If you live here
Swiss residents: usually no
Swiss basic insurance (KVG) is mandatory and community-rated, and Swiss supplementary handles private-treatment wishes at better value. International cover rarely replaces it — and legally usually cannot.
International health insurance
International health insurance for expats in Switzerland
Cover that crosses borders with you.
Arriving in Switzerland, leaving it, or living between countries — international private medical insurance is the instrument for the mobile phases of a life. We compare the global insurers independently, tell you when Swiss cover beats them, and handle the setup.
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FINMA Registered broker F01067278 4.8 / 55 Google reviews Since 2017, Zürich EN · DE · FR · CZ
Cover across borders 
Direct answer
Do you need international health insurance?
If you move
Arriving or leaving: yes, briefly or permanently
Before Swiss residence begins and after it ends, international cover is the standard instrument — the arrival gap, the departure, the retirement abroad. Timing beats product choice here.
If you are global
Multi-country lives: this is your field
When the year genuinely splits across countries, a Switzerland-centred system fits badly. One underwritten, portable policy — usually on top of the mandatory Swiss base — is what this market was built for.
Who it serves
Who this field is actually for.
Most people living in Switzerland don't need international cover — and we say so. The field earns its place in six recurring situations.
01 · The arrival gap
Before residence begins
Contract signed, move pending — international cover bridges the months Swiss insurance doesn't yet reach, without committing you on the Swiss side.
02 · The departure
After Switzerland
KVG ends with residence. Retiring abroad, onward posting, return home — arrange the successor policy before you leave, while underwriting still reads a clean record.
03 · The multi-country life
Living across borders
Zürich, London, Singapore — when the year splits, KVG covers Switzerland well and the rest narrowly. This is the person international insurance was designed for.
04 · The exempt categories
Outside the Swiss system
International-organisation staff, diplomats, posted workers — the one group for whom international cover can be primary while living in Switzerland.
05 · The worldwide layer
Private treatment anywhere
A Swiss base for life here, an international layer on top. We compare it honestly against Swiss supplementary before recommending either.
06 · The mixed family
One household, two countries
One partner works in Switzerland, the other lives abroad with the children — residence, cover and treatment split across borders. The constellation nobody's standard product fits, and exactly where the setup has to be read as a whole.
Not sure
Tell us the constellation. We map it.
Nationality, residence, where cover is needed — if the right instrument isn't obvious, that is usually the point. We answer within one business day.
Request a rate or consultationStart here
Start with the decision, not the brochure.
Every insurer brochure says "worldwide peace of mind". The real questions come first: are you even allowed to skip KVG (usually not)? Does your life pattern justify age-rated, underwritten cover? What happens to conditions that developed while you were in Switzerland?
The insurers
The insurers, reviewed independently.
Four names dominate the shortlists we build. They solve the same problem with different instincts — network prestige, modular precision, mid-market pragmatism, digital speed — and the right one depends on your map, your history and your budget.
| Insurer | Based | Character | Typically fits | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bupa Global | UK | Premium full-service; the broadest direct-billing network | Executives and families living genuinely across countries | Premium pricing; steep age curve |
| Cigna Global | USA | Modular — assemble core + outpatient + dental yourself | Buyers who know what they need; constructions around a base | Core-only plans cover less than assumed |
| APRIL International | France | Pragmatic mid-market; Europe-centred | Switzerland + EU mobility without premium-brand pricing | Thinner network outside Europe |
| NOW Health | Hong Kong | Digital-first challenger; fast servicing | Digitally-minded, price-aware internationals | Younger brand; verify your hospitals |
United Kingdom
Bupa Global
The premium heavyweight — maximum network, priced accordingly.
Read the review →United States
Cigna Global
Modular architecture — assemble exactly the cover you need.
Read the review →France
APRIL International
Pragmatic mid-market value for Europe-centred lives.
Read the review →Hong Kong
NOW Health International
Digital-first challenger — speed and competitive pricing.
Read the review →We also work directly with a partner insurer for specific constellations — including transfers without renewed health questions for clients insured through us with a Swiss insurer. Whether that route applies to you is a two-line question away.
The price logic
What international cover actually costs — and why quotes differ.
