(Data collection by Taelor Reid, Daniel Waring, and Edward Koning. When referring to this page, please use the following citation: Koning, E.A., Reid, T. & Waring, D. (2024). The IESPI Dataset – Switzerland country profile. University of Guelph, www.iespi.ca/switzerland/.)
Tax-paid pensions
| TP1A | Residence requirement for complete universal tax-paid pension |
| 1990-2023 | -8 (no universal public pension) |
There is no universal public pension in Switzerland. The only public pension programs are contributory and means-tested (Social Security Administration 2002, 2016).
| TP1B | Residence requirement for access to pro-rated portion of universal tax-paid pension |
| 1990-2023 | -8 (no universal public pension) |
There is no universal public pension in Switzerland (see TP1A).
| TP2 | Residence requirement, means-tested supplement |
| 1990-2023 | 18-42 (10 years, but 5 years for refugees and bilateral agreement countries, and 1 for EEA nationals) |
Since 1965, low-income elderly can receive a tax-paid supplementary benefit in case their pension income does not cover the cost of living. Non-citizens can only receive this benefit after 10 years of residence. This requirement is only 5 years for refugees. Migrants from EEA countries do not face any residence requirement at all, but since access to the pension supplement requires some income from the contributory pension, at least one year of contributions is required before this category of migrants can access the supplement (AHV/IV 2018, 2019, BSV 2015, 2024a, Federation of Switzerland n.d., Parliament of Switzerland 1965: art. 2, 2006: art 5).
| TP3 | Status requirement for access to tax-paid pension |
| 1990-2023 | 70 (citizens, permanent residents, and privileged nationals) |
The pension supplement is available to all legal residents of Switzerland as long as they meet the income and residence requirements. Since migrants from outside the EEA need to have resided in the country for 10 years, it is in practice only accessible for permanent residents and privileged nationals (AHV/IV 2018, 2019, BSV 2015a, 2024a, Federation of Switzerland n.d.-a, Parliament of Switzerland 1965: art. 2, 2006: art 5).
| TP4 | Export possibilities, universal tax-paid pension |
| 1990-2023 | -8 (no universal public pension) |
There is no universal public pension in Switzerland (see TP1A).
Health care
| HC1 | Residence requirements |
| 1990-1995 | -8 (no public health care) |
| 1996-2023 | 0 (no residence requirement) |
Initially, health care insurance in Switzerland was voluntary and health services were regulated at the subnational level. A reform going into effect in 1996 introduced a federal mandatory health insurance program, which obliges everyone who resides in the country to obtain health care insurance within three months of their arrival. There is no waiting period between registration and coverage (BSV 2015b, Navarra 2011).
| HC2 | Status requirements |
| 1990-1995 | -8 (no public health care) |
| 1996-2023 | 0 (all residents) |
Since the introduction of federal health care in 1995, all migrants who are (expected to be) in the country for more than three months, including undocumented migrants, are required to take out compulsory insurance. That said, the high costs of insurance contributions and the requirement to demonstrate the payment of income tax in order to receive premium contributions makes it practically very difficult for undocumented migrants to receive health care services on the same term as other residents (BSV 2015b, Navarra 2011, Richard et al. 2004).
| HC3A | Public health care available to asylum seekers |
| 1990-1995 | 83 (emergency care and urgent care) |
| 1996-1998 | 33 (included in basic system) |
| 1999-2023 | 17 (exemption from regular insurance costs many native-born citizens need to pay) |
Throughout the period under study, all residents of Switzerland, including asylum seekers, have had access to emergency health care. The 1995 health care reform included asylum seekers among those required to take out health care insurance and as such, included them in the same system that covers native-born Swiss. Since 1998, asylum seekers can receive an exemption from the insurance fees most native-born citizens are required to pay (BAG n.d., Frydryszak & Macherey 2016, Swiss Refugee Council n.d.-a).
| HC3B | Public health care available to undocumented migrants |
| 1990-2023 | 50 (emergency care) |
Throughout the period under study, undocumented migrants in Switzerland have had access to free emergency care. They are technically also included in the federal mandatory health insurance program, but in practice they are unable to secure access to health care because of the insurance costs and the requirement to demonstrate the payment of income tax in order to receive premium contributions (BIlger & Hollomey 2011, Fryrdryszak & Macherey 2016).
