Pillar 3a in cohabitation: how to secure your partner

In cohabitation, your partner is not automatically covered: whether the Pillar 3a balance arrives in case of death is decided long beforehand. Compando shows how beneficiary designation and the 5-year rule work and how to secure your partner properly.

Arben Salihaj

Updated on 03.08.2026

1
Is my partner automatically covered in cohabitation?
2
How can I designate my partner as beneficiary in Pillar 3a?
3
Do I have to live with my partner for 5 years?
4
Is Pillar 3a enough to secure my partner?
5
Coverage in cohabitation: what matters?
6
Conclusion: your three steps to coverage

1. Is my partner automatically covered in cohabitation?

Not automatically like in a marriage. In cohabitation, the OASI widow's/widower's pension and the statutory inheritance right are entirely missing. With Pillar 3a, your partner does not rank first like a spouse, but can be entitled through the statutory beneficiary order, provided the requirements are met.

The Swiss pension system is still strongly oriented towards married couples: those who are married benefit from statutory claims, in cohabitation an active arrangement is needed.

Topic	Marriage	Cohabitation
OASI widow's/widower's pension	statutorily possible	no
OASI orphan's pension	yes	yes
BVG/LPP survivor's benefit	statutorily regulated	regulations-dependent
Statutory inheritance claim	yes	no
Pillar 3a beneficiary designation	spouse in 1st rank	partner in 2nd rank possible
Action needed	rather low	high

For the pension fund, the claims depend on the pension regulations. Cohabiting partners receive benefits only if the regulations provide for it. Many funds additionally require a registration or beneficiary declaration during one's lifetime.

2. How can I designate my partner as beneficiary in Pillar 3a?

With a written beneficiary declaration to the pension foundation. Your partner may already be entitled to the Pillar 3a balance under the statutory beneficiary order of OPO 3: a qualified life partner belongs to the second rank, together with the direct descendants and further legally designated persons. Only after that do the parents follow.

The written declaration secures and specifies this claim. It documents your will, names the beneficiary to the foundation and, in the event of death, simplifies the check of the requirements. A will alone cannot replace the statutory beneficiary order.

Example calculation: A 38-year-old social worker from Bern has been living with his partner for eight years and has built up a Pillar 3a balance of CHF 95'000, including regular contributions up to the maximum contribution. Without a written beneficiary declaration, his partner would first have to prove the eight-year life partnership in case of death, which can lead to delays and dispute with other heirs. With the declaration during his lifetime, the beneficiary designation is documented and the allocation clear.

New beneficiary order from June 1, 2027

From June 1, 2027, the order of beneficiaries in Pillar 3a can be set more flexibly. Insured persons can then, for example, name their children as first beneficiaries even if they are married. Until then, the previous statutory order applies.

3. Do I have to live with my partner for 5 years?

Not necessarily. The five-year life partnership is the most common route, but not the only one. A cohabiting partner can be considered under the statutory beneficiary order if one of the requirements of OPO 3 is met:

an at least five-year uninterrupted life partnership until death
significant financial support by the deceased person
the obligation to provide for the maintenance of one or more common children

The claim thus rests on the beneficiary order of OPO 3, not on a provider's form. The written beneficiary declaration does, however, simplify proof and allocation within the rank.

Important is the distinction from the pension fund: there, the regulations can mandatorily require registration of the cohabitation during one's lifetime. A well-known case shows the consequences: a couple lived together for seven years, and the deceased had even named his partner as sole heir in the will. The pension fund nevertheless paid no partner's pension, because the cohabitation had never been registered via the prescribed registration form. For Pillar 3a, by contrast, the statutory beneficiary order applies; clarify the beneficiary designation directly with the pension foundation.

A review of the beneficiary designation is particularly sensible in the case of a new partnership, birth of a child, common home ownership, separation or major wealth build-up. Those who newly contribute to Pillar 3a should fill in the beneficiary declaration straight away.

4. Is Pillar 3a enough to secure my partner?

Pillar 3a alone rarely suffices. Especially with common home ownership, children or large income differences, further instruments come into consideration. Those who work part-time or take on caregiving duties are particularly affected: for women, the coverage gap in cohabitation grows additionally, which is why a look at the overall pension gap is worthwhile.

Will: sets the partner as heir
Inheritance contract: binding agreement between the two
Cohabitation contract: regulates the financial relationships
Advance care directive: representation in case of incapacity of judgment
Living will: records medical decisions
Death insurance: pays directly to the designated person, outside the estate

A pure death insurance quickly creates liquidity in case of death in favour of the designated person, for example to carry the mortgage with common home ownership or to pay off co-heirs. How the benefit is treated under inheritance and tax law depends on the specific policy, the beneficiary designation and any compulsory-portion claims.

For the remaining assets in the estate, inheritance tax is added: unmarried partners pay high rates depending on the canton, while spouses inherit tax-free. In individual cantons, the tax on an inheritance of CHF 500'000 can quickly reach several tens of thousands of francs. The payout from Pillar 3a, by contrast, is taxed not as an inheritance but separately as a pension benefit. Because the cantonal rules differ strongly, a cantonal check of the specific situation is sensible.

Consultation on provision in cohabitation

Beneficiary declaration, will, cohabitation contract and pension fund regulations act simultaneously on the partner's coverage. A neutral pension analysis is worthwhile.

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5. Coverage in cohabitation: what matters?

Many problems arise not because of missing pension products, but because of missing planning. Especially long-term couples feel «like married», but legally the status makes a big difference in death, inheritance law, taxes and home ownership.

Mistake	Possible consequence
no written beneficiary designation	dispute in case of death
no will	partner receives nothing from the estate
OASI widow's pension wrongly expected	income gap
pension fund regulations never checked	no benefits
common financing not regulated	problems with the home
old beneficiary designation never updated	unexpected claims

6. Conclusion: your three steps to coverage

In cohabitation, nothing happens by itself: you have to arrange your partner's coverage actively. Three steps are decisive:

Clarify the beneficiary designation: Inform your 3a foundation in writing about your partner and keep the proofs of the life partnership ready. Check separately the regulations of your pension fund, because there a registration during one's lifetime can be mandatory.
Will or inheritance contract: Only this way does your partner receive a part of the remaining estate, because a statutory inheritance right does not exist.
Suitable 3a solution: Compare costs, investment strategy and the possibility to easily deposit and update beneficiary details.

Which 3a solution suits your situation is shown by the direct provider comparison by costs, investment strategy and administration.