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Planning and funding a sabbatical: what you need to know beforehand

08.07.2025

Many people dream of a longer professional break, known as a sabbatical. There are a few things to bear in mind if you want to make your dream come true. We show you what you need to know about finances, insurance and your employment relationship.

At a glance

  • Whether it’s for travel, advanced training or a career change: a sabbatical opens up new prospects and often permanently alters the way people view their jobs and everyday lives.
  • It’s never too late for a sabbatical: a break can be an enriching experience, even later on in your career. 
  • If you plan in good time, you can prepare your employer, family and finances very effectively. In fact, the sooner you start planning, the more flexibility you will have.
  • There’s a lot to figure out: school permissions, insurance, your living situation, etc., but with the right preparation, you can enjoy peace of mind on your sabbatical. Our checklist can help you with this.

Travelling with your family for four months, writing a crime novel, weighing up a career change or brushing up on some rusty French – exactly how a sabbatical is used is a personal matter and depends on your interests and circumstances.

As a result, there is no universal definition of a sabbatical. With that said, it usually refers to a temporary break from working life, which typically lasts several weeks/months to a year, or even longer. A sabbatical is often taken for travel, advanced training or recreation and is generally used to take a break from everyday working life, de-stress and gain new perspectives on career and life.

Forget about everyday life and embark on an adventure – but make sure it’s well planned financially

To ensure that you can enjoy your sabbatical with peace of mind, it is worth planning your finances wisely. We highlight the options available to you for investing and good retirement planning.

Find out more

Planning a sabbatical: get started early enough

The idea of a sabbatical is usually something that’s been on a person’s mind for a while. At first, it’s just a vague notion, with initial plans forged and then discarded. Eventually, things become more set in stone, and it’s at this point in time at the latest that you should start proactively making plans and preparing. Depending on the type and length of your sabbatical, you may need more or less time, but you should allow for about a year of planning time.

  • There is no legal entitlement to professional leave in Switzerland. However, some employers, especially in the public sector, offer special sabbatical models or educational leave. If this isn’t the case, it’s usually a question of negotiating. Let your employer know what you have in mind at an early stage and discuss what options are available to you. It’s not just about whether and how long you can take a break from work, you should also consider retirement planning and insurance.

    Broadly speaking, you have the following options:

    • Unpaid leave: with this option, you remain employed, but you won’t be working or receive a salary. How long this leave lasts is subject to negotiation.
    • Time-off in lieu: if you have done a lot of overtime, you can get time-off in lieu by taking longer leave, if necessary. This is a good solution for a few weeks, whereas longer absences lasting several months are harder to arrange in this way. This also works with accumulated leave, provided the employer allows it.
    • Working time account: with this model, you do more work than what you’re paid for over a certain period of time – for example, you work full-time for six months, but receive a salary of 70 percent. You will then continue to receive your salary during the sabbatical. This option requires more advance planning.
    • Giving notice: if there is no suitable solution for both parties, or you want to change your career, giving notice is also an option. You can return to the same employer at a later date or look for a new position. Take account of any deadlines with your unemployment insurance fund.

    Unpaid leave

    • Employment: Remains in place
    • Salary: No
    • Insurance: Partial

    Time-off in lieu

    • Employment: Remains in place
    • Salary: Yes
    • Insurance: Remains in place

    Working time account

    • Employment: Remains in place
    • Salary: Yes
    • Insurance: Remains in place

    Notice

    • Employment: Is discontinued
    • Salary: No
    • Insurance: Organize independently

  • If you stay in Switzerland during your sabbatical, there isn’t usually as much to sort out in your private life as if you were to take the time off to travel abroad – especially if you have children.

    School-age children

    If you have school-age children, you should check the relevant legal provisions early enough and discuss the matter with the school. It comes down to the laws of the canton in question as to whether children can be taken out of school However, it is also up to the discretion of the school management. The canton of Zurich, for example, allows children to be taken out of school for 12 weeks, but the school management must approve it. Children can also be withdrawn from school and taught by their parents for up to one year. If one parent is a trained teacher, they can do so for even longer. In other cantons, the regulations are different and sometimes stricter.

    Apartment

    You can sublet your apartment, give notice on it or leave it temporarily unused. The last option is only worthwhile financially for shorter periods of absence if the rent is very low, and you should think very carefully about giving notice, especially in areas with a competitive housing market. Subletting and flat-swapping are generally permitted in rental properties, but should be discussed with the landlord. You are more free to make this decision if you own the property.