| HC4A | Accessibility services, translation services |
| 1990-2023 | 67 (translation services occasionally available in some languages) |
Since at least the 1980s, free interpreter services have been available at some hospitals in Switzerland. However, patients do not have the unqualified right to an interpreter, and health care insurance does not cover the costs of making use of the several private services that are available (Bischoff 2020, Hudelson et al. 2014, Jaeger et al. 2019, Navarra 2011).
| HC4B | Accessibility services, other attempts to increase uptake |
| 1990-2001 | 100 (no services) |
| 2002-2005 | 75 (recognition of need for culturally competent care, but practical implication unclear) |
| 2006-2023 | 50 (diversity training available to health care professionals) |
Federal authorities started to recognize the need for culturally sensitive health care delivery as early as 2002, and cultural competence has been introduced in health care training as of 2005. Nevertheless, a recent study found that many current health care professionals have never undergone any type of training on cultural or ethnic diversity (Casillas et al. 2014, 2016, Weber et al. 2021, Weiss 2015).
Contributory pension benefit
| CP1 | Minimum contribution years |
| 1990-2023 | 5 (1 year) |
Access to the contributory pension system in Switzerland does not require any minimum number of contributions. Anyone with at least one year of contributions can draw from the program upon retirement (European Commission n.d., Parliament of Switzerland 1946, BSV 2024b).
| CP2 | Status requirements |
| 1990-2023 | 0 (all legal residents) |
Everyone who has made contributions to the pension program is eligible to draw from it upon retirement. There are no separate status requirements (AHV/IV n.d.-a, BSV 2015c).
| CP3 | Export possibilities |
| 1990-2023 | 8-17 (without restrictions to agreement countries, without access to supplements to others) |
The contributory pension benefit can be exported without restrictions to EEA states and countries with which Switzerland has signed relevant social security agreements (Israel and Türkiye since at least 1990, Canada since 1996, Chile since 1999, North Macedonia since 2003, the Philippines since 2005, Australia since 2008, India since 2012, Japan since 2013, the United States since 2015, Uruguay since 2016, Serbia since 2019, Brazil, Kosovo, and Montenegro since 2020, Bosnia-Herzegovina since 2022, and Tunisia since 2023). Those who migrate to other countries can receive a reimbursement of their contributions, but do not receive any public contributions (AHV/IV n.d.-b, State Secretariat for Migration 2018). Scores on this indicator have been weighted to account for the proportion of migrants who can export the benefit without restrictions to their country of origin using data on the stock of foreign-born by country of birth from the OECD Migration Database.
Contributory unemployment benefits
| CU1 | Minimum contribution weeks |
| 1990-2002 | 25 (6 months) |
| 2003 | 12 (6 months, EFTA nationals can aggregate) |
| 2004-2019 | 13-21 (12 months, EFTA nationals can aggregate) |
| 2020-2023 | 32-33 (12 months, six months for EFTA nationals) |
The minimum contribution requirements for accessing contributory unemployment benefits in Switzerland used to be six months, but were increased to 12 in 2003. Since 2002, EFTA nationals have been able to count contributions to similar schemes in their country of origin and as such effectively faced no minimum contribution requirement in Switzerland. As of 2019, however, a minimum contribution history of six months is demanded before EFTA migrants can access contributory unemployment benefits (Parliament of Switzerland 1982, 2002, 2016, Starke Arbeitslosenversicherung JA 2002).
| CU2 | Status requirements |
| 1990-2002 | 75 (citizens and permanent residents) |
| 2003-2008 | 63 (citizens, permanent residents, and privileged nationals) |
| 2009-2023 | 38 (citizens, permanent residents, privileged nationals, and long-term work permit holders) |
Since the introduction of unemployment insurance in 1982, all unemployed residents who are eligible for a job and with a work history in Switzerland have been eligible for unemployment benefits. However, for a long time, very few migrants without a permanent residence permit were eligible to change employers, which effectively made them ineligible for unemployment benefits. This changed first in 2002, when EFTA nationals were included in the scheme, and in 2008, when a policy reform enhanced immigrants’ possibilities for within-Switzerland mobility (Hummer 2020, Liebig et al. 2012, Parliament of Switzerland 1982, SECO n.d., Swiss Refugee Council n.d.-b).