There is no honest price table for international health insurance — and pages that print one are selling something. Premiums are built from five levers, and understanding them is worth more than any number we could publish:
- Age — the biggest lever over time. International premiums are age-rated: they step up with every age band and keep stepping. The Swiss community-rating brake does not exist here. A quote that looks reasonable at 38 needs to be read next to the same plan at 55 and 65 — we model that curve before you sign, not after.
- Area of cover — the biggest lever today. Worldwide including the USA can cost dramatically more than worldwide excluding it. If your life doesn't include American inpatient care, excluding the USA is the single most effective premium decision available.
- The deductible. As everywhere in insurance: carry the small risks yourself, insure the catastrophic ones, and the premium follows.
- Modules. Core inpatient is the cheap part. Outpatient, dental, maternity and evacuation are where real-life claims — and real premiums — live. A quote without the modules your life needs is not a lower price; it is a different product.
- Your health history. Underwriting prices the person, not just the profile. Two applicants of the same age can receive different premiums, different exclusions, or different answers entirely.
This is why we work with rate indications against your actual situation. Send the basics through the request form and you get a real number, not a teaser.
The fine print that decides
Underwriting — the part nobody explains.
Every international policy is medically underwritten. What that means in practice decides more outcomes than the brochure ever will.
When you apply, the insurer reads your health history and answers in one of four ways: full acceptance, acceptance with a premium loading, acceptance with specific exclusions, or decline. The same history can produce different answers at different insurers — one company's exclusion is another's loading — which is precisely why applying blindly to one brand is the wrong move for anyone with a medical past.
Two structures matter when you compare offers. Full medical underwriting settles everything at application: you declare, the insurer decides, and the contract is clear from day one. Moratorium underwriting skips the questionnaire but excludes recent conditions for a defined period — faster to buy, and the ambiguity surfaces at claim time instead. We generally prefer clarity at application over surprises at the hospital.
And the clock matters: every condition that appears before you apply is part of your record. People who arrange international cover while healthy get clean terms; people who wait until after the first consultation abroad carry that consultation into every future application. If a move away from Switzerland is on your horizon, this is the argument for arranging cover early — and for asking us whether the no-underwriting transfer constellation applies to you.
Learned the expensive way
The mistakes we see most often.
mistake 01
Buying it as a KVG substitute.
It usually isn't one. The Swiss registration obligation runs regardless — and the late path (canton assignment, retroactive premiums) is expensive and avoidable.
mistake 02
Buying the core plan only.
Hospitalisation cover without an outpatient module looks affordable until the first specialist referral. Most of a real year of healthcare is outpatient.
mistake 03
Including the USA by reflex.
Worldwide-including-USA is the premium's biggest multiplier. Buy it if American care is genuinely in your life; skip it deliberately if not.
mistake 04
Waiting until something hurts.
Underwriting reads your record on application day. The best terms of your life are available while you are healthy — waiting only removes options.
mistake 05
Comparing entry prices, not age curves.
The insurer that is cheapest at 35 is not necessarily the one to grow old with — and switching later means fresh underwriting with an older record.
mistake 06
Cancelling Swiss cover before acceptance.
The sequence is acceptance first, cancellation second. Supplementary policies given up before the international insurer has said yes — in writing — are gone for good if underwriting says no.
The process
How the advisory works.
- 01
The basics from you
Nationality, where you live, where you need cover, what you are looking for — the request form takes two minutes and reaches a human, not a funnel.
- 02
The instrument question
We first check whether international cover is legally possible and economically sensible for you — or whether the Swiss route serves you better. We tell you either way, in writing.
- 03
Rates and honest trade-offs
A shortlist with real rate indications, underwriting expectations for your history, and what each choice costs at 60 — not just at entry.
- 04
Setup, handled
Application, underwriting correspondence, and coordination with your Swiss cover where both exist. One conversation, not five portals.
Some of the people we've advised
Some of the people we've advised.
★★★★★
“After several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.”
Dragos H. · Google
★★★★★
“Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.”
E. Burke-Murphy · Google
★★★★★
“My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.”
Milad F. · Google
★★★★★
“I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.”
Diana M. · Google
★★★★★
“After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.”
Steven · Google
★★★★★
“Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.”
Zendaya B. · Google
★★★★★
“Working with Ben was great. Very prompt and responsive. Would highly recommend to anyone.”
