Your AVS number is the 13-digit code that appears on your health insurance card, and it often takes people weeks to understand exactly what it’s for. If you already live or work in Switzerland, you already have one, even if you haven’t applied for it.
It is called NAVS13 and has replaced the old 11-digit number since 2008. Unlike the NIE or the Spanish social security number, it does not contain any personal details: it is completely anonymous. If you get married, divorced or change your name, the number remains the same. It is permanent and stays with you for life.
If you arrived with a residence permit or started working in Switzerland, that number was assigned to you automatically. The Central Compensation Office in Bern generates it and sends it to your employer, the compensation fund and your insurer. You do not need to apply for it or fill in any forms. For most people, the first time they see it is on their health insurance card, in the ‘Insurance number’ field.
What it’s actually used for: calculating AVS and AI contributions, family allowances, tax returns, second-pillar pension registration, dealing with the RAV if you become unemployed, and administrative procedures with the cantonal compensation funds. It also appears in cantonal administrative registers, the debt collection register and on official certificates. In Switzerland, it is the functional equivalent of an ID card and a social security number combined, condensed into a single number that never changes.
If you don’t know which one applies to you, check your health insurance card. If you don’t have one yet, contact your cantonal compensation fund or ask your employer. There’s no need to visit a specific office or complete any preliminary paperwork: it’s been in place since you arrived.