Only one policy is compulsory: motor vehicle third-party liability (RC). The Road Traffic Act (LCR, art. 63) imposes it on every keeper, without exception. Without a certificate of insurance, the cantonal road traffic office will not issue number plates.
Liability cover pays for the damage you cause to third parties: your neighbour's bodywork, a pedestrian's injuries, medical costs. It pays nothing for your own car. The Vehicle Insurance Ordinance (OAV) sets the minimum sum insured at CHF 5 million per claim. In practice, most policies go up to CHF 10 or 100 million, for a premium difference that is often less than CHF 20 a year.
Two structures complete the system. The National Insurance Bureau (BNA) handles claims caused in Switzerland by foreign vehicles and reimburses your damage if one of them hits you. The National Guarantee Fund compensates victims when the person responsible is unknown, uninsured or insolvent. You contribute to this fund through your liability premium.
Decision rule: take a sum insured of at least CHF 10 million for liability. The additional cost is negligible compared with serious personal injury, which can exceed CHF 5 million.
The text of the LCR can be consulted at https://www.fedlex.admin.ch.
How much does car insurance cost in Geneva, Vaud and Zurich?
Take one case: a 35-year-old driver with maximum bonus, a recent compact car worth CHF 25 000, 15 000 km a year. As an order of magnitude, they pay CHF 900 to 1 400 a year in Geneva for liability plus comprehensive cover with a CHF 1 000 excess. In Vaud, expect CHF 800 to 1 250. In Zurich, CHF 650 to 1 000.
The gap between cantons reaches 25 to 35% for an identical profile. It is explained by traffic density, the frequency of thefts and minor collisions in cities, and the cost of repairs. Geneva combines all three factors.
The profile weighs as much as the canton. A 22-year-old driver with a recent licence and no bonus often pays two to three times more than the 35-year-old. After the age of 60, the premium rises slightly with several insurers. The type of vehicle also matters: an electric car or a powerful saloon costs more to repair, and therefore to insure. On this point, our article on car insurance for electric vehicles details the differences.
These ranges are orders of magnitude observed on public comparison sites, notably Comparis, and vary according to the year, the insurer and individual pricing. No national average replaces a quotation for your own address. For an overview of the price components, see how much car insurance costs in Switzerland.
Decision rule: if your quotation exceeds your canton's range for your profile by more than 30%, request two other proposals before renewing.
Liability, partial comprehensive, full comprehensive: where does?
Liability alone covers third parties. Partial comprehensive cover adds damage that you do not cause: theft, fire, hail, storm, collision with an animal, broken glass. Full comprehensive cover also covers your own collision damage, including when you are at fault or in the event of vandalism.
The premium gap is decided here. Partial comprehensive cover generally costs CHF 100 to 300 a year. Full comprehensive cover adds CHF 300 to 900 depending on the vehicle and the canton. The payout, for its part, is capped at the market value of the vehicle on the day of the claim, not at the purchase price.
The calculation is based on residual value. A 12-year-old compact car worth CHF 4 000 no longer justifies full comprehensive cover: the premium often exceeds CHF 600 a year for a payout capped at that value. In two years, you will have paid close to a third of the car's value.
Practical thresholds:
Vehicle under 4 years old or worth more than CHF 20 000: full comprehensive.
Between 4 and 8 years old, value CHF 8 000 to 20 000: full comprehensive with a high excess, or partial if you can absorb a repair.
Beyond 8 years old or under CHF 8 000: partial comprehensive.
Under CHF 3 000: liability only, and save the difference.
If your car is exposed to theft, read our guide to car theft insurance in Switzerland.
