Insurance for Freelancers & Self-Employed

KVG: no difference from employees

Mandatory basic health insurance (KVG) applies identically to everyone in Switzerland, regardless of employment status. As a self-employed person, you:

• Must enroll with a Swiss health insurer within 90 days of becoming a resident (or within 3 months of starting self-employment if already resident)
• Choose your insurer, model (Standard, Hausarzt, HMO, Telmed, Network), and franchise (CHF 300-2,500)
• Pay the same canton-based premiums as an employee in the same region
• Have the same coverage for all KVG-listed treatments, medications, and services

The key practical difference: you pay the full premium yourself. There is no employer contribution to KVG premiums in Switzerland (unlike in many other countries). This is the same for employees — KVG premiums are always paid by the individual — so being self-employed does not change your health insurance costs.

Accident insurance: the critical gap

This is where self-employment makes a real difference. Employed workers in Switzerland are covered by mandatory accident insurance (UVG/LAA) through their employer. This covers both occupational accidents (BU/AP) and non-occupational accidents (NBU/ANP) for anyone working 8+ hours per week.

As a self-employed person, no one provides UVG for you automatically. You have two options:

• Option 1 — Keep "with accident" in your KVG (recommended for most): When you enroll in KVG, select the "mit Unfall" (with accident) variant. This adds accident coverage to your basic health insurance. It is simpler and sufficient for most self-employed people. The premium is slightly higher (roughly CHF 5-15/month more than "ohne Unfall")
• Option 2 — Voluntary UVG: You can voluntarily enroll in UVG through Suva (the national accident insurer) or a private UVG insurer. This provides more comprehensive accident coverage, including higher daily allowances during recovery. This option is recommended if your work carries physical risk (construction, trades, sports instruction) or if you want higher income replacement

Daily allowance insurance (Taggeld): your income safety net

Daily allowance insurance (Krankentaggeld / indemnite journaliere) replaces your income when you cannot work due to illness or, depending on the policy, accident. For employees, this is typically arranged by the employer. For the self-employed, it is entirely your responsibility.

Why it matters: Without Taggeld, you have no income from the first day of illness. Swiss disability insurance (IV/AI) only kicks in after a long waiting period and only for permanent or long-term disability — it does not cover temporary illness.

• What it covers: Typically 80% of your declared income, paid after a waiting period you choose (commonly 14, 30, 60, or 90 days). Longer waiting periods reduce the premium
• Duration: Usually up to 720 or 730 days (about 2 years) per illness event
• Cost: Varies by your age, declared income, waiting period, and benefit duration. Expect roughly 1-3% of the insured income annually
• Providers: Offered by most major health insurers (Helsana, CSS, Swica, etc.) as well as specialized providers. Policies under VVG (insurance contract law) are more common for the self-employed; KVG-based Taggeld is also available but rarer

Practical tip: Choose a 30-day or 60-day waiting period and maintain a cash reserve to cover that gap. A 90-day waiting period saves premium but requires 3 months of living expenses in savings.

Optimizing your total insurance costs

As a self-employed person, every franc of insurance premium comes directly from your earnings. Here is how to optimize:

• Highest franchise (CHF 2,500): If you are healthy and can absorb the risk, this saves CHF 100-200/month on KVG premiums. Combined with an alternative model, you can save CHF 150-250/month vs. the standard model with CHF 300 franchise
• Alternative insurance model: HMO or Telmed models offer 10-25% lower premiums. As a self-employed person, the Telmed model is particularly convenient — you can call from your home office without needing to physically visit a clinic first
• Annual premium payment: Most insurers offer a discount (typically 1-2%) if you pay your annual premium in one lump sum rather than monthly. At CHF 400/month, that is CHF 50-100/year saved
• Review annually: Compare premiums every autumn using priminfo.admin.ch. Switch insurers by 30 November for the following year

Tax deductibility

In Switzerland, health insurance premiums are partially deductible on your tax return. The specific rules vary by canton, but generally:

• KVG and supplementary premiums: Deductible up to a cantonal maximum as part of your insurance and interest deductions (Versicherungsabzug)
• Taggeld (daily allowance) premiums: For self-employed individuals, Taggeld premiums are typically deductible as a business expense if the policy is tied to your professional activity
• Voluntary UVG premiums: Also deductible as a business expense
• Pillar 3a contributions: Self-employed people without a pension fund (Pensionskasse) can contribute up to CHF 36,288 per year (2026) to Pillar 3a — this is fully tax-deductible and significantly reduces your taxable income

Keep all insurance invoices and payment receipts. Your accountant or Treuhander can ensure you claim all applicable deductions.

Checklist: insurance setup for the newly self-employed

1. KVG: Ensure you are enrolled. If switching from employed to self-employed, update your accident coverage — switch KVG to "mit Unfall" unless you retain part-time employment with UVG coverage
2. Taggeld: Get quotes from 2-3 providers. Choose a waiting period and daily rate that matches your financial situation. Do this immediately — policies often have health questionnaires, and waiting too long could mean exclusions for pre-existing conditions
3. Voluntary UVG: Evaluate whether your work involves physical risk. If so, consider voluntary UVG through Suva (you must apply within 6 months of becoming self-employed)
4. Supplementary insurance: If you had supplementary insurance through a previous employer (e.g., semi-private or private hospital coverage), decide whether to continue it individually or let it lapse
5. Premium subsidies: In your first year of self-employment, income may be lower. Apply for cantonal premium reductions (Praemienverbilligung) if your taxable income qualifies