| Swiss, residents (C Permit) or refugees (B Permit) students
| Asylum seekers (N permit) and temporarily admitted refugees (F permit) students
| EU and EFTA students
| Non-EU or EFTA students
Health insurance (LAMal) and accident insurance are mandatory for anyone living or working in Switzerland. It is highly recommend to check the insurance’s coverage as medical and hospital costs in Switzerland are very high.
LAMal Health insurance provides by default cover for accidents.
People who work for the same employer for at least 8 hours a week are automatically insured for professional and non-professional accidents by that employer. In that case, it is possible to ask the health insurer to suspend accident insurance by providing proof of such cover from the employer. For people working less than eight hours a week for their employer, accident insurance covers only professional accidents.
Generally:
If you go abroad (for an internship, an exchange period, a study trip, etc…) it is recommend (and it is your responsability) to check the insurance’s coverage (check the coverage deadline abroad) and if necessary, take out, in addition to the basic coverage, an additional insurance.
UNIL offers travel insurance as well as medical, security and logistical insurance, which provides additional cover for certain risks abroad. For further information, visit: Assistance and insurance while abroad.
The EVAM (Institution for migrants in the canton of Vaud) covers the health insurance costs of asylum seekers and provisionally admitted refugees.
The following costs are covered:
The list of costs and services paid by EVAM can be found in the Assistance Guide. There are conditions for the reimbursement of these costs. It is important to ask for information before starting treatment.
If you have received a medical bill, you must give all the documents to EVAM:
When the beneficiary of assistance travels abroad, benefits for medical expenses are withdrawn from the 1st day of the month following departure abroad.
UNIL offers travel insurance as well as medical, security and logistical insurance, which provides additional cover for certain risks abroad. For further information, visit: Assistance and insurance while abroad.
When the beneficiary of assistance is transferred to another canton by decision of the SEM, benefits to cover medical expenses cease on the date of transfer as indicated by the SPOP, but at the latest at the end of the month following the decision to change allocation.
Students from EU countries and EFTA countries are entitled to an exemption from the obligation to use Swiss insurers provided that they observe the following procedure :
Warning: ask your insurance if all the costs will be covered during your stay in Switzerland.
You can immediately ask for the reimbursement by sending the following documents to the Institution Commune LAMAL :
CHF 92.- will be charged by the Institution Commune LAMAL for any period of 30 days of cares, all types of care.
Exemples when CHF 92.- is charged one time in a period of 30 days:
The amount reimbursed will be the invoice’s amount minus the CHF 92.-. If you send the bill to your foreign insurance without going through the Institution Commune LAMAL, the benefits will be reimbursed, in most cases, according to the rates in your country (that is why we strongly recommend going through the Institution Commune LAMAL).
You must pay the medical bill within 30 days.
If you go abroad (for an internship, an exchange period, a study trip, etc…) it is recommend (and it is your responsability) to check the insurance’s coverage (check the coverage deadline abroad) and if necessary, take out, in addition to the basic coverage, an additional insurance.
UNIL offers travel insurance as well as medical, security and logistical insurance, which provides additional cover for certain risks abroad. For further information, visit: Assistance and insurance while abroad.
All persons with the European Insurance Card must, before leaving, ask the canton of destination (cantonal insurance office) whether the coverage is valid or not.
It is mandatory to take out health insurance within three months of the date you take up residence unless you have a foreign health insurance which covers unlimitadely the costs in Switzerland.
There are two different ways of benifiting from an exemption from compulsory KVG/LAMAL insurance in Switzerland. In both cases, the measures must be taken within 90 days of the student's arrival:
The exemption is valid for a maximum of 6 years. Swiss insurance must then be taken out after.
UNIL disclaims all liability for any medical bills incurred by students in breach of insurance terms.
If you go abroad (for an internship, an exchange period, a study trip, etc…) it is recommended (and it is your responsability) to check the insurance’s coverage (check the coverage deadline abroad) and if necessary, take out, in addition to the basic coverage, an additional insurance.
UNIL offers travel insurance as well as medical, security and logistical insurance, which provides additional cover for certain risks abroad. For further information, visit: Assistance and insurance while abroad.
All persons with an insurance coverage for foreign students must, before leaving, ask the canton of destination (cantonal insurance office) whether the coverage is valid or not.