AHV/AVS number expiring

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
Probably a stupid question, and has probably been asked before, in which case apologies - I couldn't find anything by searching.

My AHV/AVS health insurance number expires on 30th June, according to what it says on the card. Do I need to actively do anything to renew it, or will it happen automatically?

I don't remember this happening before in my almost 25 years in Switzerland; I only know now because I received an automatic mail from my company's HR system telling me that "your government ID is about to expire".

2
They automatically send you a new one before the old one expires.

At least I assume that what happens.

I have never actually noticed the expiry date but we receive new ones periodically. I want to say every five years but can’t be sure about that as we also got new ones when we changed health insurance and I don’t know if the expiry dates changed or not.

3
I don't remember the AHV card having an expiry date. The number, I am pretty sure, never expires - it is your unique identifier.

Take a look here:

https://aza.ch/en/praxis/oasi-insurance-card/

4
Your AHV number doesn't expire, nor is it anything to do with your health insurance, it just happens to be printed on your health insurance card.

Your health insurance card expires however, if you don't get sent a new one by the end of May, call your health insurance.

5
Thanks everyone... I suppose the "your number expires" thing was just a badly-worded catch-all message from the HR system in that case :-)

6
For the AHV/AVS The numbers don't change -

And as long as you have not changed your insurance, you can keep using an expired card...we've been doing that for 10 years+... our insurance does not seem to send cards anymore...

7
My card is nearly 33 years old and still looks good in its custom plastic holder - I expect to expire before the card...

8
Just flip the card over to the European card. It too has an expiry. While the expiry date may be irrelevant in Switzerland I suspect you might have challenges presenting an expired card in EU/EFTA countries.

9
Your AHV/AVS number never expires.

If you have an AHV card, "AHV Ausweis", then yes, this can expire. You can get a new one from the office to which your AHV contributions are paid, or from which - if this is already the case - you draw your AHV pension.

Your health insurance card, "Krankenkassenkarte", has your details of your medical insurance company and also your AHV number printed on it. That card can expire. You can get a new one from your medical insurance company.

If you are Swiss, your Swiss government ID-card, "ID-Karte", can expire. You can get a new one from the same office where you would renew your Swiss passport.

How does any of this have anything to do with your HR, or how would they even know of such an expiry date?

10
Since when do these have expiry dates?

11
But, as mentioned above, your European Card does expire. Don’t cross the border without a valid one.

12
Sorry, I don't know since when. Not so long ago, a friend told me that he had to get a new AHV-Ausweis because his had expired.

13
What is a European Card, please?

14
Take your Medical Card out of your wallet. Turn it over. That blue thingy is your European Card. It guarantees you medical coverage on the same basis as a local in 26 EU member states, Norway and Iceland.

https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp...=559&langId=en

15
The the EHIC information printed on the back of the health insurance card.

I assumed it was the health insurance card with the AVS number on that the OP was referring to when he made this thread.

I don’t even have an AVS card, my health insurance card is the only thing I have with my AVS number on it.

16
There was a change in the AHV numbering system (the old version contained identifying information, e.g. your gender and date of birth, etc.), the new version does not contain any identifying information is simply a unique identifier.

After the switch new AHV cards were issued (instead of the grey ones sheets which had to be stamped) you would have received this version (but apparently should keep the old grey one just in case):

https://www.eak.admin.ch/eak/de/home...gsausweis.html

However, since 2016 this card is not required (at least for those who have a Swiss health insurance, since the number is printed on your health insurance card):

https://www.ch.ch/de/arbeit/altersvo...-/ahv-ausweis/

But you can order one if you want one...

https://www.ch.ch/en/documents-and-r...-an-oasi-card/

17
As seen in the first link AHV cards don’t expire

18
Good question... they have my AHV number of course, but the only reason I can think of why they would know the card's expiry date is that I'm in a company health insurance scheme.