| CU3 | Integration requirements |
| 1990-2002 | 100 (tied to permit demanding integration requirements) |
| 2003-2008 | 60 (tied to permit demanding integration requirements for some migrants) |
| 2009-2023 | 0 (no integration requirements) |
For a long time, contributory unemployment benefits were in practice only accessible to permanent residence permit holders (and since 2002, privileged nationals). While the requirements for permanent residence are heavily decentralized, they include integration requirements in virtually all cantons (Federation of Switzerland n.d.-b, Mahnig & Wimmer 2003, VisaGuide n.d.).
| CU4 | Export possibilities |
| 1990-1993 | 100 (no export possible) |
| 1994-2023 | 73-78 (up to three months within EEA, not possible elsewhere) |
Residence in Switzerland is a requirement for accessing unemployment benefits. However, since 1993, the benefit can be exported to EEA member states for a period of up to three months for the purpose of seeking employment (De Wispelaere et al. 2022: 22, SECO 2018). Scores on this indicator have been weighted to account for the proportion of migrants who can export unemployment benefits to their country of origin using data on the stock of foreign-born by country of birth from the OECD Migration Database.
Housing benefits
| HB1 | Residence requirements |
| 1990-2023 | -8 (no housing benefits) |
There are no public housing programs in Switzerland that are comparable to those in the other countries under investigation. There are no transfer benefits such as rent subsidy and social housing has been operated by a network of not-for-profit but non-governmental building cooperatives (Althaus et al. 2016, Bochsler et al. 2015, BWO n.d., Housing Cooperatives Switzerland n.d.).
| HB2 | Status requirements |
| 1990-2023 | -8 (no housing benefits) |
There are no public housing programs in Switzerland that are comparable to those in the other countries under investigation (see HB1).
| HB3 | Integration requirements |
| 1990-2023 | -8 (no housing benefits) |
There are no public housing programs in Switzerland that are comparable to those in the other countries under investigation (see HB1).
| HB4 | Housing services for successful asylum claimants |
| 1990-1998 | 100 (no targeted services available) |
| 1999-2023 | 80 (accommodation support, but with uncertain funding) |
Since 1998, successful asylum claimants have had the right to social assistance, which includes the right to housing. In practice, however, the availability and conditions of housing for successful asylum claimants vary dramatically from one canton to another (Ammann Dula et al. 2024, Swiss Refugee Council (n.d.-c).
Social assistance
| SA1 | Residence requirements |
| 1990-2002 | 0 (no residence requirement) |
| 2003-2023 | 8-10 (1 year residence requirement for EEA nationals) |
The operation of social assistance is heavily decentralized in Switzerland, and as a result precise residence requirements can vary from one canton to another. At the federal level, the only residence requirement is a rule from 2002 requiring EEA nationals to have at least one year of work history (which is coded here as 1.5 year of residence) before being able to access social assistance (BSV 2016, SKOS n.d.). Scores on this indicator have been weighted to account for the proportion of EEA migrants using data on the inflow of foreign-born by country of birth from the OECD Migration Database.
| SA2 | Status requirements |
| 1990-2002 | 40 (citizens, permanent residents, some categories of temporary migrants) |
| 2003-2004 | 30 (citizens, permanent residents, privileged nationals, some categories of temporary migrants) |
| 2005-2023 | 50 (citizens, privileged nationals, permanent residents, and small number of temporary migrants) |
Again, while the precise requirements for accessing social assistance differ at the cantonal level, the basic principle is that newcomers cannot settle themselves with the purpose of being unemployed and draw social assistance. This means that only some categories of temporary migrants, in particular those with a (lengthy) work history can access social assistance. A 2004 reform restricted the welfare rights of asylum seekers and temporarily admitted individuals from outside the EU explicitly, barring them from Sozialhilfe (which guarantees a minimum standard of living) and allowing them to apply at most for Nothilfe (which is limited to providing clothing, shelter, food, and medication in emergency situations) (Humanrights.ch 2023, Liebig et al. 2012, Sanchez-Mazas 2015, SKOS 2019, n.d.).
