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Moving abroad
If you leave Switzerland, either while you are still working or after retirement, there are a few things you need to consider. What happens to your retirement assets when you move abroad depends on which country you are moving to.
What do I need to bear in mind when moving abroad?
More and more people in Switzerland are moving abroad – to start a new job, for example, or spend their retirement in a faraway land. Before embarking on your adventure, you should take a close look at your pension situation. Planning ahead will give you time to understand the various options for drawing your pension.
Before you retire
If you are moving to an EU/EFTA country, you can have the extra-mandatory component of your pension paid into your account in cash. The mandatory component is paid into a vested benefits account. If you are moving to a non-EU/EFTA country, you can withdraw all your capital from the pension fund. If you are moving to an EU/EFTA country where you will not be subject to old-age, disability and death insurance, the mandatory component can be paid out as well. You can find more information at “Cash payment on departure” on the LOB guarantee fund website (sfbvg.ch).
When you retire (including early retirement)
You can take voluntary retirement after your 60th birthday (or with some pension plans, after your 58th). At that point, you can withdraw your pension assets as a lump sum or a monthly pension.
After you retire
You can opt to receive a monthly pension, your entire capital as a lump sum, or a mix of the two. Bear in mind, though, that once you have taken that decision it cannot be reversed. Please tell us if you are planning to leave Switzerland for good, and read our page on information requirements.
Key facts
The website www.verbindungsstelle.ch contains application forms for determining your insurance requirement in the foreign country concerned as well as information sheets on other procedures coordinated by the liaison office.