Why do we need this information?
AHV contribution gaps
Whether or not you are employed, you must pay contributions to the first pillar in order to receive the full AHV pension when you retire (with Swiss residency).
If you are employed, you must contribute from 1 January of the year after you turn 17. Contributions are mandatory for as long as you are employed. If you are not employed, they are mandatory from 1 January of the year after you turn 20. They end when you reach the reference age of 65; transitional reference ages apply to women born between 1961 and 1963.
⚠️ Important
An incomplete contribution record reduces your AHV pension — a so-called partial pension is set up instead. As a rule, each missing contribution year reduces the pension by at least 1/44, roughly 2.3%.
When do contribution gaps arise?
Contribution gaps commonly arise in these situations:
- You take on many short-term jobs with different employers
- You spend a long period living abroad
- You receive daily allowances from insurance after an accident or illness
- You do not pay AHV contributions while studying
- You move to Switzerland from abroad
📋 Example
If you move to Switzerland at, say, 35, you have 30 contribution years left before the reference age. A full pension requires 44, so you are missing 14 years and your pension will be reduced accordingly.
In this situation you would usually also be entitled to a pension from your country of origin.
Can gaps be closed?
Gaps can be closed by paying the missing contributions. This is only possible for gaps in the last 5 years during which you were covered by Switzerland. Earlier gaps can no longer be paid up.
How to check for gaps
Your compensation office (Ausgleichskasse) can tell you about possible gaps. They will provide an individual account statement listing all of your contribution years.
Learn more
Further information can be found here: