Insurance
Insurance is the responsibility of the student. ETH offers no insurance for its students.
Health, accident and personal liability insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance, which covers illness, accident and maternity, is mandatory for all persons resident in Switzerland irrespective of their nationality.
We refer international students to the website for International students -> Health insurance for additional information. There you will find information on the requirements for exemption from compulsory insurance respectively student insurance packages.
Accident insurance
Accident insurance should in principle be taken out as part of the compulsory health insurance package. However, persons who work and who are employed by the same employer for at least 8 hours per week are insured by the latter against work and non-work accidents.
Personal liability insurance
Students are also urgently advised to take out personal liability insurance.
For further information please see the Download Information sheet: Insurance (PDF, 138 KB).
AHV (Swiss Old Age and Survivors’ Pension Insurance)
Swiss social insurance is based on the so-called three-pillar system, a threefold system of public, occupational and private insurance. Old-age and survivors' insurance and invalidity insurance jointly make up the first pillar, with pensions intended to cover basic living costs. A person who has contributed to the OASI system for at least one year is entitled to claim benefits.
The contribution of persons who are subject to AHV payments and who are not in gainful employment is per calendar year CHF 514.00 for the year 2024 and CHF 530.00 for the year 2025 (minimum premium excluding administration costs) up to the age of 25. The contribution will be charged in the following year by the social insurance office (SVA Zurich).
If students take gainful employment which is subject to AHV payments, the amount is reduced to the respective contributions paid by the employee and the employer (5.3%) according to the employee’s remuneration.
For questions regarding the electronic questionnaire and AHV contributions for persons not in gainful employment, please contact
SVA Zürich
Röntgenstrasse 17
Postfach
8087 Zurich
Phone 044 448 58 60 (direct access for students)
external page www.svazurich.ch
- Download Leaflet SVA 2024 (PDF, 74 KB) (in German)
- Download Leaflet SVA 2025 (PDF, 59 KB) (in German)
Any AHV branch will be able to provide information with regard on all other AHV-related issues.
See also AHV website: external page www.ahv.ch
The Swiss OASI (AHV) number may be found on the Swiss health insurance card and on the tax declaration form as well as an insurance number on the AHV-IV insurance certificate.
All ETH students need an OASI number by the time they enrol for the second semester of studies at the latest. The exceptions are special students, auditors and exchange students.
If no AHV number has been supplied by the time the student enrols for the second semester, ETH Zurich will obtain it by providing additional information. Matriculated ETH students are given further details when they enrol for the semester in the myStudies web application.
If, during the year in which you leave ETH Zurich, you do not return to your home country, commence gainful employment, or transfer to another Swiss university, you must still ensure that you continue to pay the AHV contribution without interruption.
We therefore strongly recommend that you contact SVA Zürich (see above) after the end of the calendar year. This will help to prevent any possible gaps in contributions which might have affect you when you reach AHV retirement age.
No phishing mail: no-reply@svazurich.ch
In the course of the first half of the year, the SVA Zurich (Sozialversicherungsanstalt Zürich) contacts more than 53'000 students enrolled at a university in the canton of Zurich by e-mail to clarify the obligation to pay AHV contributions.
If you have received this e-mail with the sender no-reply@svazurich.ch sent to your ETH e-mail address: Click on the personalized and secure link to the online questionnaire (valid for 30 days) and answer the few questions.
This will help you avoid gaps in your contributions which could later lead to a reduced AHV or IV pension.
Furter information on the Swiss social insurance system is available on the websites of the external page Federal Social Insurance Office.