Contributions in 2026
| Portugal | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| First pillar (old age, disability) | inside the 11 % / 23,75 % | AHV/IV/EO 10,6 %: 5,3 % employee + 5,3 % employer, no ceiling |
| Unemployment | inside the same rates | 2,2 % (1,1 % each) up to CHF 148 200, 1 % solidarity above |
| Second pillar (occupational pension) | none — the state pension is the pension | compulsory BVG/LPP for salaries above the entry threshold, 7 % to 18 % of insured salary by age, at least half paid by the employer |
| Third pillar | PPR plans with a 20 % tax credit up to 400 € | pillar 3a deductible up to CHF 7 258 (employees) in 2025–2026 |
| Self-employed | 21,4 % on 70 % of average invoicing | AHV/IV/EO 10 % (degressive at low income), no compulsory second pillar |
| Health | SNS through residence, tax-financed | compulsory private health insurance, premiums paid by the individual |
| Pension age | 66 years 9 months in 2026 | 65 for men and, since 2025, progressively for women |
Employer cost on a 60 000 € salary: 14 250 € in Portugal; in Switzerland about 6,4 % for AHV and unemployment plus the employer’s half of the second pillar — typically 10–14 % in total — on salaries that are two to three times higher.
- 34,75 % vs about 20–25 % total contributions, with Switzerland's second pillar building an individual capital
- 24 months maximum posting under the EU–Switzerland coordination rules
- AHV and second-pillar pensions paid to Portugal and taxed only here
- 8,1 % vs 23 % standard VAT
One system at a time
The Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons extends Regulation 883/2004 to Switzerland: insured where you work; postings of up to 24 months on an A1 (from the Swiss compensation office or Segurança Social); the country of residence when you work in both and do a substantial part there; pension periods added for the minimums (Portugal’s 15 years; Switzerland’s one full year of contributions). The AHV is exported in full to Portugal; second-pillar pensions are paid by the fund wherever you live.
Leaving Switzerland for Portugal does not allow a cash-out of the compulsory second pillar (an EU/EFTA destination blocks it); only the extra-mandatory part and pillar 3a can be withdrawn, with cantonal source tax refundable under the treaty. The compulsory part stays in a vested-benefits account until retirement age.
Health cover
Swiss pensioners moving to Portugal with an AHV pension and no Portuguese work register with the SNS on an S1 issued by the Swiss health institution (KVG/LAMal cover continues by the EU rule of the pension-paying state, with premiums set for Portugal). Working residents join Segurança Social and the SNS, and their Swiss insurance ends.
VAT
| Portugal | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 23 % | 8,1 % |
| Reduced | 13 % (restaurant meals, some foods); 6 % (essentials, medicines, books, hotels) | 2,6 % (food, medicines, books, newspapers); 3,8 % accommodation |
| Small businesses | exempt up to 15 000 € of Portuguese turnover | registration from CHF 100 000 of worldwide turnover |
| Cross-border | Switzerland is outside the EU VAT area: exports at 0 %, import VAT at the Swiss border; Swiss businesses selling into Portugal register for the import-one-stop-shop or appoint a representative |
The VAT gap is the largest of any comparison on this site and shows in every restaurant bill; the corresponding Portuguese advantage is on income tax for pensioners and on the absence of wealth tax.
Steps
Posting
A1 from the Swiss compensation office before departure; Swiss payroll continues for up to 24 months.
Local employment
Employer and employee registered with Segurança Social; 11 % + 23,75 % from the first payslip.
Pensioner
AHV compensation office informed of the Portuguese address; S1; second-pillar and 3a decisions before the move.
Business
Portuguese VAT registration where goods or services are supplied here; Swiss VAT on imports handled at the border.
We register employers, employees and freelancers with Segurança Social, run payroll and VAT in Portugal, and sort the A1 and S1 with the Swiss offices. Ask us.
Questions
Can I keep paying AHV voluntarily from Portugal?
Not from an EU country: voluntary AHV insurance is open only to Swiss and EU/EFTA nationals living outside the EU/EFTA. Portuguese contributions take over and the periods are coordinated.
Is my pillar 3a taxed in Portugal?
A 3a withdrawal after you become resident is pension income here, with the capital component excluded where the contributions were taxed — they were deductible in Switzerland, so most of it is taxable. Swiss source tax is refunded on proof. Withdrawing before the move leaves only the Swiss cantonal tax.
Do I need private health insurance in Portugal?
Not legally — the SNS covers residents — but many Swiss keep a private policy for access and choice, at a fraction of Swiss premiums.
Sources and official references
- AHV/IV — leaflet 2.01: AVS 8,7 %, AI 1,4 %, APG 0,5 % = 10,6 %, employer and employee 5,3 % each; unemployment insurance in leaflet 2.08 — checked 18.9.2026
- ESTV — Swiss VAT rates: 8,1 %, 2,6 %, 3,8 % — checked 18.9.2026
- Lei n.º 110/2009, artigo 53.º — 23,75 % employer, 11 % employee; Decreto-Lei n.º 2/2018 — 21,4 % self-employed — checked 18.9.2026
- Código do IVA, artigo 18.º — 6 / 13 / 23 %; artigo 53.º — 15 000 € exemption — checked 18.9.2026
- Portaria n.º 358/2024/1 — Portuguese pension age 2026: 66 years and 9 months — checked 18.9.2026
- Convention Switzerland–Portugal, art. 18 and 21 — pensions and AHV taxable in the residence state — checked 18.9.2026