Checklist: Preparing for your sabbatical

A checklist can help with preparation and planning, e.g. you can divide up your checklist so that individual tasks are spread out over months/weeks before your sabbatical begins. We recommend setting money aside as early as possible. If we take as an example a family of four who wants to travel around Europe for four months, the checklist could look like this:

    • Inform the crèche, nursery and school about the absence
    • Apply for unpaid leave from your employer
    • Settle on an itinerary
    • Check/extend/apply for passport and ID
    • Compare/adjust/take out insurance policies
    • Start searching for and booking accommodation
    • Decide what payment methods to take 
    • Book your first flight or train tickets
    • Get booster jabs
    • Doctor appointments (dentist, paediatrician, gynaecologist, etc.)
    • Make a shopping list of things you’ll need, including first-aid kit
    • Cancel memberships and magazine subscriptions
    • Set up mail forwarding and a direct debit scheme
    • Sort out authorizations for accounts and insurance
    • Extend tax return submission deadline
    • Purchase what you need
    • Put together a first-aid kit
    • Draw up a packing checklist
    • Prepare your flat for subtenants
    • Gather travel documents and information
    • Digitize documents and IDs
    • Say goodbye
    • Pack
    • Get foreign currency

Funding your sabbatical: saving and budgeting

Funding is the number ONE priority when it comes to planning a sabbatical. However, not only do the costs of any travel or training need to be taken into account, but also any loss of salary during the sabbatical in particular.

If you haven’t just come into an inheritance or won the lottery, you should and indeed need to think about how you’ll fund your sabbatical at an early stage.

  • Start setting aside a monthly contribution as early as possible to lay a firm foundation for your break. If you have at least three years or more to make the money work for you, you could also consider investing it.

    Go to investing money

    But how do you go about saving money in everyday life? The first thing you could do is monitor your spending and identify potential savings. This often involves looking at expenses like going to restaurants, subscriptions and memberships, new purchases, and so on. We advise using a budget calculator to work out your personal savings potential.

  • Think carefully about how you spend your money during your sabbatical and set a budget for this special time. Tracking your expenses will help you to do this.

    • During your sabbatical you should ask yourself: how much money do I need for transport, accommodation, trips, food, language school, etc.? What expenses will I continue to incur at home? Which payment methods should I take with me and how should I set up secure access to my bank accounts?
    • At home: what expenses are a heavy burden on my budget, but are essential? How much money do I need to have on hand each month?

    Allow for a financial cushion if you’ve quit your job. Bear in mind that you may not be able to draw unemployment benefits as soon as your sabbatical has ended. 

  • You must also pay taxes during your sabbatical, as long as you remain registered in Switzerland. This is usually the case with a sabbatical. You’ll probably earn less as a result of taking a professional break, meaning you’ll have less tax to pay. If possible, you can strategically schedule your sabbatical and spread the tax savings over the course of two years.

    Make sure you also remember to apply for an extension for submitting your tax return if you are going to be absent during the relevant time period. You should also check whether you still have outstanding invoices. 

Be properly safeguarded, even during your sabbatical

You shouldn’t just be concerned with funding when planning your sabbatical – you also have to deal with insurance. After all, the whole point of taking a break from work is for your own pleasure and relaxation, and it shouldn’t be overshadowed by uncertainties.

  • Your insurance situation depends on the model and length of your sabbatical. It makes a difference whether you stay in Switzerland or go abroad, whether you continue to receive your salary or not, and whether you take a break for a few weeks or an entire year.

    The key insurance policies at a glance:

    • Health insurance (basic insurance): if you decide to stay in Switzerland, health insurance is not an issue. Even if you are travelling abroad, you can enjoy a certain level of security with a Swiss health insurance provider. In Europe, the cost of treatment in the event of illness is covered, at least up to a certain limit. But things are different abroad, especially in the USA. Contact your health insurance provider for more information.
    • Additional insurance: this can cover the above-mentioned treatment costs outside your country of residence, as well as other contingencies, such as return transport, searches, and so on. Depending on the situation, you can also extend your employer’s daily allowance insurance.
    • Accident insurance: as long as you are employed and receive a salary, you are covered for accidents by your employer. However, if you quit your job or take extended unpaid leave, you have to take out private insurance – either through your health insurance provider or in the form of special insurance. You can also take out what’s known as interim accident insurance, which extends your employer’s accident coverage by up to six months.
    • Household and liability insurance: household insurance frequently also covers theft away from home and kicks in, for example, if your luggage is stolen while travelling. In many cases, liability insurance also takes effect in the event of damage to a holiday home, not just in the comfort of your own home.
    • Travel insurance: if you are travelling, it makes sense to take out travel insurance with cancellation cost protection, travel protection insurance, legal protection insurance and luggage insurance. Be sure to avoid duplicating additional insurance policies.

