Going home — what happens to your AHV
You worked in Switzerland and you're heading back. Your AHV contributions are not lost — but what you get depends on which country you move to.
Your AHV contributions stay yours. To EU/EFTA countries the pension is transferred abroad every month — but you cannot take it as a lump sum there.
- EU/EFTA (e.g. Portugal, Spain, Italy): monthly pension from retirement age, no refund
- Country with an agreement (e.g. Brazil since 1.10.2019): you choose — refund now or pension later
- Country without an agreement: refund of contributions only
This applies when
Applies as soon as you leave Switzerland for good.
The three cases
What decides it is your nationality and whether Switzerland has a social security agreement with your country. Pick your case:
Where are you moving?
Monthly pension, transferred to your address
From retirement age Switzerland pays you a partial pension — in proportion to your contribution years. It is paid by the Central Compensation Office in Geneva, monthly into your account abroad.
There is no refund of contributions here. Even a single full contribution year already gives you a claim to a partial pension.
And the pension fund (2nd pillar)?
This is where the rule catches almost everyone out — it is the exact opposite of what people expect.
If you move to an EU/EFTA country
The mandatory portion of your capital may NOT be paid out in cash. It moves to a vested benefits account and stays there until retirement age. Only the extra-mandatory portion can be paid out.
If you move outside the EU/EFTA
In that case a cash payout of the whole balance is in principle possible.
Many people plan for the opposite and count on that money. Check it before you give up your flat in Switzerland.
What undeclared years cost
Every year worked off the books is missing from this calculation. Not as a deduction — it simply does not exist.
An example
Someone who worked twelve years in Swiss households but was only registered for four gets a pension for four years. The other eight never happened as far as the AHV is concerned — and after five years they can no longer be declared.
Registering retroactively does work
The compensation office accepts declarations up to five years back. It is the only way to recover lost contribution years — and that window closes a little further every year.
Registering retroactively does work →What you can do now
- 1
Order your AHV statement
Free, from the compensation office. It shows year by year what was paid in for you — and what is missing.
- 2
Check the gaps and raise them
Is a year missing where you know you worked? Talk to that employer. Up to five years back a declaration is still possible.
- 3
Report your departure and address
Report your departure to your canton's compensation office. It notifies the Central Compensation Office, which later transfers the pension abroad.
- 4
Clarify your vested benefits
Ask your pension fund in writing how much is mandatory and how much is extra-mandatory. That decides what may be paid out.
Common questions
Do I get a pension if I only contributed for a few years?
Yes. A single full contribution year already gives a claim to a partial pension. It will be small, because it is calculated in proportion to your contribution years — but it does not expire.
Is the pension really transferred abroad?
Yes, to EU/EFTA countries and to countries with a social security agreement. The Central Compensation Office in Geneva transfers monthly to an account in your country of residence.
Is the refund better than the pension?
Rarely. A refund is a one-off amount and ends every claim. A pension is paid for life. With many contribution years the pension is usually worth considerably more over time — work out both before deciding.
I worked cash-in-hand for years. Is it all lost?
Not necessarily. Up to five years back your employer can still declare the wages. Anything older is lost to the AHV. The sooner you raise it, the more can be saved.
So the next years count
If you keep working: registering you properly costs your employer CHF 19.90 a month — and secures every contribution year for you.
See how registration worksSources
AHV/IV Information Centre (memo 880 «Leaving Switzerland»), Federal Social Insurance Office (agreement with Brazil, in force since 1.10.2019), BVG Guarantee Fund (cash payment after departure). As of August 2026.
