. That's not cutting corners — it's precision.

Any of these sound like something you'd want a second opinion on?

See how a first review works

Case notes

Some of the people we've advised.

Three reviews from the last two years. First names only, shared with permission. Every number is the real number.

Priya

Dubai → Zürich, 2022

Priya arrived with the basic insurance her employer's HR had suggested. On review, her franchise was wrong for her usage, and she was one month from the end of the window to add supplementary coverage without a health check. We switched her basic plan and added supplementary before the deadline. She saved CHF 84/month on the change and kept her future options open.

"They spent forty minutes talking me out of switching to the plan I thought I wanted. It was the right call.

Illustrated portrait of Rohan and family

Rohan & family

Mumbai → Zürich, 2019

Four years in, two kids at the ICS, first house in prospect. Rohan was paying into a bank pillar 3a at 1.1% fees and unaware his canton allowed a second deduction for his wife's employer-sponsored plan. We moved the pillar 3a to a lower-fee option and filed the TOU recalculation for two prior tax years. The family recovered CHF 11,400 in overpaid tax.

"We thought tax was a solved problem. It turns out it was just an unreviewed one.

Lucía

Madrid → Zürich, 2018 · freelance, three currencies

Self-employed documentary producer with income in CHF, EUR and USD, and a UK-based pension from an earlier life. Her accountant was treating the UK pension as inaccessible; a comparison site had offered her the maximum supplementary plan. We restructured her 3rd pillar, kept her existing KVG basic, and connected her accountant with a cross-border specialist for the UK pot. Total extra coverage bought: none.

"The first time an insurance conversation has ever felt like a conversation.

We compare 11 Swiss health insurers — CSS, Helsana, Swica, Sanitas, Concordia, Atupri, Sympany, Visana, Assura, Groupe Mutuel, KPT. See the profiles

How a review works

What a first review looks like.

Setting up Swiss insurance for the first time, or reviewing what you already have — the process is the same, in this order.

The demand intake

Right after booking, we email you a short intake form — just arrived or years in Switzerland, your situation, any cover you already hold, what's ahead. So the 45 minutes start prepared, not with paperwork.

We evaluate your situation

Not policies first — your life first. New to Switzerland? We map everything you need to set up, starting with basic health insurance (KVG) inside the three-month deadline. Already settled? We read your lifestyle, plans and expectations against the cover you have. We don't quote anything yet.

The consultation

We answer every question you bring, in plain English. We compare all Swiss insurers on how they'll behave in your situation — age curves, underwriting windows, claim behavior — and if you already hold contracts, we read them line by line. No product pitch.

Your Private Client Report

Within 3 working days you receive your Private Client Report — a written, in-depth analysis: your situation, how we evaluated it, costs at a glance, and our recommendation with the reasoning behind each choice. What to set up, what to keep, where you save — including on tax. For those already covered, sometimes it says "keep what you have." The report is yours either way.

45 minutes. By video or in our Zürich office. Free. No obligation to change anything.

See a sample Private Client Report

Book your first Swiss insurance review

Why you can trust us

Independent by law, not by claim.

Comparison sites are paid by the insurers they feature. Captive brokers represent a single carrier. Neither of those is independent.

We are a FINMA-registered non-tied intermediary (F01067278) — a specific legal status: we have no exclusive arrangements with any insurer, and we're supervised by the Swiss financial regulator.

We're paid a regulated commission by the insurer after you sign a policy, disclosed to you in every consultation. Our commission is a percentage, which means we have no incentive to sell you more than you need, and no incentive to sell you the most expensive product.

We have one incentive: place you well, so you stay with us, and we review your coverage every October for as long as you're our client.

Verify our registration on the FINMA public register

The team

The people who'll review your situation.

Specialists by topic. Robert handles health insurance; Nicole handles life insurance, 3rd pillar, and tax optimization. Hans remains visible for existing planning relationships.

Robert Kolar

Health insurance

Over twenty years of experience reviewing Swiss basic and supplementary plans. Speaks German and English. Has personally navigated the Swiss system from the outside in.

Book with Robert

Nicole Bohne

Life · 3rd pillar · Tax

Former Basler Versicherung and Zurich Insurance specialist. FINMA F01536402. Nicole reads life-insurance and insurance-wrapped 3a decisions against the household, the BVG, and the tax effect.

Book with Nicole

Hans Steiner

Pension · Tax · Cross-border

Financial Planner IAF & Federal Diploma of Higher Education. Speaks German, English, French. Hans remains available for existing planning relationships and long-running client files.

More about Hans

What clients say.

4.8 from 55 reviews on Google

After several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.

Dragos H.2026

Illustrated portrait of a Scandinavian client.

Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.

E. Burke-Murphy2026

Illustrated portrait of an American client.

Illustrated portrait of a South Asian client.

My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.

Milad F.2025

Illustrated portrait of a Slavic client.

I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.

Diana M.2025

After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.

Steven2025

Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.

Zendaya B.2025

Illustrated portrait of an East Asian client.

Illustrated portrait of a Central European client.

Working with Ben was great. Very prompt and responsive. Would highly recommend to anyone.

Michele2025

Illustrated portrait of a Latin American client.

Common questions

Questions expats actually ask.

Do I actually need Swiss health insurance?

Yes. Swiss law requires every resident to hold basic health insurance (KVG) within three months of arrival — whatever your nationality and whatever cover you held abroad. The basic benefits are identical at every insurer; what changes is the price, the service quality, and the supplementary options you can add on top.

What happens if I miss the three-month deadline?

Your canton assigns you to an insurer and you face a back-dated penalty surcharge — often as expensive as the premiums for the months you weren't covered. The clock starts on your registration date, not your move-in date, so it's easy to lose track. If you're close to the deadline, talk to us before it passes.

Is the consultation really free?

Yes — every consultation with Expat Savvy is free, not just the first one. 45 minutes, in English, with no obligation. We're paid by insurer commission (disclosed under Article 45 VAG), not by you, so there's no fee for your review, your Private Client Report, or any follow-up conversation.

Who are the Expat Savvy advisors?

Every Expat Savvy advisor is FINMA-registered (the Swiss financial regulator — our registration is F01067278, verifiable on the public register), and the team holds Certified Financial Planner (IAF) and Swiss federal insurance qualifications. That means supervised, independent advice — legally required to serve your interest, not tied to any single insurer.

Can one advisor handle health, pension and tax together?

Yes. Most expat situations connect — your health cover, your 3rd pillar (3a / 3b) and your tax position all interact. In one 45-minute review we look at all three together, so you're not stitching advice together from three separate places.

Ready for a calm conversation about Swiss insurance?

A first review is free, 45 minutes, in English, with Robert or Nicole. We'll listen first. We'll tell you what we'd do in your situation. You decide what happens next.

Book your first Swiss insurance review

Or send us a WhatsApp at +41 76 364 88 88 — we reply within the working day.