Health insurance as a cross-border worker
Working in Switzerland and living across the border opens a choice no one else gets — and one that generally cannot be revisited.
The household priced
- 1 × Cross-border workeradult · Deductible CHF 300 · accident suspended
The most affordable canton is Zug, at CHF 317.30 a month for this household.
The most expensive is Geneva, at CHF 562.00 a month — for exactly the same cover.
A cross-border worker employed in Switzerland is in principle subject to LAMal. Agreements with the European Union nevertheless open a right of option: they can apply for exemption and stay insured in their country of residence. Three things matter. The deadline first: the application must be made within three months of starting work. Then its finality: in most situations the choice cannot be revisited — which is why it deserves a conversation with someone who knows both systems. Finally, if you stay with LAMal, your premium is that of the canton where you work, not where you live: that is what the table below shows. Rules vary with the country of residence and your family situation; check with the Common Institution under the LAMal before deciding.
What it costs, canton by canton
| Canton | Cheapest | Average premium | Gap over the year | Cheapest insurer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zug | CHF 317.30 | CHF 366.52 | CHF 591 | CONCORDIA |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | CHF 335.20 | CHF 390.66 | CHF 666 | Vivao Sympany |
| Uri | CHF 357.80 | CHF 429.51 | CHF 861 | Agrisano |
| Obwalden | CHF 363.70 | CHF 432.57 | CHF 826 | Agrisano |
| Nidwalden | CHF 366.10 | CHF 426.42 | CHF 724 | Agrisano |
| Schwyz | CHF 380.20 | CHF 453.70 | CHF 882 | Agrisano |
| St. Gallen | CHF 381.50 | CHF 469.57 | CHF 1'057 | Agrisano |
| Valais | CHF 386.00 | CHF 475.03 | CHF 1'068 | Agrisano |
| Grisons | CHF 386.70 | CHF 464.03 | CHF 928 | Agrisano |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | CHF 391.70 | CHF 469.57 | CHF 934 | Agrisano |
| Lucerne | CHF 393.60 | CHF 461.10 | CHF 810 | Agrisano |
| Zurich | CHF 406.40 | CHF 507.13 | CHF 1'209 | Agrisano |
| Thurgau | CHF 408.20 | CHF 469.42 | CHF 735 | Agrisano |
| Glarus | CHF 411.50 | CHF 464.19 | CHF 632 | Agrisano |
| Schaffhausen | CHF 412.10 | CHF 492.96 | CHF 970 | Agrisano |
| Bern | CHF 425.10 | CHF 528.49 | CHF 1'241 | Agrisano |
| Fribourg | CHF 427.50 | CHF 498.27 | CHF 849 | Agrisano |
| Aargau | CHF 431.10 | CHF 490.88 | CHF 717 | Agrisano |
| Solothurn | CHF 460.70 | CHF 515.22 | CHF 654 | Visana |
| Basel-Landschaft | CHF 470.10 | CHF 564.00 | CHF 1'127 | Agrisano |
| Vaud | CHF 499.70 | CHF 577.34 | CHF 932 | Assura-Basis |
| Ticino | CHF 512.10 | CHF 615.68 | CHF 1'243 | Agrisano |
| Jura | CHF 515.90 | CHF 581.11 | CHF 783 | Agrisano |
| Neuchâtel | CHF 518.00 | CHF 602.01 | CHF 1'008 | Visana |
| Basel-Stadt | CHF 535.60 | CHF 604.50 | CHF 827 | CSS |
| Geneva | CHF 562.00 | CHF 633.57 | CHF 859 | Assura-Basis |
The amounts are the lowest premium found in the canton, across all models, for the composition above. A canton’s lowest premium sits in one specific premium region: your municipality may belong to another. The comparator gives the exact figure for your postcode. When a household has several insured people, each is placed with the insurer cheapest for them: the right-hand column may therefore name two, and nothing requires a family to choose the same insurer for everyone.
Three things to check
- 1The deadline is three months from starting work, and it runs fast.
- 2The choice is generally final: do not make it at random.
- 3If you stay with LAMal, the canton where you work sets your premium.
The other situations
- Health insurance as a student
- Health insurance in your first job
- Health insurance for a family of four
- Health insurance when self-employed
- Health insurance in retirement
- Health insurance when arriving in Switzerland
- Health insurance for a child
- Health insurance during an apprenticeship
- Health insurance when you are out of work
- Health insurance for two
- Health insurance after retirement
2026 · OFSP / priminfo.admin.ch