Understanding your insurance, made simple

If no choice is made within three months, the cross-border worker will automatically be enrolled in the Swiss LAMal scheme.

No, this insurance is optional but strongly recommended. Employers often offer it to cover lost income during sick leave.

Reimbursements depend on the chosen scheme: Swiss rates for LAMal, or French rates for CMU. Keep all treatment receipts.

Yes. When seeking help to choose between French compulsory health insurance and Swiss LAMal, separate enrolment formalities, contribution calculations and supplementary insurance comparisons. Each contact has a distinct role.

Who can help with each question?

• The CPAM explains your rights in France and enrolment documents.
• Urssaf’s Swiss cross-border worker service handles French health contributions and the relevant income declaration.
• The competent Swiss authority confirms the conditions for exercising your right of option. For employment in Geneva, this is the Service de l’assurance-maladie.
• A broker can help compare supplementary benefits and prepare the information required, but cannot decide your enrolment on behalf of the authorities.

Prepare the discussion

Gather your employment or residence start date, household details, existing scheme, tax income information and preferred countries for treatment. Compare an annual budget for the whole household, separating compulsory insurance from supplementary cover.

The right of option must normally be exercised within three months of the qualifying event. Your choice is binding and can only be reopened in specified circumstances; changing employer alone is insufficient.

Move from information to comparison

Start with the CMU or LAMal comparison to prepare your assumptions. For supplementary France/Switzerland benefits, use the cross-border supplementary health comparison. Our cross-border worker guide brings together practical tools and formalities.

These tools prepare your discussion; they are neither an enrolment decision nor a policy purchase.

Official sources (French) : Assurance Maladie — travailleur frontalier suisse · Urssaf — choisir son régime · Canton de Genève — droit d’option.

The cross-border worker must provide his employment contract, proof of address and fill out the registration form for the CMU.

Transborder mobility allows French residents to work in Switzerland thanks to the free movement of people between the EU and Switzerland.

Free movement makes it possible to work in Switzerland without a specific work permit, facilitating access to the Swiss labour market.

Yes, a cross-border permit is required to work in Switzerland while living in France.

Q: What types of residence permits can I obtain in Switzerland?

A: You can obtain a short-term permit (up to 12 months), a long-term permit (five years), or a permit for self-employed people working in Switzerland.