Recommended level of cover / Vehicle age and value
Under 4 years old or over CHF 20'000
4 to 8 years old and CHF 8'000 to 20'000
Over 8 years old or under CHF 8'000
Under CHF 3'000
Example: 12-year-old compact car at CHF 4'000
All categories
Full comprehensive
Recommended: premium justified by the value to be protected
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—
—
Not worthwhile: premium over CHF 600 a year, i.e. close to a third of the value in 2 years
—
Full comprehensive with high excess
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Main option (partial comprehensive if a repair can be absorbed)
—
—
—
—
Partial comprehensive
—
—
Recommended (CHF 100 to 300 a year)
—
—
—
Liability only
—
—
—
Recommended: save the premium difference
—
—
Full comprehensive (extra cost)
—
—
—
—
—
+CHF 300 to 900 a year; payout capped at market value
Full comprehensive
Under 4 years old or over CHF 20'000Recommended: premium justified by the value to be protected
4 to 8 years old and CHF 8'000 to 20'000—
Over 8 years old or under CHF 8'000—
Under CHF 3'000—
Example: 12-year-old compact car at CHF 4'000Not worthwhile: premium over CHF 600 a year, i.e. close to a third of the value in 2 years
All categories—
Full comprehensive with high excess
Under 4 years old or over CHF 20'000—
4 to 8 years old and CHF 8'000 to 20'000Main option (partial comprehensive if a repair can be absorbed)
Over 8 years old or under CHF 8'000—
Under CHF 3'000—
Example: 12-year-old compact car at CHF 4'000—
All categories—
Partial comprehensive
Under 4 years old or over CHF 20'000—
4 to 8 years old and CHF 8'000 to 20'000—
Over 8 years old or under CHF 8'000Recommended (CHF 100 to 300 a year)
Under CHF 3'000—
Example: 12-year-old compact car at CHF 4'000—
All categories—
Liability only
Under 4 years old or over CHF 20'000—
4 to 8 years old and CHF 8'000 to 20'000—
Over 8 years old or under CHF 8'000—
Under CHF 3'000Recommended: save the premium difference
Example: 12-year-old compact car at CHF 4'000—
All categories—
Full comprehensive (extra cost)
Under 4 years old or over CHF 20'000—
4 to 8 years old and CHF 8'000 to 20'000—
Over 8 years old or under CHF 8'000—
Under CHF 3'000—
Example: 12-year-old compact car at CHF 4'000—
All categories+CHF 300 to 900 a year; payout capped at market value
Full comprehensive cover only if the car is worth more than CHF 8'000: below that, the premium eats up the value of the vehicle
Key takeaway
The older and less valuable the car, the lighter the cover should be: below CHF 3'000, liability alone is enough.
Source: Article "Liability, partial comprehensive, full comprehensive: where does the benefit end?" — LCR art. 63 (compulsory liability), fedlex.admin.ch
Excess of CHF 500, 1 000 or 1 500: what is the trade-off over 5 years?
The excess is the part of the damage that you pay out of your own pocket on each comprehensive claim. The higher it is, the lower the premium. Between a comprehensive excess of CHF 500 and one of CHF 1 500, the premium falls by 15 to 25%: the saving holds only if you do not make a claim for three or four years.
A worked example. Full comprehensive premium of CHF 800 a year with a CHF 500 excess. With CHF 1 500, it falls to around CHF 640, a saving of CHF 160 a year. Over 5 years, you gain CHF 800. A single claim then costs you CHF 1 000 more in excess. The break-even point is therefore 6 years and 3 months without a claim.
Claims statistics are on your side if you drive carefully: a driver reports a comprehensive claim roughly every 8 to 10 years on average. But this figure varies sharply in cities, where parking scrapes are frequent.
Compare the three levels:
CHF 500: high premium, a good choice if you cannot set aside CHF 1 000.
CHF 1 000: the most common compromise.
CHF 1 500: worthwhile if you have emergency savings and a claim-free record.
Decision rule: choose the highest excess whose amount would not put you in difficulty in the month of the claim. Our article on 10 tips to reduce your car insurance premiums details other levers.
Bonus-malus: calculation and the cost of a small claim
The bonus-malus is the system of discounts and surcharges linked to your claims history. Each year without an at-fault claim moves you up a level and reduces the liability premium. A claim for which you are responsible moves you down several levels, according to the insurer's scale.
The scales vary from one company to another, but the order of magnitude is constant: the maximum discount is around 60 to 70% of the base premium, reached after about ten claim-free years. A driver at the maximum level who reports a claim can lose 2 to 4 levels, i.e. 15 to 30% of the discount, and take three to four years to recover them.
