Emergencies as a Non-Resident

The fundamental guarantee: no one is turned away in an emergency

Swiss hospitals and emergency services are legally required to provide emergency treatment regardless of the patient's insurance status, nationality, or ability to pay. If you have a medical emergency in Switzerland, call 144 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department — do not delay because you are worried about coverage.

The cost will be sorted out afterward. Switzerland is not a country where ambulance drivers ask for a credit card before loading you.

Newly arrived — still within the 90-day window

When you move to Switzerland, you have 90 days from your date of registration (Anmeldung) with your commune to enroll in KVG. During this window, you are legally obliged to get insurance but not yet enrolled. If you have an emergency during this period:

• You will receive treatment as normal
• Once you enroll in KVG, your coverage is backdated to your date of registration — meaning the emergency treatment during the window is retroactively covered by your insurer
• You will still owe your franchise and Selbstbehalt for that year
• If you choose a franchise higher than the minimum, you pay that franchise even for the backdated period

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are an EU/EEA or UK citizen visiting Switzerland but not residing here, you can use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC — the Swiss version is called Europäische Krankenversicherungskarte, EKVK) for emergency treatment at publicly funded medical facilities.

The EHIC covers:

• Emergency treatment at cantonal and university hospitals
• Treatment at publicly contracted outpatient clinics
• The treatment rate applicable to Swiss residents — you will not be charged a foreign visitor premium

The EHIC does not cover repatriation, elective treatment, or private clinics. Bring your EHIC to the emergency department — it is presented at reception alongside your passport. If you do not have your EHIC, treatment is still provided and you can claim reimbursement retroactively from your home country's insurance system.

Private travel insurance

Visitors without an EHIC (non-EU tourists, visitors from outside the EEA) should carry private travel insurance that includes medical coverage. Swiss emergency treatment is excellent but expensive — a hospitalisation can cost CHF 2,000–5,000 per day or more. Without insurance, these costs fall entirely on the patient.

Travel insurance claims should be made to your home country insurer after treatment. Keep all original invoices, discharge letters, and medical reports — you will need them for the claim.

What happens after emergency treatment?

After emergency treatment, the hospital will send invoices to the billing address provided. If you are insured under KVG, they bill your insurer. If you are using an EHIC, they bill your card information (or you can claim later). If you are uninsured, the invoice comes to you directly.

Swiss hospitals have billing offices that can discuss payment plans for large bills. In extreme hardship cases, cantonal social services can provide assistance — but this is a last resort and requires proof of genuine inability to pay.