The short answer is yes, you can claim unemployment if you quit your job in Switzerland, thanks to the compulsory unemployment insurance that you’ve paid into.

But, there are a few caveats you need to know about.. 

The first is that you must be on a ‘B’ or ‘C’ permit to be eligible for unemployment benefits- as are the majority of international workers in Switzerland.

Those on an ‘L’ permit are eligible to draw unemployment benefits, if they worked in Switzerland for 12 months.

READ MORE: What unemployment benefits are foreign workers in Switzerland entitled to?

You also cannot claim unemployment if you’ve been self-employed or a freelancer for the duration of your time in Switzerland. 

This is because you need to have been engaged in full-time work paying into Switzerland’s national unemployment insurance program for a year – earning at least 500 francs a month – to be eligible.

Finally, there will be a penalty applied if you quit your job and then immediately file for unemployment benefits. 

Specifically, there will be a holding period on your payments of up to sixty days, although this will depend on your unemployment advisor and the circumstances of your quitting. If there are medical or mental health issues involved in quitting, your job, these can be taken into consideration in modifying the period. Therefore, it’s a good idea to hold on to any doctor’s reports when registering.

READ MORE: What you should know if you want to quit your job in Switzerland

If you are eligible, and you have registered at your local Regional Employment Centre (RAV), you can expect to receive 70 percent of your previous salary, and 80 percent if you have a dependent under 25 years of age, or you have a registered disability. 

The maximum unemployment benefits distributed to an individual by the government are 148,200 francs a year, for a monthly payment of 12,350 francs.