Blog
What we write when we're not reading contracts.
Insurance insights, relocation guides, and Swiss system explanations — written by the team that reviews these contracts every working day.
Health insurance
What changes in Swiss health insurance for 2027
Premium notices arrive in late September. Most readers panic-switch or do nothing. Both wrong. The calm read of what changes for 2027 and three levers.
Health insurance
Swiss accident insurance — UVG / LAA explained for expats
Swiss accident insurance (UVG) explained: BU vs NBU coverage, employer obligations, and how to avoid double-paying. Essential guide for expats in Switzerland.
Health insurance
Why Swiss health insurance premiums vary by canton
An adult on the same plan pays ~CHF 317 in Zug and ~CHF 562 in Geneva for 2026. The federal-funding split, cost-of-care reality, what it means.
Maternity & family
Swiss health insurance for expat families — children, maternity
Choosing Swiss health insurance with a family is architecture, not price. The Franchise cap, maternity rule, pre-birth window, and how insurers compare.
Independent advisory
Independent Swiss insurance advisor — what it means
Independent Swiss insurance advisors are FINMA-registered, have no exclusive ties to any insurer, and disclose commission. What that means, how to choose.
Independent advisory
The four traps of Swiss insurance — what we catch every week
The four things we look for in every Swiss insurance review — the age-curve trap, the 3-month deadline, coverage that pays vs fights, and matching coverage.
3rd pillar & tax
VIAC vs frankly vs finpension — the architecture-first read
Most readers compare VIAC, frankly, finpension second. The architecture question — insurance vs banking, accounts, withdrawal — moves the lifetime number.
Provider analysis
SWICA Completa and BestMed — what the contract actually says
An advisor's read of SWICA Completa (outpatient + complementary), BestMed and Hospita (hospital), and how entry-age pricing changes the lifetime maths.
Independent advisory
Your first Swiss insurance review — 45-minute walkthrough
Process-transparent walkthrough of your first 45-minute Swiss insurance consultation with Expat Savvy. What to bring, who you'll meet, what you get.
Provider analysis
Sanitas Vital, Hospital Liberty, Medical Private — read
An advisor's contract-read of Sanitas Vital, the three Hospital Liberty tiers, and Medical Private — where the age-banded curve and underwriting become traps.
3rd pillar & tax
Pillar 3a for the self-employed — the CHF 36,288 cap
Self-employed without pillar 2 contribute up to 20% of net income, capped at CHF 36,288 in 2026. Architecture, tax math, and where the trap is.
3rd pillar & tax
Swiss 3rd pillar vs life insurance — when each fits
3a builds tax-advantaged retirement capital. Life insurance pays your dependents. The hybrid wraps both — when it fits, when it doesn't. An advisor's read.
Health insurance
Swiss insurance for alternative medicine — what's covered
Basic KVG covers five MD-delivered complementary disciplines. Supplementary varies wildly — Concordia, Sympany, and others compared. Advisor's read for 2026.
3rd pillar & tax
Swiss 3rd pillar providers — VIAC, frankly, finpension
Most expats keep their 3a in a 0% bank account and miss the compound. Honest 2026 read of VIAC, frankly, finpension, and the staggered withdrawal.
Health insurance
Dental insurance in Switzerland — when it's worth it, when it isn't
Swiss KVG doesn't cover dental. Compare the best 2026 dental insurance plans for expats — coverage, providers, and expert recommendations.
Health insurance
Cheapest Swiss health insurance 2026 — wrong question
Swiss basic insurance is identical at every insurer by federal law. The cheapest-vs-average price gap is marginal. Where the real money lives.
Health insurance
Swiss insurance gym coverage — when CHF 1,300 pays back
SWICA reimburses up to CHF 1,300/yr for fitness, Helsana+ up to CHF 300, CSS via vouchers. Honest 2026 read on which fitness supplementary fits.
Health insurance
Swiss household insurance — Hausrat + Privathaftpflicht
Hausrat plus Privathaftpflicht costs CHF 150–400 per year and covers theft, fire, water damage, and damage you cause others. What most expats miss.
Health insurance
Swiss health insurance models — Hausarzt, HMO, Telmed, Pharmed
Most expats pick Standard and overpay every year. The 2026 read on KVG models — Hausarzt, HMO, Telmed, Pharmed — and which fits which life.
Health insurance
International insurance vs Swiss KVG — when IPMI fits
Most expats arrive with corporate IPMI thinking it replaces Swiss basic insurance. It usually doesn't. The five categories that can opt out, and when IPMI fits.
3rd pillar & tax
Leaving Switzerland — your pension withdrawal guide for 2026
Leaving Switzerland triggers 2nd-pillar and 3a withdrawal-tax decisions that vary by canton, destination treaty, and timing. The advisor's read for 2026.
Health insurance
Swiss legal protection insurance — when it earns its keep
Most expats skip legal protection until one tenant or employment case teaches them why. The 2026 read on Rechtsschutzversicherung and when the maths works.
Maternity & family
Swiss maternity & newborn insurance — the prenatal deadline
Prenatal registration required for baby's Swiss supplementary insurance. Learn the deadline, coverage, and how to register before birth.
Health insurance
Mental health services in Switzerland — insurance and English therapists
Mental health guide for expats in Switzerland: psychotherapy costs (CHF 200/session), insurance coverage rules, and how to find English-speaking therapists.
Health insurance
Pre-existing conditions and Swiss supplementary insurance
Swiss basic insurance accepts everyone. Supplementary doesn't. How the Art. 4 VVG underwriting works, what insurers ask, and the timing that decides coverage.
Health insurance
Are you overpaying on Swiss health insurance? 2026
Most expats overpay CHF 600–1,800 a year on Swiss health insurance because nobody audits the five things that matter. The 6-question diagnostic.
Health insurance
Swiss hospital insurance — semi-private vs private worldwide
What general ward gives, what Hospital Flex changes, the real difference between Semi-Private and Private at a Swiss clinic. SWICA, Helsana, Sanitas read.
Maternity & family
Swiss family Franchise — the CHF 1,000 cap most expats miss
Swiss law caps cost-sharing for 3+ children at the same insurer at CHF 1,000/year on default Franchise. How the cap works, when raising it backfires.
Health insurance
Swiss telemedicine for expats — Telmed and English support
Medgate operates in English. Most Swiss insurers offer Telmed-model basic insurance with 8–15% premium discount. The 2026 read on when telemedicine fits.
Health insurance
How to switch Swiss health insurance — Nov 30 deadline
Switching Swiss basic insurance is annual, free, no health declaration. Supplementary is harder. The 5-step practical guide for the next contract year.
3rd pillar & tax
The Swiss 3-pillar pension system — AHV, BVG, 3a
Switzerland's three-pillar retirement system covers ~70–90% of pre-retirement income — but only if all three are working. The plain-language read for expats.
Health insurance
Swiss health insurance cancellation — Nov 30, in writing
Nov 30 is the deadline most expats miss. The exact mechanics — letter, proof, registered mail — and the extraordinary right of cancellation.
Relocation
Zürich vs Zug — choosing where in Switzerland to land
Zurich vs Zug for expats: compare taxes (18% vs 12%), rent, jobs, schools & lifestyle. Data-driven guide to choosing your Swiss relocation destination.
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