Switzerland
Worked in Switzerland? Any pension you built up here is yours to keep and can usually be paid to you abroad — but you have to claim it; it won't start automatically. The full state pension age is 65, with early access from 63. On totalization, Switzerland has bilateral totalization agreements, so the years you worked here may combine with other countries you've worked in. Below is Switzerland's system at a glance and what expats should check.
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Overview
Switzerland operates a comprehensive three-pillar pension system designed to replace approximately 60% of pre-retirement income when Pillars 1 and 2 are combined.
The First Pillar (AHV/AVS/OASI) is a mandatory, pay-as-you-go state pension covering all residents and workers, providing a minimum of CHF 1,260/month and a maximum of CHF 2,520/month (2025–2026, unchanged) for a single person with a full contribution record. The AHV 21 reform (effective 1 January 2024) standardised the reference age at 65 for both men and women (women's age rising incrementally by 3 months per year from 2025, reaching 64 years and 6 months in 2026 for women born in 1962, and 65 for all from 2028), introduced flexible monthly pension withdrawal between ages 63 and 70, and enabled partial pension drawdown (20–80%). A landmark 13th monthly AHV pension payment — equal to one-twelfth of the annual pension — was approved by Swiss voters in March 2024 and is being paid for the first time in December 2026 automatically to all entitled recipients including those resident abroad; heirs are not entitled. The financing of the 13th pension remains under parliamentary debate; the Council of States voted in June 2025 to increase salary contributions by 0.4 percentage points from January 2028. The Federal Council opened consultation on the AHV 2030 reform package in May 2026, proposing financial incentives to work longer and abolishing the age-70 cap on pension accumulation, without raising the reference age.
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The Second Pillar (BVG/LPP) is a mandatory occupational pension for employees earning above CHF 22,680/year, based on individual savings accounts with age-graduated contribution credits (7–18% of insured salary). The BVG reform was rejected by Swiss voters in September 2024 (67% against), leaving the existing system with a fixed coordination deduction of CHF 26,460, a mandatory minimum conversion rate of 6.8%, and a minimum interest rate of 1.25% in force for 2026. From 1 January 2026, survivors' and disability pensions under the mandatory BVG scheme that commenced in 2022 or later are adjusted for inflation at 2.7%. The Third Pillar consists of tax-advantaged tied savings (Pillar 3a, max CHF 7,258/year for employees with a pension fund; CHF 36,288/20% net income for self-employed without a pension fund — unchanged for 2026) and unrestricted savings (Pillar 3b). From 2026, a new retroactive buy-in option allows Pillar 3a gaps from 2025 onwards to be filled within 10 years, with full tax deductibility, provided the current year's maximum is paid first. Switzerland has social security agreements with over 40 countries, ensuring pension portability and totalization of contribution periods for qualifying residents abroad.
60% (Pillars 1+2 combined target); AHV alone: ~20–40% of final salary depending on income level
Pillar 1 (AHV/AVS/OASI): mandatory state pension, pay-as-you-go, funded by employee/employer/self-employed contributions (10.6% total, split 5.3%/5.3%). Pillar 2 (BVG/LPP): mandatory occupational pension for employees earning ≥CHF 22,680/year; fully-funded individual accounts; employer must pay at least 50% of contributions; statutory savings credits 7–18% of insured salary by age bracket; BVG minimum interest rate 1.25% (2026); mandatory conversion rate 6.8% (2026). Pillar 3a (Säule 3a): tied private retirement savings, voluntary, tax-deductible contributions (max CHF 7,258 for employees with pension fund; CHF 36,288/20% net income for self-employed without pension fund, 2025–2026 unchanged). From 2026: retroactive buy-ins permitted for gaps from 2025 onwards (up to 10 years back, capped at CHF 7,258 per gap year, current year must be paid first). Pillar 3b: unrestricted private savings, no tax deduction, fully liquid.
