Prenatal Registration with the Insurer: Timing, Procedure, Benefits

1. What is prenatal registration?

In prenatal registration, the contract with the insurer is concluded already before the birth of the baby. The benefit arises from two different protection logics:

• The basic insurance of the insurers applies under KVG retroactively from the date of birth, provided that registration takes place within three months after birth. Acceptance is legally guaranteed.
• For supplementary insurance, there is no acceptance obligation. If the application only arrives after birth, policy restrictions or rejection of supplementary insurance loom, particularly if the baby is born ill or with a birth defect.

With prenatal registration, you secure access to both protection layers from the first day of life. Many insurers also waive a comprehensive health questionnaire if the application arrives on time.

3. When should I register my baby with the insurer?

Most insurers accept applications from the 6th month of pregnancy (24th SSW). The recommendation is to register the baby in the last three months of pregnancy. This way you have enough time for comparison, offers and application. The pregnancy benefits of basic insurance apply additionally from the 13th week of pregnancy without deductible and co-payment.

Registering too early (1st to 5th month) rarely has advantages: Some insurers reject early applications to avoid the risk of a miscarriage weighing on the file. Registering too late after birth is risky: supplementary insurance can then be rejected by the insurer.

4. How does prenatal registration proceed?

The procedure follows four steps. For the conclusion, neither the definitive name nor the exact date of birth is required.

1. Compare insurers. Besides basic insurance, supplementary insurance for children is central. Important benefit areas are dental supplementary, hospital supplementary and complementary medicine such as osteopathy or massage.
2. Request offers. Obtain several offers, with an explicit reference to the prenatal registration. This way you compare premiums and conditions for the baby directly.
3. Fill out application. In the application, "Baby + surname" is entered, the date of birth corresponds to the calculated date. With many insurers, health questions are omitted or are strongly reduced.
4. Report the birth. As soon as the baby is here, transmit name, date of birth and AHV number (from the civil registry office) to the insurer. The policy is activated, the premium becomes due from the actual date of birth.

Which supplementary insurance makes sense for babies

Three supplementary insurances are particularly often concluded for babies. For all, the rule applies: apply for acceptance prenatally and observe waiting periods.

• Dental supplementary insurance: Braces cost CHF 8'000 to 15'000. Basic insurance covers nothing (except for severe jaw anomalies). Dental supplementary insurance covers 50 to 75 % up to maximum CHF 10'000, with waiting periods of 1 to 2 years from contract conclusion.
• Hospital supplementary insurance: Secures rooming-in, free choice of hospital and shorter waiting times. Often favourable for babies (CHF 10 to 30 per month), hospital stays occur more often in the first years of life than later.
• Complementary medicine: Osteopathy and massage are often used after birth, for example for colic, torticollis or blockages. Coverage 70 to 90 % up to maximum CHF 1'000 to 3'000 per year.

5. Which mistakes to avoid in prenatal registration?

Three mistakes are seen by advice centres in Switzerland particularly often in prenatal registration:

Mistake 1: Registering too late. If the baby is only registered weeks after birth, the supplementary insurance can set policy restrictions or reject the application in case of documented peculiarities. The follow-up costs: rooming-in not covered (around CHF 200 per night in own costs), orthodontics not covered (CHF 8'000 to 15'000), osteopathy not covered (around CHF 120 per session).

Mistake 2: Registering only basic insurance. Parents often think that supplementary insurance can be added later. If a peculiarity occurs after birth (such as torticollis, harmless but documented), the insurer can reject the supplementary insurance and the braces coverage is lost completely. Basic and supplementary insurance are therefore often applied for prenatally at the same time.

Mistake 3: Seeing the wrong date of birth as an obstacle. Many parents fear that a deviation between calculated and actual date of birth requires a new registration. The date of birth in the application is a placeholder; after birth it is corrected by phone or email. The policy remains valid, the premium is calculated from the actual date of birth.

This article was first published on 12/02/2026