Michele · Google
★★★★★
“Beide arbeiten Hand in Hand und haben die individuellen Anforderungen unserer Kunden immer im Blick.”
Katharina K. · Google
★★★★★
“After several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.”
Dragos H. · Google
★★★★★
“Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.”
E. Burke-Murphy · Google
★★★★★
“My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.”
Milad F. · Google
★★★★★
“I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.”
Diana M. · Google
★★★★★
“After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.”
Steven · Google
★★★★★
“Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.”
Zendaya B. · Google
★★★★★
“Working with Ben was great. Very prompt and responsive. Would highly recommend to anyone.”
Michele · Google
★★★★★
“Beide arbeiten Hand in Hand und haben die individuellen Anforderungen unserer Kunden immer im Blick.”
Katharina K. · Google
★★★★★
“After several bad experiences with other brokers, working with Mr. Robert Kolar was a completely different experience.”
Dragos H. · Google
★★★★★
“Robert is the best person to partner with if you need to do difficult things such as relocate.”
E. Burke-Murphy · Google
★★★★★
“My session with Robert was one of the most efficient consultation sessions I'd ever had.”
Milad F. · Google
★★★★★
“I was looking to change a supplementary insurance plan, and Robert guided me with professionalism and patience.”
Diana M. · Google
★★★★★
“After returning to Switzerland from abroad, Robert was a tremendous help consulting me about all the changes.”
Steven · Google
★★★★★
“Highly recommend consulting Expat Savvy before making any online insurance comparisons.”
Zendaya B. · Google
Illustrated portraits — households we've advised on health, pension, and the architecture between them.
Questions, answered
FAQ.
What is international private medical insurance (IPMI)?
Private health insurance designed to cover you across countries rather than inside one national system: medically underwritten, priced by age and region of cover, portable when you move. Providers include Bupa Global, Cigna Global, APRIL International and NOW Health International.
Do expats in Switzerland need international health insurance?
Most do not — Swiss residents are required to hold Swiss basic insurance (KVG), and Swiss supplementary usually covers private-treatment wishes at better value. International cover fits the mobile phases: before residence, after leaving, genuinely multi-country lives, exempt categories, or as a worldwide private layer on top of a Swiss base.
Which international health insurer should I choose?
There is no single answer — Bupa Global leads on network and brand, Cigna Global on modular flexibility, APRIL on mid-market value for Europe-centred lives, NOW Health on digital speed. The right choice depends on your residence status, health history, destinations and budget; that is what an independent comparison is for.
How much does international health insurance cost?
Premiums are individual: they depend on age, area of cover (worldwide with or without the USA is the biggest single lever), deductible, modules such as outpatient and dental, and your medical history at underwriting. Two applicants of the same age can receive very different terms. This is why we work with rate indications against your actual situation rather than published price tables.
Can international insurance replace Swiss basic insurance (KVG)?
For most Swiss residents, no. KVG is mandatory with narrow exemptions — posted workers, diplomats and staff of certain international organisations, some students, specific cross-border cases. International cover works before residence, after departure, or on top of a Swiss base.
What happens to pre-existing conditions with international insurers?
Applications are medically underwritten: conditions that already exist can be excluded, loaded with a surcharge, or accepted after review — outcomes differ meaningfully between insurers for the same history. In specific partner constellations, clients insured through us with a Swiss insurer can transfer to an international policy without renewed health questions.
Is Expat Savvy independent for international insurance?
We advise independently and disclose partner relationships openly. Where a partner constellation offers a real advantage — such as transfers without renewed health questions in specific setups — we say so, and we equally tell you when a Swiss solution or a non-partner insurer fits better.
How do I get a rate for international health insurance?
Send us the basics through the request form — nationality, where you live, where you need cover, what you are looking for. We reply within one business day with a rate indication or a proposed consultation. Free and without obligation.
Two lines about your situation. One honest answer back.
Nationality, where you live, where you need cover — we reply within one business day with a rate indication or a proposed call. Free, in English, no obligation.
Or send us a WhatsApp at +41 76 364 88 88
International health insurance
Request a rate or a consultation.
A few basics so the answer is specific, not generic. We reply within one business day — a rate indication or a proposed call, in English, no obligation.
Request received.
Thank you — you'll hear from us within one business day. If it's urgent, say so in a reply and we prioritise.