First of all, we must point out that the vested termination benefit is not intended to be paid into a personal account (Article 5 of the Vested Benefits Act (FZG/LFLP)). There are, however, exceptions. For example, you can request payment of the vested termination benefit in cash if:

• you set up home abroad:
  
  –    if you leave Switzerland and do not establish your residence in a country of the EU (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden or the United Kingdom) or of EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway);
  
  –    if you move to an EU or EFTA country, please make a request to the BVG Guarantee Fund (tel. +41 (0)31 380 7971), which will provide you with the information you need and ensure that payment is legally permitted;

• you take up self-employment: a payout is not possible under Swiss law unless you have been self-employed for less than a year;
• the vested termination benefit amounts to less than your annual contribution.

Please note:

• your employer must have informed us of the termination of your insurance membership;
• for a cash payout of your vested termination benefit, we need your spouse’s signature and a copy of his or her identity card.