Are you returning to your home country after having worked in Switzerland? Several EU countries have set up programmes for those returning.
Contact the consular representation of your country of origin for information about returning home.
Important information for nationals returning to the EU/EFTA
If you are registered as unemployed, you have the option of searching for work abroad while continuing to receive unemployment benefits (“benefits transfer”). However, this is only possible for up to three months and only in an EU/EFTA country. You need to contact your regional employment centre (RAV) and apply for your benefits to be transferred. They will prepare the PD U2 form if the conditions have been met.
Form U2 - Portable Documents (PD)
Authorisation to receive unemployment benefits while searching for work in another country.
The PD U2 form is issued by the regional employment office.
You will find further details on the PD U2 form here (PDF, 113 kB, 04.12.2017).
Form U1 - Portable Documents (PD)
Certification of insurance periods to be taken into account when calculating unemployment benefits.
In Switzerland, the form is issued by an unemployment insurance fund.
You will find more detailed information about the PD U1 form here (PDF, 117 kB, 06.12.2017).
In order to process your application, the unemployment insurance fund requires the following information:
- The form Antrag auf Ausstellung eines PD U1 (PDF, 498 kB, 30.10.2017)
- Have you in the past been registered with an unemployment insurance fund or have you received unemployment insurance benefits?
If so, please send your documents to this unemployment insurance fund.
If not, please send your documents to an unemployment insurance fund of your choice that operates in your last place of residence. If you have not lived in Switzerland, please send the documents to an unemployment insurance fund of your choice that operates in the place of business of your last employer.