AXA Switzerland is supporting refugees who have had to leave their home in Ukraine because of the invasion and come to Switzerland with quick and unbureaucratic insurance and services free of charge.
Information, questions, and answers regarding insurance and offers relating to the current situation can be found on this page, which is updated regularly.
AXA is offering refugees and their Swiss host families assistance in various areas – so that they don’t also have to deal with insurance issues in their time of crisis.
Do you have legal questions regarding taking in refugees in private households, the laws in Switzerland, or on employment law? AXA-ARAG legal protection insurance is happy to help support you with free legal advice – for refugees as well as for host families and others who would like to help. You can either use the form or submit your query via WhatsApp.
Ukrainian refugees in Switzerland are entitled to medical care. More information can be obtained from the State Secretariat for Migration SEM. Depending on the canton, the responsible authorities also offer access to liability insurance, but this is not obligatory.
Ukrainians can register after arrival at a federal asylum center and submit an application there for protection status S. In doing so, they are registered retroactively by the canton for obligatory health insurance as of the point the application was submitted.
Refugees who are employed automatically receive accident insurance through their employer. Companies that employ Ukrainian refugees must take out mandatory accident insurance to insure them against accidents as required by law. If a Ukrainian refugee is employed for more than 8 hours per week on average, then they are automatically also insured against non-occupational accidents. As a result, the accident coverage can be excluded from the health insurance coverage.
If there is a mandatory accident insurance policy for all employees, then Ukrainian refugees are generally also covered by this. The same applies in cases of any supplementary accident insurance in place (supplement to mandatory accident insurance).
In general, the same contractual conditions of the motor vehicle insurance apply to all drivers of the insured vehicle provided that the driver has a valid driver’s license. Foreign driver’s licenses are valid if they are in an international format or a translated version is available and if the driver has not been in Switzerland for more than 12 months (after that time, a Swiss license is required; see also the website of the federal government). What is still owed are the deductibles and loss of bonus (if this is stipulated in the contract).
Ukraine is a part of the so-called green card agreement. People who travel to Switzerland from Ukraine must have an international insurance card (previously green card) with them confirming that liability insurance with sufficient coverage is in place for their vehicle. If they do not have this card, then they must take out frontier insurance for the liability when they enter the country. If a foreign vehicle has a loss or damage event with a vehicle insured in Switzerland, then the Swiss National Bureau of Insurance is responsible for conducting the clarifications. If the foreign vehicle is not insured, then the National Guarantee Fund of Switzerland bears the cost of the damage. Accidental damage insurance, on the other hand, is not obligatory.
AXA Switzerland cannot issue an international insurance card (formerly green card) for foreign vehicles. It is only possible if your vehicle is insured with AXA. In this case, you can apply for an insurance card on this website. If your vehicle is insured with another insurance company, you can apply for an international insurance card (green card) with that insurer.
If a group daily benefits insurance policy is in effect for all your employees, then Ukrainian refugees would normally have automatic coverage. As a rule, if a daily benefits insurance policy from AXA has been taken out, new employees do not need to fill out a health questionnaire.
A company that employees a Ukrainian refugee does not need to take any further steps for general commercial liability insurance or professional liability insurance. In other words, the refugee is considered to be a normal employee who is covered by the insured company for their employment activity.
People with protection status S who work are mandatorily insured with the AHV (Old Age and Survivors' Insurance) and subject to occupational pension provision as defined in the BVG (see the informational brochure of the State Secretariat for Migration SEM for foreign citizens regarding social insurance for stays in Switzerland and upon departure).
Refugees can therefore be registered with the occupational benefits insurance exactly as other employees. You can contact one of our advisors if you have any questions.