For expats in Switzerland
Your money in Switzerland, explained simply.
Investing, pillar 3a, pension and taxes: every Swiss mechanism explained in minutes, with official figures and real examples.
Invest your first francs
Three steps, in this order. Each one takes less than 10 minutes to read.
- 1 Fill your pillar 3a
A 3a invested in equities: your contributions cut your tax bill, then keep working until retirement. You can withdraw it if you leave Switzerland.
The 3a limit and deadlines → - 2 Choose a broker
CHF 1'000 invested a month for 10 years: about CHF 600 of fees with one, over CHF 2'000 with the other.
Swissquote or Interactive Brokers → - 3 Buy your first ETF
One ETF, one payment a month, and let it run. In Switzerland, stock market gains are not taxed.
Investing in Switzerland: the rules →
Every Sunday, one lever for your moneyA 2-minute email: one Swiss figure, what it's worth to you and how to use it. Plus the deadlines not to miss.
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Start with the question that matters to you.
Investing
- Where to start: 5 moves worth thousands
- Your first purchase, in 5 steps
- Investing in Switzerland: no capital gains tax
- ETFs: what they really cost
- The strong franc and currency risk
- Lump sum or monthly instalments?
- When the stock market falls
- Swiss shares or the world
- Robo-advisors: what they cost
- Where to keep your emergency fund
- Declaring your securities for tax
- FIRE in Switzerland: 30 to 35 times your spending
- Professional securities dealer: the 5 conditions
- Swissquote or Interactive Brokers
- Start at 30 rather than 40
- The risk of not investing
- Asset allocation over 25 years
Tax and pensions
- End of 2026: 7 things to do before 31 December
- Pillar 3a: CHF 7'258 in 2026, CHF 7'373 in 2027
- Investing your 3a: providers and fees
- 3a: bank or insurer
- 3a: how many accounts, which order
- The 11 Swiss tax deductions
- BVG conversion rate: your pension for your capital
- Your pension certificate, line by line
- How much you need to retire
- Retiring at 62: the real cost
- Inheritance tax by canton
- The 3 Swiss pillars: AHV, BVG and 3a
- Pension fund buy-in: the tax saving and the 3-year rule
- AHV pension: how much after 10, 20 or 30 years
Living in Switzerland
- B permit: withholding tax, pensions and leaving
- Leaving Switzerland: 3a, pension fund and AHV
- Working abroad: the gap in your pension
- Health insurance: which deductible
- Health insurance: choosing your insurer
- Buy or rent: the calculation
- Using your pension fund to buy a home
- Living in France, working in Switzerland
Calculators
Enter your own numbers and see the result.
- Financial score6 questions: a score out of 100, your strengths and your 3 priorities. ›
- Pillar 3aWhat your 3a really delivers, tax deduction included. ›
- Capital or pension2nd pillar: the age from which the pension pays more. ›
- Real estate or stocksBuy, or rent and invest the difference: your wealth over 25 years. ›
- Asset allocationEquities, bonds, cash: the effect of your mix across 1'500 scenarios. ›
Who writes ViaVest
A Swiss banking professional. Every article is based on the law and official data, and updated when the figures change. ViaVest does not give investment advice: the decisions are yours. Learn more →