You may already have found suitable premises, discussed setting up with a colleague or considered taking over from a doctor who is retiring. The appeal is clear: seeing patients in your own practice, choosing how to organise your work and practising medicine in a way that suits you. The next question is where to start.
Premises, authorisations to practise medicine and the first bills all need attention. It helps to begin with the kind of practice you want to run, then work out what you need to open it. This article explains the main decisions, with an illustrative budget and the points to consider in French-speaking Switzerland.
At a glance
- Start with your plans: your specialty, location, working hours and whether you will practise alone or with others.
- Distinguish two authorisations: the right to practise and admission to provide services covered by compulsory health insurance.
- Keep a cash reserve: equipment and building work are only part of your initial funding needs.
- If you take over a practice: review its accounts, lease and equipment. Do not assume that patients or authorisations will automatically transfer.
What kind of medical practice do you want to open?
A family medicine practice, a psychiatry practice and a clinic equipped for diagnostic procedures have different needs. Before comparing rents or legal structures, outline your activity. Which consultations will you offer? How many days a week do you want to work? What staff will you need? These choices determine the space, equipment and running costs your practice will have to cover.
Setting up alone or with colleagues
Working alone gives you control over your schedule, investments and consultations. You will also need arrangements for administrative work, cover and periods when you are away. Working with others can help you share certain costs and maintain continuity of care, provided you agree on how the practice will operate.
Sharing a reception and waiting room does not necessarily mean running a single business. Two doctors can share facilities while each retains their own practice. An organisation that employs doctors and bills for their services is a different arrangement. Before entering a partnership, put your agreement on costs, investment decisions and a partner’s departure in writing. These discussions are easier while everyone is on good terms.
Which legal structure should you choose?
A sole proprietorship may suit a doctor who wants to become self-employed and practise in their own name. There is no minimum capital requirement, but business debts also expose the owner’s personal assets. A limited liability company (Sàrl/GmbH) or a company limited by shares (SA/AG) lets you organise the activity through a company, particularly where several people are involved. Incorporation does not remove your professional liability as a doctor.
Your choice of legal structure (in French) therefore depends on your working arrangements, partners and financial risks. It must also comply with the cantonal rules that apply to the practice. Forming a company is not, in itself, permission to practise medicine.
Authorisations: two separate approvals to understand
Do you hold a Swiss federal medical diploma, a postgraduate qualification and several years of experience in Switzerland? You already have many of the elements needed. Even so, you must check your position with the canton where you intend to open. Permission to practise medicine and admission to bill services to basic health insurance are separate matters.
Your cantonal licence to practise
Cantonal authorisation applies when you practise under your own professional responsibility. It is required whether you are self-employed or employed by a company. For a doctor trained in Switzerland, the federal diploma and postgraduate qualification are the starting point. Check your details in the Medical Professions Register (MedReg) too. Registration does not replace cantonal authorisation.
The application also covers language skills, evidence that you can practise professionally and reliably, and professional liability insurance (in French). The cantonal health authority will tell you which documents it requires in your circumstances. If you already practise in another canton, confirm the necessary steps before setting your opening date.
Billing services covered by basic health insurance
To bill covered services to compulsory Swiss health insurance, known as AOS in French and OKP in German, you also need cantonal admission as a healthcare provider. This has its own requirements and may be subject to limits on the number of doctors in the relevant specialty and region.
Pay particular attention to the three-year requirement. It concerns work in the specialty for which you are applying, at a recognised Swiss postgraduate training institution. Having worked as a doctor for three years, without further details, does not establish that you meet the condition. Admission requirements also cover language proficiency, quality and affiliation with a certified community for the electronic patient record.
Until 31 December 2027, cantons may allow certain exceptions to the three-year requirement where there is a shortage in four specified primary care fields. This is not a general exemption. Ask the canton whether your plans fall within an accepted exception.
Once admission requirements are clear, the billing arrangements, including the RCC number issued by SASIS (known as a ZSR number in German), depend on how your practice is organised. The billing provider may be the doctor or the institution; an employed doctor may require a separate certificate. An RCC number does not replace the cantonal admission decision.
Who should you contact in French-speaking Switzerland?