This mechanism creates a precise decision threshold. Damage of CHF 800 with a CHF 500 excess gets you CHF 300. But if the loss of bonus costs CHF 200 in extra premium for three years, i.e. CHF 600, you have lost money by reporting.
Decision rule: below CHF 1 500 to 2 000 of damage, compare the net payout with the extra premium over three years before reporting. Some insurers offer bonus protection, generally charged at 5 to 10% of the premium: it is worthwhile when your discount exceeds 50%.
An at-fault claim must still be reported if a third party is injured. Never settle it amicably in that case.
Comparison sites or broker: what each sees of the market
Three channels, three viewpoints. An online comparison site such as Comparis voiture displays dozens of prices in a few minutes on the basis of your answers. It is quick and free for you, but it compares prices, not clauses: two identical premiums can hide different exclusions.
An agent of an insurance company, for example AXA assurance voiture or Allianz Genève, offers you the products of his or her company alone. They know their conditions in detail and can negotiate within their scale, but they do not show you the competition.
An independent broker is mandated to compare several insurers. They read the general conditions, flag exclusions and defend your file when a claim arises. They are paid by a commission from the chosen insurer, which they must disclose to you. According to the usual order of magnitude, this commission is already included in the premium: you do not pay more.
What each advises on exclusions:
Comparison site: nothing, apart from a summary of the main cover.
Agent: their own clauses, with no comparison with the others.
Broker: a cross-reading of several policies.
Decision rule: a simple profile (recent car, 35-year-old driver, no claims) can be handled with a comparison site. As soon as one point departs from the standard (young driver, collector's vehicle, professional use, claims history), use a broker.
Clauses to read before signing
Six points make the difference when a claim arises.
Gross negligence. If you cause an accident through serious fault (alcohol, major speeding, running a red light), the Insurance Contract Act (LCA) allows the insurer to reduce its benefits. Some comprehensive contracts partially waive this right. Check for an explicit waiver clause.
Regular drivers. If your 20-year-old child drives the car without being declared, the insurer may contest cover or apply a malus. Declare all regular drivers, even occasional ones.
Mileage. Limited-mileage options (10 000 or 15 000 km a year) lower the premium by 10 to 20%. Exceeding the cap without reporting it exposes you to a premium adjustment, or even a reduction of the payout.
New-value cover. Some contracts guarantee reimbursement at the purchase price for 12 to 36 months. Beyond that, you fall back on market value.
Legal protection. It funds a lawyer in the event of a dispute with a third party. Usual cost: CHF 60 to 150 a year.
Breakdown assistance. Often included, sometimes only beyond a minimum distance. If you are already a member of an automobile club, you pay twice for the same cover.
Decision rule: before signing, check these six points in writing. The policy's general conditions define your rights, not the sales pitch.
Changing insurer: deadlines and pitfalls
The standard contract runs for one year and renews automatically. To leave it at expiry, you need a written notice of termination received by the insurer no later than the last day of the period provided in the policy, generally 3 months before expiry. For a contract ending on 31 December, that means 30 September. In practice, send your registered letter in early September to keep a margin.
The multi-year contract is the main trap. A commitment of 3 to 5 years offers a discount of 5 to 15%, but it ties you in. Under the LCA, beyond 3 years, you can terminate at the end of the third year, with 3 months' notice. This discount is only worthwhile if you are certain to keep the vehicle and not to move to a more advantageous canton.
Two other exceptional cases allow you to leave earlier: a claim (both parties can terminate within a short period after settlement) and a premium increase not announced in time.
Decision rule: set a calendar reminder for August, compare in September, terminate before the end of September. For the full procedure and letter templates, see our guide to cancelling your car insurance in Switzerland.
"This article is provided for information purposes only and constitutes neither legal advice nor a contractual offer; Assurance-genevoise.ch, registered with FINMA under number F01502264, invites you to consult a qualified professional before making any decision regarding your car insurance in Switzerland."
FAQ
Only motor vehicle third-party liability (RC) is compulsory under the LCR. It covers damage caused to third parties, with a minimum sum insured of CHF 5 million. Partial and full comprehensive cover remain optional.
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