Signing on and registration

You must provide notice of your unemployment. This can be done online via the eService «Signing on with the public employment service (RAV)», or in person at the responsible regional employment centre (RAV). You should provide notice of your unemployment as early as possible, but no later than on the first day for which you wish to claim unemployment insurance benefits. To do so, you will need your OASI number (on your OASI card or health insurance card).

Within 15 days of giving notice of your unemployment, you will be invited to an initial consultation at your regional employment centre.

Please bring the following documents with you:

• OASI-DI insurance card or health insurance card
• Official identity document (ID card, passport, foreign national identity card)- Proof of efforts undertaken to find work
• All other information required by the RAV 
• The «PD U2» form if, as a citizen of an EU/EFTA country, you are already receiving unemployment benefits from an EU/EFTA country and are looking for a job in Switzerland

The RAV can already help you look for a job during your notice period to try to avoid you becoming unemployed.

RAV personnel consultants have a lot of contact with employers in your region and have built up trusting relationships with them. This means that in many cases, they will know about job vacancies at a very early stage. It is therefore worth getting help from your RAV!

During the registration process, you will be informed about the available public and private unemployment funds. You are free to choose any fund, but are then tied to this fund for the entire period. The fund will clarify your entitlement and then pay the relevant benefits each month.

In order to receive unemployment benefits (which are paid to you each month by your unemployment insurance fund), you must provide the fund you choose with the following documents:

• The «Application for unemployment benefits» form
• Employer’s certificates from the last two years
• Other information required by the unemployment insurance fund
• The «PD U2» form if you have come to Switzerland from an EU/EFTA country

Always submit the necessary details and documents as early as possible and in full, so that your unemployment insurance fund can determine and pay out the benefits to which you are entitled as quickly as possible.