Withdrawing your vested benefits

Closing a vested benefits account

You can withdraw your vested benefits no more than five years before reaching the statutory retirement age (currently 64 for women [in future 65] and 65 for men) but also no more than five years afterwards. However, under certain circumstances you may also use your vested benefits for other purposes. When you can withdraw your vested benefits is regulated by law and is explained below.

• Self-employment: Do you want to start your own business? You can use your vested benefits as seed capital within a year of taking up self-employment. To do this, you need the confirmation of acceptance from the AHV compensation fund or the accident insurance scheme.
   
• De minimis: If your credit balance is less than an employee’s annual contribution to your former pension fund, you can withdraw your credit balance.

• Moving abroad, it depends on the country: If you move to an EU country, Norway or Iceland you can only withdraw the extra-mandatory part of your vested benefits, provided you are still subject to compulsory social insurance in that country. If this is not the case, you can withdraw your entire vested benefits. You can withdraw your entire credit balance when you move to a third country, with the exception of the Principality of Liechtenstein. A lump-sum withdrawal is not possible for the Principality of Liechtenstein.
   
• Disability: If you receive a full disability pension (degree of disability of 70% or more), you are entitled to withdraw your vested benefits. To do this, you need a legally-binding ruling from the Federal Disability Insurance scheme. 
   
• Death: In the event of death, the vested benefits will be paid out in accordance with the legal requirements pursuant to Art. 15 of the Vested Benefits Ordinance. The legal requirements allow the beneficiary clause to be amended within a narrow framework.
   
• Residential property: If you are planning to buy residential property for your own use or to build a house, you can withdraw your vested benefits for this purpose. Renovations to residential property that maintain or increase its value may also be financed using vested benefits. However, you may not use them to finance holiday homes or second homes.
   
• Repaying your mortgage: You may use your vested benefits to repay a mortgage, which is also referred to as amortisation. 
   
• Participation in a housing cooperative: If you want to buy a flat from a housing cooperative, you often have to buy share certificates from them. You can finance these certificates with your vested benefits.
   
• Divorce: In the event of a legally binding divorce granted by a Swiss court, we will split the pension entitlement equally. 
   
• Operational investments: If you are self-employed as your main occupation and would like to make operational investments for this purpose, you will generally be able to withdraw your pension capital.