| SA3 | Consequences of welfare uptake |
| 1990-2018 | 43 (non-renewal of temporary permit) |
| 2019-2023 | 100 (loss of right of residence even for some permanent residents) |
Uptake of social assistance can have serious consequences for one’s status in Switzerland. It might lead to the non-renewal of temporary permits and, since 2018, even to the revocation of permanent residence permits (Humanrights.ch, Liebig et al. 2012, SKOS 2019).
| SA4 | Integration requirements |
| 1990-2008 | 0 (no integration requirements) |
| 2009-2023 | 20 (integration requirements can be requested at discretion of local authorities) |
All social assistance recipients are expected to participate in reintegration measures. Since 2008, cantons can decide to place heavier requirements on immigrants than on native-born Swiss applicants (SKOS n.d., Zürich Canton 1981).
Active labor market policies
| AL1 | Residence requirements |
| 1990-2002 | 100 (tied to permit with residence requirement of 10 years) |
| 2003-2008 | 31-49 (tied to permit with residence requirement of 10 years, tied to benefit receipt with no residence requirement for EU nationals) |
| 2009-2019 | 5 (tied to receipt of benefit with no residence requirements) |
| 2020-2023 | 8 (tied to receipt of benefit with 6-month residence requirement for EU nationals, none for TCNS) |
Active labor market policies are targeted at recipients of unemployment insurance and some recipients of social assistance. Before 2008, only those who had been in the country long enough to have secured permanent residence (and, since 2002, EU nationals) were able to switch jobs and as such be eligible for those benefits. In most cases, such a permit only became accessible after 10 years of residence. Since 2008, the indirect residence requirements disappeared, with the exception that since 2019, EU nationals can only access unemployment benefits after six months of contributions and social assistance after one year of residence (Duell et al. 2010, Liebig et al. 2012). Scores on this indicator have been weighted to account for the proportion of EU migrants using data on the inflow of foreign-born by country of birth from the OECD Migration Database.
| AL2 | Status requirements |
| 1990-2002 | 80 (citizens and permanent residents) |
| 2003-2008 | 70 (citizens, privileged nationals, permanent residents) |
| 2009-2023 | 50 (citizens, privileged nationals, permanent residents, and small number of temporary migrants) |
Before 2008 it was difficult for any temporary migrant (with the exception of EU nationals since 2002) to take advantage of active labor market policies, because of their limited eligibility to look for another job in Switzerland in case of unemployment (Duell et al. 2010, Liebig et al. 2012).
| AL3A | Availability of language programs |
| 1990-2000 | -8 (no publicly funded programs available) |
| 2001-2023 | 57 (available to most migrants, but offered unevenly across the country) |
Language training is operated by cantonal authorities, and the overall system is rather opaque. Before 2000, cantons did not receive any federal funding for language training, and as a result very little was offered. Since then, all cantons have offered some language training, but their availability varies dramatically across the country (Liebig et al. 2012, Leybold-Johnson & Hunt 2016, Mexi et al. 2019).
| AL3B | Public funding of language programs |
| 1990-2000 | 100 (no publicly funded programs, but required to learn language) |
| 2001-2023 | 40 (nominal fees) |
In almost all cantons (except Basel since 2015), immigrants are required to pay nominal fees to participate in language training. It is worth noting that in the period that language training was absent, language proficiency was a requirement for access to some benefits (see e.g. CU3) (Liebig et al. 2012, Leybold-Johnson & Hunt 2016, Mexi et al. 2019).
| AL4A | Availability of employment assistance |
| 1990-2008 | 100 (available to select groups, but offered unevenly across the country) |
| 2009-2023 | 67 (available to vulnerable groups only) |
As with language training, immigrant-targeted employment assistance is the purview of cantonal authorities, and as a result there are large differences across the country in the types of programs on offer. Since 2008, however, there have been some federal policies specifically targeting refugees and asylum seekers (Liebig et al. 2012, Mexi et al. 2019).
| AL4B | Nature of employment assistance |
| 1990-2023 | 60 (assistance with finding employment) |
Throughout the period under study, there have been employment assistance programs targeting immigrants in Switzerland (Liebig et al. 2012, Mexi et al. 2019).
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