Am I considered as non-employed?
Non-employed are persons who have little or no income from gainful activity. This includes:
Persons in early retirement
Part-time employees
Recipients of disability pensions (DI), health and accident daily allowances, or social assistance
Spouses of retired persons
Spouses of persons in gainful employment abroad (including Liechtenstein)
Widowed or divorced persons
Students
Unemployed persons who have exhausted their benefit entitlement
World travellers
Certain employees are also required to pay contributions in the same way as persons not in gainful employment. Conditions:
Your gross annual income is below CHF 5,000. For married couples: below CHF 10,000.
You work for less than 9 months of the year.
Your working hours are below 50 per cent.
Upon request, the compensation office will verify your situation.
What are my obligations?
If you have no earned income, you must register with the compensation office of your canton of residence. From 1 January following your 20th birthday, you are required to pay contributions to the OASI, DI, and ICO.
If you move to Switzerland from abroad, your contribution liability begins in the month following your arrival. If you arrive on the first day of a month, your obligation begins in that same month.
You are personally responsible for ensuring the correct payment of your contributions.
Contribution liability ends once you reach the reference age or if you move away from Switzerland.
Note: Even if you are entitled to parental and care credits, you must still pay contributions.
What insurance cover do I have?
As a non-employed person, you pay contributions to the OASI, DI, and ICO. These contributions cover your social insurance.
Benefits are provided in situations such as:
- Following retirement (state pension)
- Loss of earnings, for example, during compulsory service or maternity and another parent leave
- To provide financial relief for families
- In the event of disability due to accident or illness
Social insurance benefits are funded, in part, by contributions from insured persons and employers. This is why you also contribute to the system.
The compensation office may reduce or waive OASI contributions for non-employed persons if the payment is unreasonable, i.e., if the payment would cause undue hardship for the insured person. Undue hardship is defined as a situation where the insured person is reliant on social assistance, or where payment of the OASI contribution would leave them below the statutory minimum subsistence level.
Are you eligible for a waiver? Submit a written application to your compensation office.
How much does social insurance cost?
The minimum contribution is CHF 530 per year (as of 2026). You must pay your contributions without gaps. Any contribution gaps may lead to a reduction in your state pension. If you are out of work and/or have no earned income and are not yet registered, contact your compensation office.
How much are my contributions?
Your OASI, DI, and ICO contributions are calculated based on your assets and your pension income (recurring benefits). The total value of all Swiss and foreign assets, minus any outstanding debts, is referred to as net assets.
Debts are deducted from your assets. Retirement capital and vested benefits within the 2nd pillar (occupational pension scheme) are only considered part of your assets once they have been paid out.
The compensation office levies administrative fees amounting to a maximum of 5 per cent of the total OASI/DI/ICO contributions.
When and how do I pay my contributions?
The compensation office sets payments on account and issues an initial invoice. These provisional contributions are based on your expected assets and pension income for the current year.
You will generally pay quarterly. Payment must be received no later than the tenth day after the end of the period. If payment is late, a reminder will be issued. The charge ranges from CHF 20 to CHF 200.
The compensation office determines the final contributions, usually based on your tax data. At this stage, it calculates the difference between the payments on account already made and the final contributions due.
Overpayment: The compensation office will refund the difference to you.
Underpayment: You will receive an invoice for the difference (payable within 30 days).
If the payments on account were significantly too low (by more than 25 per cent), interest on late payments will be charged at a rate of 5 per cent. So, report any significant changes to your situation to the compensation office promptly.