What a surviving partner receives
Survivors' benefits across the three pillars: AHV widow's and widower's pensions, the Pillar 2 survivor's pension, who inherits a 3a — and why cohabiting partners must act in advance.
In one line: For a married spouse, survivor protection is largely automatic. For a cohabiting partner, almost none of it is — and the steps that fix that have to be taken while both are alive.
When someone dies, all three pillars can pay something to those left behind. What they pay, and to whom, depends heavily on the legal form of the relationship.
The first pillar (AHV)
The AHV provides widow's and widower's pensions and orphan's pensions, under conditions set out in the AHV legislation. The conditions attached to each are not identical, and they take account of factors such as children, the duration of the marriage and age.
This is an area where the rules have been under active review following a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the treatment of widowers, and a reform of survivors' benefits has been under parliamentary discussion. Because the position can change, check your specific entitlement with your compensation office (Ausgleichskasse) rather than relying on a general summary — including this one.
Registered partners are treated as spouses for these purposes. Cohabiting partners are not: there is no AHV survivor's pension for an unmarried partner.
The second pillar (pension fund)
Occupational pension schemes provide survivors' benefits, and here the mandatory minimums are clearly defined:
- Surviving spouse's pension: 60% of the insured person's retirement or disability pension.
- Orphan's pension: 20% of the same, per child.
Those are legal minimums for the mandatory portion; many funds provide more. The fund's own rules set the detailed conditions — typically the marriage's duration, the surviving spouse's age, and whether there are dependent children. Some funds pay a lump sum instead of, or alongside, a pension.
Cohabiting partners: a fund may provide a partner's pension, but it is not obliged to. Where it does, it almost always requires a written declaration filed with the fund while both partners are alive. A declaration made too late, or never made, cannot be repaired afterwards. This single form is the most consequential piece of paperwork for unmarried couples in the Swiss system.
The third pillar (3a)
On death, 3a capital does not simply fall into the estate. It is paid according to an order of beneficiaries defined in law, which places the surviving spouse or registered partner first, followed by direct descendants and certain other persons — including, under defined conditions, a partner who lived with the deceased.
Within the limits that order allows, the holder can specify who receives what. Because the 3a is one of the few places where an unmarried partner can be named directly, it is often the most practical protection available to cohabiting couples — alongside life insurance and a will.
What to actually do
- Read your pension fund's rules on survivors' benefits, rather than assuming the legal minimum applies.
- If you are unmarried, file the partner declaration with the fund — and confirm in writing that it has been registered.
- Review your 3a beneficiary designation, especially after a marriage, separation or new partnership.
- Remember inheritance law is separate. Survivors' pensions are not part of the estate, but the rest of your assets are, and a will or a matrimonial property agreement may be needed to achieve what you intend.
Common questions
Does a surviving spouse receive an AHV pension?
The AHV provides widow's, widower's and orphan's pensions subject to conditions. Those conditions differ between cases and have been under review, so confirm your own position with your compensation office.
How large is the Pillar 2 survivor's pension?
For the mandatory portion, at least 60% of the insured person's pension for a surviving spouse and 20% for each orphan. Individual funds may pay more, and set the detailed conditions in their rules.
Is a cohabiting partner entitled to anything?
Not from the AHV. From the pension fund only if its rules allow it and a declaration was filed in time. The 3a and life insurance are usually the workable routes.
Who gets my 3a if I die?
It follows the statutory order of beneficiaries, with the spouse or registered partner first. You can specify allocations within what that order permits, so it is worth reviewing after any change in your situation.
Sources: AHVG (SR 831.10) on survivors' pensions; BVG (SR 831.40) Art. 18–20 (survivors' benefits; widow/widower 60%, orphan 20% of the insured pension) and the individual pension fund's regulations; BVV 3 (SR 831.461.3) Art. 2 (order of beneficiaries for Pillar 3a); Federal Social Insurance Office (BSV).
Educational information, not financial advice. Survivors' rules depend on your fund's regulations and your personal circumstances, and the AHV position has been subject to change.