Hi Everyone,

This is my first post (of, I'm sure, many) on this forum. So glad I found it, as it's been so helpful in planning my family's move to Basel at the end of the month.

Quick background on us: American family of 4, moving to Basel for my husband's new job. He is an artist and due to the terms of his contract (one year with the option for renewal), I believe he will have a short-term B Permit (Kurzaufenthaltbewilligung) and we are all coming with with an "Aufenthaltbewilligung im Rahmen des Familiennachzugs". We are currently living in Stuttgart, Germany where we have been for the past 6 years. We have a 2.5 year old son and a newborn (2 months old) who will need his second round of vaccinations within 4 weeks of our move, so I'm trying to get all this health insurance stuff figured out as soon as possible.

One quick question though that I hope you guys can help me with - we have to go to the Swiss consulate in Stuttgart this week to pick up our entry visas (Einreiseerlaubnis). On the form, they ask for our intended date of arrival. I have heard many things concerning needing health insurance starting from your date of entry. Originally, we had intended on arriving in Basel on July 31st, staying in a hotel for one night & then moving into our apartment on August 1st. However, from what I read in some of the previous threads in this forum, we will then be asked to pay for health insurance for the entire month of July since they only charge for full months and, technically, we arrived in July (even if it was on the last day of the month). Is this true? If so, how do they know when we entered the country? Is there some kind of entry process? I have read about our passport being stamped when we enter the country and this being a necessary step, otherwise we will have to leave the country & then re-enter? We have visited Switzerland many times (although never to live and we arrived by train), and were never checked by some kind of border patrol or anything. Is there something I'm missing?

It would be logistically easier for us to arrive on the 31st, but we obviously do not want to pay for a whole month of health insurance for a family of 4 for just one day and will postpone our entry until August 1st if necessary.

Please let me know as soon as possible, as we must pick up our visas this week and need to finalize when we will officially enter the country.

Thanks very much for your help,

When you go to the commune they will ask your date of entry.
Your reply: 1 August.

That's it! Really. No one will quiz you or ask for proof.

Quite similar with my case. My Switzerland visa start from 20th of Dec I arrived in Lausanne (from Berlin) on 31th of Dec. I registered myself to the commune in mid of Jan. My health Insurance start from Feb. I thought it will be from Jan, but the broker told me that it is ok to start from Feb.

In which case you are very lucky! We didn't know about the rules, so gave our actual date of move at the end of a month - and had to pay from start- and were told there is nothing we can do about it.

NYC girl- in your case no prob, as you will be moving into your accom on first of month. No worries.

We had to pay retro 3 months from official date of entry BUT, we got a partial refund by showing a letter from our US health insurance stating that we were covered for part of that time already. So, our Swiss insured gave us partial premium refund for that time. Your US insurer has to give you a letter with dates of coverage internationally I think.

Do you realize that August 1 is a public holiday for Swiss National Day. Everything will be closed and moving anything anywhere will be frowned upon, if not prohibited...

i didn't know either. I tell the broker the truth and he was the one who decided that i could start from feb.

Tell the commune you moved in on the 1st of August. Keep in mind that the first bill from the insurance company will be for 3 months in advance.

Yes, I am aware it is a holiday...and after inquiring about it, was just informed by my landlord that I will need to wait until the 2nd to move in. Glad I asked! Thanks AbFab!

Really? I haven't heard/read anything about that. Is that really true?! Oh no...just another huge expense to add to the cost of moving!

Probably depends on the company. We moved at the same time as you last year and didn't get billed for health insurance until December when it was all debited out of our account.

Yes, I have read that. I don't mind being backdated and paying for previous months (I plan to just put the money aside every month that I am not yet billed, anyway), but I meant paying for 3 months in advance as Abberry said above. For our family, that would mean paying about 3000 CHF all at once, right from the start...and with already paying the apartment deposit, moving company, etc., that would be pretty difficult!

Has anyone else had the experience of paying 3 months in advance even when you're signing up for health insurance within the first month of residency in Switzerland?

this is correct, and if you said the 27th, 28th, etc. you would be responsible for the entire month...

your reply, august 1

i did not pay for 3 months in advance. They offered monthly, trimonthly, 6 months and yearly. You can choose how you would like to pay. Usually you get disc if you choose to pay yearly.

You might even get a bonus welcome pack, it being the 1st of August n'all!

It's unlikely you'll be asked to pay 3 months in ADVANCE. You won't even get your first bill for a 2 months away.

So you could be asked to pay 3 months at a time (the first three months). Not because they want the money in advance, but because they didn't get around to billing you the first 2 month.

Though don't worry. You'll still be covered if you need medical attention.

They'll give her a packet of fireworks and a mini flag.

It took us a couple of months to get our health insurance sorted, and I remember our first bill was a quarterly one, which we couldn't pay in one lump sum, so I contacted them and they broke up the ones that were in arrears into more 'payable' amounts, and told me to make sure I kept up to date with the future ones, and pay the older ones off over time... Most companies are very happy to put you on a payment plan as it's less administration than having you go overdue and then having to chase you for the money...

All bills here come monthly, and we get our salaries monthly (two salaries, same day )... you definitely need a budgeting system!

Here in Basel now...

Just to update for anyone else who might come across this thread looking for info - we wound up postponing our entry until August 1st. Entered that date on the form I submitted to the Swiss consulate in Germany when picking up our entry visas. When I registered at the commune, he never asked when we entered, but when we received our Aufenthaltstitel cards in the mail last week, August 1st was listed as the Einreisedatum. So, I'm guessing he got that date from the form I filled out at the Swiss consulate in Germany.

Thanks to everyone for the information! I appreciate the help!