Start with the health authority in the canton where you plan to practise. Explain your specialty, proposed location and working arrangements, especially if you intend to employ other doctors. The official cantonal pages below are in French.
| Location | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Geneva | Licence to practise and admission to bill basic health insurance |
| Vaud | Professional licensing portal |
| Fribourg | Applications for doctors |
| Neuchâtel | Requirements for doctors |
| Valais | Licence to practise and basic insurance admission |
| Jura and French-speaking Bern | Contact the competent cantonal health authority to check licensing and admission for your proposed location. |
Depending on the canton and your operating model, the facility may need an operating licence in addition to the doctors’ personal authorisations. Vaud, for example, has a procedure for outpatient medical facilities. Have your arrangements reviewed before committing to premises.
If you qualified outside Switzerland
Allow for an additional step with the Medical Professions Commission (MEBEKO) for your diploma and, where relevant, your postgraduate qualification. The route depends on your qualifications and circumstances. Recognition and registration are different: a foreign diploma appearing in MedReg does not, by itself, entitle you to practise under your own professional responsibility. Cantonal authorisations remain necessary, along with residence and work permit procedures where applicable.
How much should you budget for your medical practice?
The cost of opening depends first on what you need to create. Premises previously used by a doctor may need few alterations, while an empty commercial unit may require substantial work. Equipment needs vary just as much by specialty. A headline figure found online cannot replace quotations for your own plans.
Separate the money you need to open from the cash that will keep the practice running during the first few months. Rent, salaries and subscriptions start falling due while your appointment book is still filling up and some patient invoices remain unpaid.
An example of the funding you might need
The table below presents an illustrative CHF 150,000 scenario. It is neither a market average nor a quotation. Its purpose is to show the importance of the cash reserve, which can be easier to overlook than the price of equipment.
| Illustrative startup requirement | CHF |
|---|---|
| Building work and adaptation of premises | 40,000 |
| Medical equipment and furniture | 35,000 |
| IT equipment and software | 10,000 |
| Launch costs | 5,000 |
| Operating cash reserve | 60,000 |
| Total funding needed | 150,000 |
In this example, CHF 90,000 prepares the practice for opening and CHF 60,000 remains available for running costs. Assuming monthly cash outflows of CHF 15,000, the reserve would cover four months of expenses before any money comes in. Your cash flow budget (in French) should refine this calculation month by month, allowing for expected receipts and payment delays.
Remember your own income too. If you leave a salaried role, the practice must eventually support your living costs as well as pay its bills. If you hire a medical practice assistant, budget for the full cost of the position, including social security contributions, rather than gross salary alone.
How can you finance the launch?
Your own funds and a business loan may finance part of the project. Quotations and a cash flow forecast will be more useful in a discussion with a bank than estimates based solely on a theoretical number of consultations. Model a slower start as well, to see whether you have enough financial room.
If you form an LLC, its minimum capital of CHF 20,000 is not an additional expense to count again on top of your investments. Once released, those funds can be used for the company’s activity, subject to its obligations. Withdrawing second-pillar pension funds (in French) is subject to specific conditions, including those relating to self-employed status. Becoming an employee of your own Sàrl or SA does not create that entitlement. A withdrawal also reduces your retirement provision.
Realistic revenue and a full picture of costs
Since 1 January 2026, TARDOC and outpatient flat rates have replaced TARMED in the relevant health insurance billing framework. Estimate revenue from the services you will actually provide and the applicable tariff rules, working with your billing specialist.
VAT also needs to be reviewed in light of your particular activity. The exemption for certain healthcare services does not mean that every source of practice revenue is exempt. It can also restrict recovery of the VAT paid on related purchases. Clarify your VAT position before comparing quotations that exclude VAT.
Preparing your practice for its first consultations
Premises that suit the way you work
When viewing a property, picture a patient’s journey from arrival to departure. Is access suitable for the people you will treat? Can you maintain confidentiality at reception? Will the layout help consultations run smoothly? These questions help you assess premises beyond their address and rent.
Before signing, confirm that your intended activity and alterations are permitted, with the landlord’s agreement and any necessary authorisations. Radiology, laboratory work or dispensing medicines may bring additional requirements. Cost these at the outset, rather than discovering after the building work that something essential is missing.
An organisation that leaves time for patient care
Appointments, phone calls, test results and invoices are all part of running a practice. Decide who will handle each task and when. Software cannot make up for unclear responsibilities; equally, a well-organised team needs tools that make its work easier.
