You can only claim a Swiss family allowance for children living abroad if Switzerland is obliged to do so under the terms of a bilateral agreement. Switzerland has concluded such agreements with EU and EFTA member states. According to the terms of these agreements, EU and EFTA nationals are entitled to a Swiss family allowance for their children who are resident in another contracting State. Please note that recognised refugees are subject to the same rules governing entitlement to family allowances as EU and EFTA nationals.
When one parent works in Switzerland but their child lives in an EU state, for example, that parent may in principle claim a family allowance for the child, provided that the parent is a Swiss, EU or EFTA national or has recognised refugee status.
As a result of Brexit, the following rules apply for the UK:
- people (British, Swiss and EU nationals) who were in a cross-border situation with the UK before 1 January 2021 continue to be entitled to a Swiss family allowance, including for children born after that date;
- for people who are in a cross-border situation with the UK since 1 January 2021 at the earliest, family allowances are not exported.
In all other instances, these allowances are not exportable except for – and under certain circumstances – salaried employees who are posted abroad by an employer headquartered in Switzerland.