AHV contribution gaps: how missing years shrink your Swiss pension (and how to close them)
| 01 | How gaps happen |
| 02 | What a gap costs |
| 03 | How to close an AHV gap |
| 04 | Common questions |
| 05 | See your own AHV gap |
A full Swiss state pension (AHV) assumes you paid in every year you worked. Years with no payments are common if you arrived in Switzerland mid-career, took a career break, or lived abroad. Those years leave an AHV contribution gap that permanently lowers your pension. The catch: you can usually only close a gap by paying back missed years within about five years — so spotting one early really matters.
In one line: missing AHV years quietly shrink your state pension — and you can usually only pay them back within about five years. So check early.
How gaps happen
- Arriving in Switzerland mid-career — the years before you started paying in are missing.
- Time spent abroad — unless you kept paying AHV voluntarily, those years are gaps.
- Career breaks — periods with no AHV payments (and not covered as a non-worker or by a partner).
What a gap costs
Your AHV pension depends on how many years you paid in and your average income. Each missing year cuts the pension by roughly one forty-fourth of a full career — so a few missing years add up. Your income matters too. The pension rises faster with average yearly income up to CHF 45'360 (2026), then more slowly.
A quick example (made up, to show the idea): someone who moved to Switzerland in their thirties may have several missing AHV years, each trimming the eventual pension. The exact cut depends on your record and income.
How to close an AHV gap
- Pay back recent missed years — you can usually only do this within about five years, so act early.
- Avoid new gaps — if you stop working before 65, keep paying AHV as a non-worker (see Retiring early? You may still owe AHV); abroad, voluntary AHV is sometimes possible.
- Check your record — ask for your AHV account statement; it lists the years you've paid in.
Older gaps usually can't be bought back — which is why the five-year window and checking early matter. If you plan to stop working before 65, see how the bridge years to your AHV pension work.
Common questions
How does an AHV contribution gap lower my pension?
Your pension is based on the years you paid in and your average income. Each missing year cuts it by about one forty-fourth of a full career, so several add up.
Can I pay back missed AHV years?
Usually only within about five years of the missed payment — older gaps generally can't be bought back, so check early.
How do I find out if I have a gap?
Ask for your AHV account statement (the IK-Auszug), which lists the years you've paid in.
Do people who move to Switzerland often have AHV gaps?
Yes — arriving mid-career or spending years abroad without keeping up AHV are common causes.
See your own AHV gap
SORVA estimates your AHV pension from your contribution years and income, following the official rules, so a missing year shows up directly in your projected retirement income instead of staying invisible. You can test what paying back a recent missed year while the window is still open, or keeping contributions running until 65, could change, and see the difference across your whole plan. And because AHV is only one pillar, it sits alongside your pension fund and Pillar 3a in the same picture, so you can judge how much a gap really matters for you. See what a missing year could mean for you: create your plan at sorva.ch, free during the public beta.
Educational information, not financial advice. Figures are for 2026 and may change.