AHV Consultant
Why use an AHV consultant?
Understanding your AHV situation is essential to secure your retirement and avoid unpleasant surprises. Working with an AHV consultant allows you to analyze the status of your first pillar: review your contributions, verify your validated years, identify any gaps, and determine concrete steps to optimize your pension rights.
Benefits of AVS support
We review your individual account, your contribution periods, and your declared income to give you a complete overview of your situation within the first pillar. You’ll know exactly where you stand and what pension amounts you can expect at retirement.
We identify any missing contribution years or undeclared amounts. You receive concrete recommendations to regularize your contributions or make retroactive payments, in accordance with the current AHV regulations.
Based on your profile (employee, self-employed, expatriate, or cross-border worker), we propose targeted measures to optimize your rights: adjustment of contributions, voluntary affiliation, or coordination with your 2nd and 3rd pillars.
We guide you through the administrative procedures with the AHV office, help you interpret official documents, and provide follow-up until your situation is fully updated.
Book your AHV consultation
Do you have questions about your contributions, missing contribution years, or the future amount of your AHV pension? Take advantage of a personalized 30-minute consultation to clarify your situation and get precise answers to your questions.
- Quick answer to your question
- Immediate confirmation
- Certified pension advisors
How does an AHV consultation work?
Discover our approach to clarifying your AVS situation and securing your 1st pillar rights.
Analysis of your current situation
We examine your contributions, your individual AHV account and your recognized years of work in Switzerland and abroad. This first step immediately identifies any inconsistencies or missing periods.
Entitlement check and pension calculation
We highlight any gaps between your financial needs and your projected benefits. This enables us to determine what additional measures are needed to secure your retirement.
Personalized recommendations
We can identify any gaps in contributions or administrative errors, and show you the practical steps you need to take to rectify them. If necessary, we can advise you on the possibility of buying back or making voluntary contributions.
Implementation and support
We support you in your dealings with the AHV funds or the relevant authorities, ensuring rigorous follow-up until your file is corrected or completely updated.
All you need to know about AHV in Switzerland
Discover our specialized articles to help you prepare for retirement in the best possible conditions.
Why choose Invexa?
Invexa will work with you rigorously, ethically and objectively to optimize your retirement and personal finances, without any conflict of interest.
Independent advice
Invexa is not affiliated with any bank or insurance company. We are on your side, defending your interests to the best of our ability.
Results-oriented approach
We'll help you make concrete, realistic decisions that are consistent with your tax, business and family situation.
Expert advice
Our advisors are specialists in their field and hold qualifications recognized in Switzerland.
All-round Support
Our team is at your disposal to advise and support you at all times, for simple or complex situations.
Frequently asked questions
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about AHV in Switzerland.
The AHV (Old Age and Survivors’ Insurance) is the first pillar of the Swiss pension system. Its purpose is to guarantee a basic income for every person living or working in Switzerland upon reaching retirement age, as well as for their dependents in the event of death.
The AHV represents the first pillar and the foundation of the Swiss social security system. It is based on intergenerational solidarity — the working population finances the pensions of retirees. Its goal is to ensure everyone a minimum subsistence income in retirement or after the loss of a loved one.
The AHV pension is the monthly amount paid upon retirement, calculated based on the number of contribution years and the average income earned during your working life. To receive a full pension, you generally need 44 years of contributions for men and 43 years for women (progressively 44). Any gap results in a permanent reduction of the pension amount.
For individuals without gainful employment (students, homemakers, early retirees, residents abroad, etc.), the minimum AHV contribution is currently CHF 530 per year (as of 2025).
For employees, the AHV contribution amounts to 8.7% of gross income, shared equally between employer and employee.
Yes, in certain cases. Swiss citizens and nationals of the EU/EFTA can continue to make voluntary AHV contributions when moving abroad, provided they have contributed for at least five years before leaving Switzerland. This helps preserve pension entitlements and prevent contribution gaps.
Missing contribution years can be regularized for the last 5 years. After this period, they can no longer be repurchased. It is therefore essential to request an AHV individual account statement regularly to identify and correct any gaps in time.
It is recommended to request a statement every 3 to 5 years, or immediately before moving abroad for work, becoming self-employed, or preparing for retirement. This ensures that all your contributions have been properly recorded and helps you avoid a reduction in your future pension.
The obligation to contribute to the AHV begins on January 1 following your 17th birthday if you are engaged in gainful employment.
For individuals without gainful employment (students, homemakers, etc.), contributions begin on January 1 following their 20th birthday.
Contributions continue every year thereafter, until retirement at age 64 for women and 65 for men (reference age from 2028). Uninterrupted contributions are crucial: each missing year reduces the amount of your future pension.
Understanding AHV: what you need to know
The AHV is the first pillar of the Swiss pension system. Its purpose is to guarantee a minimum income in old age or in the event of the death of a close family member.
Why it's important to you
Whether you are an employee, self-employed, an expatriate, or a cross-border worker, the AHV concerns you. It is mandatory for every resident or anyone engaged in gainful employment in Switzerland.
Failure to keep track of your AHV file may result in :
- Some missing years of contribution, that your future will reproach you for;
- A lower pension to what you thought you had.
- Some complicated administrative procedures, particularly for people who have worked abroad.
How it works in a nutshell
- You contribute throughout your active life .
- Atretirement age , you are entitled to an AHV pension.
- The amount of the pension depends of: your years of contributions, your income, your bonuses (e.g. for childcare) and any gaps.
- You can also anticipate (2 years maximum) or delay (minimum 1 year, maximum 5 years) your annuity to match your objectives.
Why use an AVS consultant?
- The AHV system is complex and full of subtleties that we don't always master (gaps, expatriate status, self-employed, cross-border commuters).
- An error or oversight can be expensive in the long runless income, lengthy procedures, stress.
- As an independent consultancy, we analyze your specific situation, identify any gaps, and propose a clear plan to optimize your rights.
In a nutshell
Yes, AHV is a must. And yes, it makes sense to anticipate, check and optimize your AHV file now, rather than regret it when it's too late.
Your contact
Claire Fivaz is IAF-certified insurance and pension advisor. She holds a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management from HEG Geneva, and has experience in individual and occupational pensions, as well as in financial planning.
- Languages: French - English - Spanish
