Published on 19 January 2026

Social assistance for Swiss citizens living abroad

Swiss citizens abroad who cannot support themselves by their own means and have no access to private funds or assistance in their country of residence may apply for financial assistance to the relevant Swiss representation.

Are you unable to support yourself by your own means and have no access to private funds or assistance in your country of residence? Then you may apply to the relevant Swiss representation for financial assistance.

Application for financial assistance (German, French, Italian)

Swiss representations work closely with Social  services for Swiss Citizens Abroad (SSA). The SSA assesses applications for assistance, obtains further information and makes decisions in accordance with the Swiss Abroad Act (SAA, SR 195.1).

• Multiple nationalities

  Swiss citizens abroad with multiple nationalities are not usually granted social assistance if a foreign nationality takes precedence (Art. 25 SAA). The SSA is responsible for determining whether a Swiss or foreign nationality takes precedence in accordance with Article 16 SAO.

• Social assistance payments

  • Recurring benefits (monthly)
  • One-off benefits (e.g. for medical expenses, hospital costs for treatment in public hospitals)
  • Returning permanently to Switzerland
    SSA factsheet – Returning to Switzerland (German, French, Italian)

  Social assistance is intended to enable beneficiaries to live a simple  and dignified life. The representation will assess the financial and personal circumstances on the basis of a budget. The calculation criteria are based on the methods used for Swiss social assistance, which are adjusted to reflect the situation in the host country. Debts are not covered by social assistance.

• Repayment

  Beneficiaries whose financial circumstances improve are required to repay some or all of the social assistance provided.

• Swiss abroad facing financial hardship in Switzerland

  If you are a Swiss citizen who used to live abroad, but have now returned to Switzerland permanently, the social assistance office where you are now resident or currently staying will be responsible for any social assistance payments.

  Are you a Swiss citizen who officially lives abroad, but is temporarily residing in Switzerland?  Are you facing financial difficulties that you cannot resolve by your own means or by making your own arrangements? Then you should contact the social assistance office in the canton where you are staying, which may, in certain circumstances, provide emergency assistance.

  List of private and public advice and information centres in Switzerland, Swiss Conference for Social Welfare (SKOS) (German, French)

• Application forms

  The completed, signed forms must be submitted to the relevant Swiss representation.

  • AS 1 – Applicant's rights and obligations
  • AS 2 – Gesuch um Ausrichtung einer Unterstützung
    AS 2 – Demande relative à une demande d'aide sociale
    AS 2 – Richiesta d'aiuto
  • AS 4 – Formular für Personen mit mehreren Nationalitäten
    AS 4 – Formulaire pour les personnes possédant plusieurs nationalités
    AS 4 – Formulario per persone con più cittadinanze 
  • AS 5 – Transportkosten 
    AS 5 – Frais de transports 
    AS 5 – Spese di trasporto 
  • AS 11 – Budget für einfache pauschale Berechnungen 
    AS 11 – Budget à établir pour le calcul forfaitaire 
    AS 11 – Bilancio forfettario semplice 
  • AS 12 – Budget für pauschale Berechnungen mit Kopfquote
    AS 12 – Budget à établir pour le calcul forfaitaire par quote-part
    AS 12 – Bilancio forfettario pro capite 
  • AS 13 – Budget für individuelle Berechnungen 
    AS 13 – Budget à établir pour le calcul individuel 
    AS 13 – Bilancio individuale 
  • AS 14 – Budget für kombinierte Berechnungen mit Kopfquote 
    AS 14 – Budget à établir pour le calcul combiné 
    AS 14 – Bilancio combinato pro capite 

Links

• Consular assistance while abroad (German, French, Italian)
• Federal Act of 26 September 2014 on Swiss Persons and Institutions Abroad (Swiss Abroad Act, SAA, SR 195.1)
• Ordinance of 7 October 2015 on Swiss Persons and Institutions Abroad (Swiss Abroad Ordinance, SAO, SR 195.11)

Documents

• Sozialhilfe für Auslandschweizerinnen und Auslandschweizer, Weisung
  Directive sur l’aide sociale aux Suisses et Suissesses de l’étranger
  Istruzione sull’aiuto sociale agli Svizzeri all’estero
• Sozialhilfe für Auslandschweizerinnen und Auslandschweizer vorübergehend in der Schweiz – Rundschreiben 01.02.2020 
  Aide sociale pour Suisses de l’étranger temporairement en CH – Circulaire 01.02.2020 
  Aiuto sociale per Svizzeri dell’estero temporaneamente in CH – Circolare 01.02.2020 
• Formular AS2-a – Beilage zum Rundschreiben vom 01.02.2020 
  Formulaire AS2-a – Annexe circulaire 01.02.2020
  Modulo AS2-a – Allegato circolare 01.02.2020

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