Medical data privacy in Switzerland: what the law says

What the law says

How Switzerland treats your health data.

The law: Revised Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP), in force since 1 September 2023[S107]
The regulator: Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC)[S107]
Health data: Health data is sensitive personal data under the FADP, with stricter rules for processing it and passing it on.[S107]
Sending it abroad: Data may leave Switzerland to countries the Federal Council lists as adequate, or under safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.[S107]
EU adequacy: Yes. The European Commission confirmed Switzerland's adequacy in January 2024.[S106]
If there is a breach: To the FDPIC as soon as possible when a breach is likely to put the people affected at high risk (Article 24).[S107]
Fines: Criminal fines of up to CHF 250,000, imposed on the responsible individuals rather than on the company.[S107]

Sending your records

The law protects the clinic’s copy. How it gets there is up to you.

Email and messaging apps leave a readable copy on every server they pass through, in Switzerland and at home. The safest file is the one that stays encrypted on your own phone, shown to the doctor in the room or sent by a link that expires by itself.

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Questions

Switzerland: common questions.

Is it safe to email medical records to a clinic in Switzerland?

Email is protected between mail servers only when both providers support TLS, and it stays readable on each server afterwards. Once your records reach a clinic in Switzerland, local law applies: health data is sensitive personal data under the FADP, with stricter rules for processing it and passing it on. For a full history, use a channel where you hold the key, such as a link that expires by itself.

How does Switzerland protect health data?

Health data is sensitive personal data under the FADP, with stricter rules for processing it and passing it on. Breaches must be reported to the FDPIC as soon as possible when a breach is likely to put the people affected at high risk (Article 24). The regulator is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).

Can a clinic in Switzerland send my medical records abroad?

Data may leave Switzerland to countries the Federal Council lists as adequate, or under safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.

Keep reading

More on Switzerland, and elsewhere.

Sources are numbered in the text and listed in full in the reference list.

Medical data privacy in Switzerland.