AHV number in Switzerland: how to find or get your social security number
Check an AHV number
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Your AHV number is the 13-digit number that starts with 756 (756.XXXX.XXXX.XX). It is printed on the front of your health-insurance card and on your payslip, it is free and it stays the same for life.
Where do I find it?
It is already on documents you have at home:
- Front of your health-insurance card (the fastest way).
- Your payslip and annual salary certificate.
- The grey AHV card, if you still have one.
The number is not the grey card. The card is optional since 2017, and the number is on your health-insurance card anyway.
What does it look like?
A purely random number with no hidden info: it reveals neither your name nor date of birth.
- 756Country code
- 756 stands for Switzerland, the same for everyone.
- XXXX.XXXX.XRandom number
- Nine random digits with no meaning.
- XCheck digit
- Catches typing mistakes.
Assigned once, the same for life. Issued by the Central Compensation Office in Geneva. It replaced the old 11-digit number in 2008.
Your situation, your answer
Find your case, the answer is right next to it.
You already live or work here
You have had one for a long time. It is on your health-insurance card.
Nothing to hand? The residents' registration office of your commune can tell you.
You just moved to Switzerland
It is created automatically once you register or start working.
Your employer or health insurer arranges it. You apply for nothing yourself.
New job, the employer asks
Read it off your health-insurance card and pass it on.
No number yet? Your employer registers you and it gets created. Whether they really did shows on your payslip.
You are self-employed
Your compensation office confirms or creates it at registration.
A baby has been born
Assigned automatically, shortly after birth.
It appears on the child's health-insurance card.
Lost your AHV card
No matter: the number is on your health-insurance card.
Order a new card for free if you want, the number stays the same.
You worked here in the past but live abroad
The number stays valid. Order your account statement, free and online.
The Central Compensation Office in Geneva handles it. It shows your number and contribution years. Processing takes up to 2 months.
You employ someone at home
You need their number, not yours. It is on their health-insurance card.
No number yet? It gets created during registration, even without a residence permit.
You worked in Switzerland years ago and can no longer find your number
Whether it was 5 or 30 years ago: your number still exists, and so does every year contributions were paid for you. One free document brings both back.
The account statement
Your individual account (IK) records the income settled for you in each year. The statement of it carries your AHV number at the top.
It is worth more than the number
Missing contribution years usually reduce your pension for life. Only the statement shows you whether all your years were recorded.
Where to order it
From abroad through the Central Compensation Office in Geneva, inside Switzerland through your compensation office. Processing takes up to 2 months.
If you worked before 2008, your account still ran under the old 11-digit number. Order the statement from the same office anyway.
The AHV calculator shows what missing years cost you in pension. Living abroad now? Read what happens to your AHV when you move home: a pension or a refund.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AHV number cost anything?
No. The number and a card are free. Be suspicious if anyone asks you to pay for one.
Does the number change on marriage or moving abroad?
No. It is assigned once and stays the same for life, also abroad.
I worked in Switzerland years ago and cannot find the number anywhere. How do I get it back?
It still exists, it is never deleted. Order an account statement: it is free and shows your number together with every year contributions were paid for you. Inside Switzerland through your compensation office, from abroad through the Central Compensation Office in Geneva.
Can someone misuse my number?
It is only an identifier, not a password, and on its own gives no access to money. Share it only with employers, insurers and authorities that need it.
Difference between the AHV number and the AHV account?
The number identifies you. Your AHV account records the contributions paid under that number. Your pension is later calculated from it. How much of it a household wage leaves you is worth checking early.
I lost my AHV card. How do I get a new one?
The number is not lost with it: it is printed on the front of your health-insurance card. The grey card itself has been optional since 2017. If you still want one, order it free of charge from your compensation office. The number stays the same.
Official points of contact
- FOSI: The AHV number · bsv.admin.ch
- ch.ch: How to find your OASI number · ch.ch
- Information Centre OASI/DI: order an account statement · ahv-iv.ch
- FOSI FAQ: I have just moved to Switzerland · faq.bsv.admin.ch
All details verified against official sources on 22.09.2026.