As I understand, if I leave Switzerland and go to live in a country outside the EU, I can get my pension savings paid out to me. What stops me just going to live outside the EU for a couple of months, getting the pension cash, and then returning to an EU country? Is this possible?

We just moved to the US and had the pension paid out on full. As for moving say back to the UK, I'm not sure if it can be done or not. Maybe there was some info on that issue in the paperwork that was completed.

How long did it take for you to get the pension paid out? Was there any mention of what happens if you go to live in an EU country?

It didn't take long. They sent us some paperwork and we needed to show them proof that we are leaving Switzerland which we obtained from the local Germeinde and I had to get my signature notarised for some reason. It was my wifes pension.
After we had all the info it took a week or so to be paid out.

I don't remember anything mentioning if we move somewhere in the EU down the road.

Move to Canada/Australia/USA for a few months, collect, then go
wherever you really want.

Yes, that's the idea. I'm wondering how long I have to stay away for to get the cash. I don't have a work visa for any of those countries but could mange to survive for 2 months in, say, Mexico.

We're in the process of this, having just moved to the US. You'd need a US/wherever address to give to the commune as part of the deregistration - this address will appear on your deregistration notice and passed to the tax authorities, etc, so it needs to be a good, valid one that you're happy to have financial mail sent to.

Our commune didn't require any evidence of this address as such - we gave them hubby's work one, and they typed it in quite happily.

I have family in the US.Could I just give their address? What proof could they ask for that I actually live there? As I understand EU citizens can visit the US for 3 months without a visa, would this be enough time to get the pension cash?

They may ask for proof of residence, becomming 100% self employed would be easier I think.

What exactly constitutes proof of residence? I don't have a work visa for teh USA I'm afraid.

Proof of residence was not required. They are not that interested as long as they cover themselves.

If they don't have confirmation of residence & marital status they have not covered themselves. Claiming your living somewhere where you can't legally live & don't intend to live either would be fraud. Whilst nothing is impossible it seems unlikely to me.

The US generally does not have a "proof of residence" except for a driver's license.

I had an informative session about this some time ago at work, and as far as I remember, the problem would not be receiving the money, this is set up do to around the date they have in the attestation of departure you get in your Comune. The problem would be that they would question you on your way back, to start the contribuiton again (if you plan to return to the CH).

And by the way, to get this attestation from the comune you have to give them a copy of your flight ticket for your departure from CH and your residence permit, so if you decide to come back to CH you would need to apply all over again.

The feds just look you up in their tax records, they don't care about your driver's license.

A resident permit for a foreigner could be one. If not proof he is living there. Certainly proof he has the right to live there.

Anyway, I don't know if the caisse would ask for this proof or not.

I'm just speaking from experience as I did this 3 months ago when moving to the US. No proof of residence was required. Just gave them the address.

I will be leaving Switzerland in a couple of months what do I need to do to collect my pension when I leave? I live in Kloten. Also how can I find out how much is in my pension account> Thanks

Speak to your pension provider on both counts!

Assuming you mean a company pension - 2nd pillar - its all very automatic and straightforward. Give them a ring and give them a heads-up that you're leaving shortly and they should be able to give you a rough value, and then send them your deregistration letter once you've deregistered from the commune/gemeinde.

Withholding tax will be payable based on the canton in which your pension scheme is incorporated. If its in a higher tax canton, or it's a large amount, you can move the money into a vested benefit account in a low tax canton and then cash it out from there. We moved hubby's scheme from... um... Bern, I think, to a UBS vested benefit account which is incorporated in... um... Basel, possibly. It wasn't the cheapest possible place, but it was super simple as we already had a relationship with UBS, and it saved us around 1k in tax so was worth filling in a form.

Otherwise, you can just ask the pension fund to pay it out as cash into a bank account of your choice. You'll need to provide notorised permission of your spouse if married; the pension scheme will send you a form and you just take it into a notary and have them countersign it.