AHV in early retirement: the non-employed contribution you still owe until 65
| 01 | Why early retirees still owe AHV |
| 02 | How your non-employed AHV contribution is worked out |
| 03 | When your spouse or registered partner can cover it |
| 04 | Common questions |
| 05 | See what these years cost you |
In Switzerland you owe the state pension (AHV) until age 65 - even after you stop working. Retire early and the AHV doesn't stop billing you. You're reassessed as non-employed (Nichterwerbstätige), and your AHV contribution is based on your savings and any pension income, not a salary. If you've saved a lot, that bill is real money. It's one of the most overlooked costs of early retirement.
In one line: stop working before 65 and you still owe AHV — worked out from your savings, not a salary. It's a yearly cost many early retirees forget.
Why early retirees still owe AHV
You have to pay AHV until age 65, whether or not you work. While you earn a salary, it's taken out automatically. Stop working early and that pay stops — but the bill doesn't. So you're charged under the "not working" rules instead.
How your non-employed AHV contribution is worked out
Illustrative only - depends on your wealth & income.
If you aren't working, the AHV looks at your savings plus 20 times your yearly pension income. It uses a sliding scale, between a yearly minimum and maximum. The more savings and pension income you have, the more you pay — up to a cap. The exact figures are set each year, and the 2026 ones apply here.
A quick example (made up, to show the idea): someone who stops at 60 with significant savings and no salary could owe AHV every year until 65 — five years of payments many people don't budget for. The exact figure depends on your own savings and pension income.
When your spouse or registered partner can cover it
There's an important exception. If you're not working but your spouse or registered partner is employed and pays at least double the minimum AHV, your own contribution counts as covered. You don't pay separately. This applies to married couples and registered partners only; an unmarried partner's contributions never cover yours. So for couples, whether one partner keeps working really changes the cost.
Common questions
Do I still pay AHV if I retire early?
Yes. You owe AHV until age 65. Stop working before then and you're charged based on your savings and any pension income, not a salary.
How is the bill worked out?
On a sliding scale from your savings plus 20 times your yearly pension income, between a yearly minimum and maximum set each year by the authorities.
Can my partner's payments cover mine?
Yes — if your spouse or registered partner is employed and pays at least double the minimum AHV, your own contribution counts as covered. This applies to married couples and registered partners only.
Why does this matter so much?
Because it's a cost for every year between stopping work and 65 — and it's easy to forget when planning early retirement.
See what these years cost you
SORVA builds a year-by-year picture of your money from today to the end of your plan, and it prices these AHV years in rather than hiding them. For every year between stopping work and 65, it estimates your non-employed contribution from your savings and pension income, following the official scale. You can then change one thing at a time, retiring a year later, or a partner staying employed, and see how the total cost moves on your own numbers. See what your early-retirement years could cost: create your plan at sorva.ch, free during the public beta.
Educational information, not financial advice. Figures are for 2026 and may change.