Business
Starting a Swiss company: the insurance you can't skip
When you start a company, some insurance is mandatory from the first salary and some is simply smart. Confusing the two is costly: either you pay for cover that could have waited, or you're exposed exactly where you can't afford to be.
The point that changes everything: unlike a sole proprietorship, whoever runs a Sagl/GmbH is an employee of their own company. That means you yourself fall under the insurance obligations set for employees.
Mandatory from day one
Social contributions AHV/IV/EO (and unemployment)
As soon as there's a salary, contributions to the 1st pillar (AHV/IV/EO) and unemployment insurance apply. They're paid via affiliation to a compensation fund. It's the first step, and can't be deferred.
Accident insurance (UVG)
Mandatory for all employees, you included. It covers occupational accidents; anyone working at least 8 hours a week for the same employer is also insured for non-occupational accidents.
Occupational pension (BVG, 2nd pillar)
Mandatory for employees who exceed the annual entry threshold (around CHF 22,000, periodically updated). If your salary as owner-employee exceeds the threshold, BVG is due.
Strongly recommended (even if not mandatory)
Daily sickness benefits
As a rule not legally mandatory (except under some collective agreements), but among the first to set up: in a long illness the company is not obliged to pay the salary indefinitely. Without this cover, income stops fast.
Business liability (RC)
Not generally mandatory, but essential: it covers the damage your activity can cause to third parties. It's often required by clients or the landlord, and for some professions professional indemnity is effectively indispensable.
Property and business interruption
If you have offices, equipment, stock: they protect your inventory and premises and, above all, cover the lost income if the business stops after a claim.
To weigh depending on the activity
- Business legal protection — useful for disputes with clients, suppliers or staff.
- Cyber / IT — increasingly relevant if you handle data or work online.
- Owner's provision — third pillar and supplementary BVG to build your future, often with tax advantages.
In short: what now, what can wait
Now, from the first salary: social contributions (AHV and unemployment), accident UVG, BVG if you exceed the threshold. They're tied to having staff and salary, and aren't optional.
To put on the agenda soon: sickness benefits and business liability — formally optional, but this is where startups find themselves exposed.
To weigh by real risk: property, business interruption, legal protection, cyber. It depends on what you do and how much you have to lose.
Frequently asked questions
Does the owner of a Sagl/GmbH have to be insured like employees?
Yes. Unlike a sole proprietorship, whoever runs a Sagl/GmbH is an employee of their own company: they fall under the obligations for employees (AHV, accident and, above the threshold, BVG).
Which insurance is mandatory from day one?
Social contributions AHV/IV/EO and unemployment, accident UVG for all employees, and BVG for those exceeding the annual entry threshold.
Are sickness benefits mandatory?
As a rule not by law (except under some collective agreements), but strongly recommended: the company needn't pay the salary indefinitely in a long illness.
About to start your company?
Let's line up what's mandatory now, what's worth setting up soon and what can wait — tailored to your activity, with no needless cover.
Talk to GROVA →General information only; this does not replace personalised advice. Obligations, thresholds and amounts can change over time and by sector: choices should be based on your specific situation.