Bismarckian/Mixed — mandatory three-pillar system combining pay-as-you-go state insurance (Pillar 1), fully-funded mandatory occupational DC (Pillar 2), and voluntary private savings (Pillar 3a/3b)
Employee
5.3% AHV/IV/EO (Pillar 1, no salary ceiling) + variable BVG (Pillar 2, at least 50% of statutory savings credit of 7–18% of coordinated salary by age)
Employer
5.3% AHV/IV/EO (Pillar 1, no salary ceiling) + at least 50% of BVG savings credit (7–18% of coordinated salary by age)
Self-Employed
10% AHV/IV/EO (progressive: 5.371%–10%; max 10% from CHF 60,500 income). Self-employed are exempt from mandatory BVG but may join voluntarily.
Notes
AHV/IV/EO total rate: 10.6% of gross salary (AHV 8.7% + IV 1.4% + EO 0.5%), split equally 5.3%/5.3% employee/employer. No salary ceiling for AHV contributions. BVG mandatory for employees earning ≥CHF 22,680/year (2025–2026, unchanged); coordination deduction CHF 26,460 (unchanged); max insured salary CHF 90,720; minimum BVG interest rate 1.25% (2026, unchanged); mandatory conversion rate 6.8% (2025–2026, unchanged after BVG reform rejection). Maximum AHV pension 2025–2026: CHF 2,520/month (single), CHF 3,780/month (couple cap) — unchanged. With 13th pension (first paid December 2026): CHF 32,760/year (single max), CHF 49,140/year (couple max). Minimum: CHF 1,260/month. No AHV pension increase in 2026 (no cost-of-living adjustment). Pillar 3a limits unchanged 2025–2026: CHF 7,258 (with BVG) / CHF 36,288 (without BVG). From 2026: AHV contribution obligations extended for short-term employees in culture and media sectors.
Common questions
What is the retirement age in Switzerland?
The full state pension age in Switzerland is 65. Early retirement may be possible from 63. Deferring can raise your pension up to age 70.
Can I claim a Switzerland pension if I live abroad?
Yes. A pension you've earned in Switzerland stays yours wherever you retire, and can usually be paid into an overseas account once you reach pension age. It won't start automatically, though — you need to claim it, typically a few months in advance, through Switzerland's pension authority.
Do totalization agreements affect my Switzerland pension?
Switzerland has bilateral social-security (totalization) agreements. These can let you combine the years you worked in Switzerland with years in partner countries to meet a minimum qualifying period, so short stints aren't wasted. Which partners and rules apply depends on your own work history.
How is the pension system structured in Switzerland?
Bismarckian/Mixed — mandatory three-pillar system combining pay-as-you-go state insurance (Pillar 1), fully-funded mandatory occupational DC (Pillar 2), and voluntary private savings (Pillar 3a/3b) Pillar 1 (AHV/AVS/OASI): mandatory state pension, pay-as-you-go, funded by employee/employer/self-employed contributions (10.6% total, split 5.3%/5.3%). Pillar 2 (BVG/LPP): mandatory occupational pension for employees earning ≥CHF 22,680/year; fully-funded individual accounts; employer must pay at least 50% of contributions; statutory savings credits 7–18% of insured salary by age bracket; BVG minimum interest rate 1.25% (2026); mandatory conversion rate 6.8% (2026). Pillar 3a (Säule 3a): tied private retirement savings, voluntary, tax-deductible contributions (max CHF 7,258 for employees with pension fund; CHF 36,288/20% net income for self-employed without pension fund, 2025–2026 unchanged). From 2026: retroactive buy-ins permitted for gaps from 2025 onwards (up to 10 years back, capped at CHF 7,258 per gap year, current year must be paid first). Pillar 3b: unrestricted private savings, no tax deduction, fully liquid. It includes 4 schemes in our directory.
How do I get a copy of my Switzerland pension record?
Ask AHV/IV Information Centre for your IK-Auszug / Extrait du compte individuel (the Individual account statement (AHV/OASI)). It's free and you can request it yourself — our step-by-step guide on this page walks through the portal, what to have ready, and what to do if the login fails.