Are you planning to return to Switzerland? The following organisations will help you with this:
- If you are planning to return to Switzerland in less than two months, you can contact the regional employment centre (RAV) in your area when you arrive. The RAV personnel consultants are highly trained experts, who will help you while you are unemployed and actively assist you in finding a job.
- On behalf of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Office of Economy and Labour of the Canton of Basel-Stadt (AWA BS) can provide you with advice on looking for work if you are not planning to arrive back in Switzerland for another two months or more. In this case, please complete the registration form (PDF, 602 kB, 02.07.2019) and send it by email together with your application documents to laurent.hodio@bs.ch.
- The Consulate Directorate of the FDFA has produced a guide for Swiss nationals returning from abroad, which contains answers to questions relating to this topic.
- The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (ASO) provides information on the administrative steps you need to take before leaving for/arriving in Switzerland.
Important information for Swiss nationals returning from the EU/EFTA
If you are resident in an EU member state and have worked there, you can register at a Regional employment centre (RAV) in Switzerland. However, if you have not spent long enough in the past making contributions in Switzerland, you are not eligible to receive benefits from Swiss unemployment insurance. In this case, you must register with the responsible local authorities in the EU where you live and apply for your benefits to be exported (PD U2) before you move back to Switzerland. This EU country will then pay you unemployment benefit for a limited period of time.
Form U2 - Portable Documents (PD)
Authorisation to receive unemployment benefits while searching for work in another country.
Form P2 is issued by the public employment agency or the responsible social security provider in the country where you became unemployed.
It must be submitted to the national employment agency of the country in which you are looking for work.
More information on Form PD U2 (PDF, 113 kB, 04.12.2017)
The EU provides information here about the process.
Form U1 - Portable Documents (PD)
Certification of insurance periods to be taken into account when calculating unemployment benefits.
The form is issued by the public employment agency or the responsible social security provider in the country/countries where you worked.
Form U1 must be submitted to the national employment agency of the country in which you wish to receive unemployment benefits.