  • In most cases, a sabbatical is accompanied by a salary loss or salary reduction. This has an impact on retirement provision.

    • OASI: to avoid any gaps, you should contact your employer or the OASI office in good time if you are going to be absent for a longer period of time.
    • Pension fund: you will still be affiliated with your employer’s pension fund if you remain employed during the sabbatical. However, there could be gaps that you may have to fill later, or that you will have to compensate for by yourself. If you quit your job, the money from the pension fund will be transferred to a vested benefits account and held there until you have a new job and a new pension fund. You should also check the insurance benefits of your pension fund. To do so, please contact your HR department or your pension fund.
    • Private retirement planning: your 3a accounts will remain in place, regardless of your sabbatical. If you are still working during your sabbatical year, you can of course continue to pay into your retirement savings account 3a up to the statutory maximum amount. Go to the article “We show you how much you can pay into pillar 3a”

    Think about whether you want to compensate for gaps in retirement provision. Retirement funds, for example, are an option here. 

Sabbaticals abroad – fancy combining travel and work?

If you intend to spend your sabbatical abroad, you might be toying with the idea of being a digital nomad and combining work and travel. If you are self-employed and have a traditional office job, you’ll be able to work on the go with relative ease. Employees can also occasionally work remotely if their duties or their employer allow it. In both cases, you need good time management, a reasonably stable Internet connection with the necessary security precautions, and the trust of customers and employers alike.

If you plan to spend time abroad in particular, you must check the above-mentioned insurance policies thoroughly and look into visa/residency regulations, as well as other legal requirements abroad. Allow enough time for this.

Getting back to work after your sabbatical

If you are employed and take unpaid leave, you usually return to work afterwards. You will need to agree on whether this will be in the same position or subject to a change. Make a note of this in writing and remember: you can also give notice during your sabbatical. Keep in touch with your supervisors and team during your absence and make sure they hear from you on a regular basis.

If you give notice and look for a new job later on, you should be aware that you cannot apply for unemployment benefits as soon as you’re back in the country, and that it may take a while before you return to the world of work.

Give some thought to how you want to present this “gap in your CV” and be sure to update documents, such as employment references and your CV, when you are ready. A career break is no longer a red flag nowadays, but you should still try to sell your sabbatical and the new skills you’ve acquired as persuasively as possible on your CV.

FAQs

  • There is no legal entitlement to a sabbatical in Switzerland, and you must negotiate this break with your employer. Common models include unpaid leave, time-off in lieu, a working time account or giving notice. Speak to the relevant person at an early stage and clarify issues such as insurance and retirement planning.

  • A sabbatical is usually associated with a salary loss or salary reduction. Perhaps you can draw on reserves to make your dream come true. Otherwise, you should make targeted, early savings. By tracking your expenses, you can find potential savings and put money aside. Passive income (e.g. from rent or dividends) can also be a source of funding.

  • This depends on whether you remain employed and whether you stay in Switzerland or go abroad. Important: health insurance (including additional insurance for trips abroad), accident insurance (if you give notice, arrange this yourself or opt for interim accident insurance), household and liability insurance and – for travel – comprehensive travel insurance.

  • If your salary falls during your sabbatical or you quit your job, this will have an impact on your retirement provision. If you give notice, the pension fund assets will be transferred to a vested benefits account. Unpaid leave may result in contribution gaps. These can be compensated for later – if required – by voluntary payments into your pension fund or private retirement planning.

  • Yes. As long as you are registered in Switzerland, you must pay taxes – even without income. Seeing as you will typically earn less during your sabbatical, your tax payments may be lower. With good planning, the tax burden can be spread out over the course of two years, which can yield additional savings.

  • This also depends on the type and length of your sabbatical. As a guide, you should allow for about a year. This will give you enough time to work out professional matters, save money, adjust insurance policies, get your documents in order and make any travel arrangements. A detailed checklist will help you to keep track so nothing important slips through the cracks.

  • You can give notice, sublet it or leave it empty. It’s only worth giving notice if you’re away for a long time, and it’s only worth leaving your flat empty if your rent is very low and you’re away for a short time. Subletting or flat-swapping are practical options, though if it’s a rental apartment, you should consult your landlord. 

  • Whether school-age children can be taken out of school for a sabbatical depends on the canton and the school management. In the canton of Zurich, for example, children can be taken out of school for up to 12 weeks if the school management approves. It is also possible to withdraw a child from school and provide private education – but often only if one parent is a trained teacher.

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