Pension question, Switzerland
Can I get my Swiss AHV pension if I live abroad?
The authority's own wording is blunt: no application, no benefit, and it recommends filing three to four months before reference age. In the first pillar, one single full year of credited contributions is enough to qualify, and the full monthly pension runs from CHF 1,260 to CHF 2,520 on scale 44, unchanged since 1 January 2025 and confirmed for 1 January 2026.
- Source: zas.admin.ch and ahv-iv.ch, read 3 October 2026
- Source: bsv.admin.ch and ahv-iv.ch, read 3 October 2026
What to do next
- Find your 13 digit AHV number on old payslips, a Swiss insurance card or tax papers.
- List each Swiss employer and the years you worked there.
- Run our free check to see which other countries may hold a pension in your name.
Check your own working life for free
Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.
Run the free checkQuestions people also ask
Is there a yearly life certificate?
Swiss pensioners living abroad are sent a life-and-civil-status certificate every year and must return it, signed by their local authority and with a copy of their ID, within 90 days.
Do you give advice on what to do?
No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.