Updated 22/08/2024

Country overview

There are no restrictions on entry, stay and residence for people living with HIV in Switzerland.
Antiretroviral treatment can be brought for personal use.

Labor migrants

All HIV related services, including ART, are covered by health insurance. Foreign citizens, as well as locals, can choose the most appropriate insurance from a large number of private insurance companies. Important that all insurances, regardless of cost, include HIV care and treatment as part of their basic set of services. In order to choose the best option for you, we recommend contacting Aids-Hilfe Schweiz, where you can get advice.

How it works: Most treatment is covered by insurance. There is a so-called franchise, an amount that is paid by the patient. It is about 10% of the bill usually. During the year the total franchise amount is CHF 1,000. If you have paid CHF 1,000 franchise fee from your own funds during the year and you need further treatment, all subsequent costs will be 100% covered by the insurance.

Refugees

All HIV care and treatment services, including ART, are free with health insurance.

Refugees who have received official status, get health insurance immediately. For this purpose there is an agreement between the national government and the insurance companies in each canton. All insurances, regardless of cost, cover HIV care and treatment.

Those who have just applied for asylum but have not yet received confirmation can also receive ART for free on the basis of temporary documents.

Access to treatment

All you need is health insurance. If you are in the process of applying for refugee status, any temporary documents you have will be fine.

With these documents you need to go to a clinic and make an appointment with a doctor. If you have difficulty choosing a clinic, you can seek help from an NGO.

For information on the addresses of the clinics in your canton, visit

Web site: www.aids.ch

It is possible to buy ART in Switzerland, but it is very expensive. The cost of a monthly scheme starts at CHF 1,000.

If you find yourself in Switzerland without any legal status or as a tourist, you can go to clinics that provide HIV services. In most cases, the clinics have leftovers of ART, which they can give out without documents. We also advise you to ask for a help from NGOs.