During a software demonstration, ask to follow a case from start to finish: creating the patient record, recording a consultation, billing and tracking payment. Check access permissions, backups and how you can retrieve your data if you change providers. Health data requires specific safeguards, including when IT services are outsourced.
Arrange your accounting before the first invoices arrive. Decide who will keep the accounts (in French) and how supporting documents will be passed on. You can then regularly monitor what the practice receives, what it owes and how much it can afford to invest.
Planning for time away from work
Your professional liability cover must match the treatments you provide. Beyond that, consider how the practice would cope if you were unable to work: some costs would continue even with no consultations. Reviewing your business insurance (in French) helps match cover to the actual risks of your activity.
Helping patients find your practice
A clear website, accurate opening hours and straightforward appointment booking already make life easier for patients. Present your qualifications and services accurately, in line with professional and cantonal advertising rules. Avoid promises of treatment results.
If you practise aesthetic medicine, a specialist directory such as clinique-esthetique.ch can also help you present your practice. An online presence does not replace relationships with colleagues, pharmacies and other local healthcare professionals, who play an important role in referrals and continuity of care.
Taking over a medical practice: what are you buying?
A takeover can give you fitted premises, an existing team and a practice already known in the area. Those are tangible advantages, but the asking price still needs to make sense. Review the value of the equipment, future building work and the practice’s results over several financial years separately. Strong revenue alone does not tell you what remains after expenses.
The lease and employment contracts deserve the same attention as the accounts. Check what will transfer, under which conditions and with which commitments. The seller’s authorisations do not automatically transfer to you. Your own situation and that of the organisation must be reviewed.
A patient base cannot be transferred like a stock of goods. Each patient remains free to choose their doctor, and transferring records must respect professional confidentiality and data protection. Plan the handover with the seller, taking account of the rules on disclosing patient information. This is part of the acquisition process, just as much as negotiating the price.
To compare this route with opening a new practice, our article on starting or buying a business (in French) helps you weigh the advantages and constraints of each option.
Where should you start?
Begin by describing the practice you want to open: your activity, proposed location, team and target opening date. Even a short outline will help you speak to the canton, obtain comparable quotations and build a budget.
Once your rights to practise and bill are clear, and the financing works, the remaining choices become easier. You know what premises to look for, which equipment to buy and what commitments you can afford. Your plans can then take shape around the practice you want to run.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a medical practice in Switzerland?
The budget depends on your specialty, premises, equipment and staff. It needs to cover setup costs and a cash reserve for the first few months. The CHF 150,000 example in this article is an illustrative scenario, not a market average.
Do I need an LLC to open a medical practice?
No. You can practise through a sole proprietorship. An LLC (Sàrl/GmbH) or a company limited by shares (SA/AG) may suit a different arrangement, particularly with partners. The choice depends on your plans and risks; it does not replace the necessary professional and cantonal authorisations.
Can I open a practice without having worked in Switzerland for three years?
The right to practise and admission to bill basic health insurance are separate matters. Admission generally requires three years in the relevant specialty at a recognised Swiss postgraduate training institution. Targeted cantonal exceptions remain possible until 31 December 2027. The canton must assess your circumstances.
How can I open a practice with a foreign medical diploma?
Clarify with MEBEKO which procedure applies to your diploma and postgraduate qualification, then check the cantonal requirements for practising and billing. Registration in MedReg alone is not enough. Depending on your circumstances, residence and work permit procedures may also be necessary.
Sources and further information
The official references linked in this article are in French. They cover Swiss federal requirements and the relevant cantonal procedures.
- Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences / FMH: authorisation to practise and basic insurance admission.
- Federal Office of Public Health: MedReg.
- Federal Office of Public Health: admission of healthcare providers.
- Federal Office of Public Health: exceptions to the three-year requirement.
- Federal Office of Public Health: TARDOC and outpatient flat rates.
- Vaud: operating licence for an outpatient medical facility.
- Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences / FMH: opening or taking over a practice.
- Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner: disclosure of patient data.
- Federal Tax Administration: VAT, exempt services and input tax deductions.
Have a question about your plans?
Discuss your situation and the next steps with Entreprendre.ch.
Romain Prieur is a Swiss certified accountant and the founder of Entreprendre.ch. With more than ten years of experience in auditing and supporting businesses in Switzerland, he advises entrepreneurs on company formation, accounting and tax.
