ZSR number for independent nurses: requirements and order
Anyone going self-employed in Swiss nursing runs into the ZSR number early — and usually into the realisation that it isn't the first step but the fourth. Knowing the order saves weeks.
What the ZSR number is
ZSR stands for Zahlstellenregister, the register of payee codes. The number identifies you to health insurers as a provider authorised to bill. The register is run by santéservices (formerly SASIS AG).
Without a ZSR number you cannot bill mandatory health insurance. It appears on every invoice you submit and is the key insurers use to allocate your services.
The four steps, in order
1. Cantonal practice licence. This comes from the canton and is the basis for everything else. It requires a recognised nursing diploma and supervised professional experience — as a rule two years full time, or four years at a workload of 50 per cent or more. The licence applies per canton: work in several, and you need several.
2. Cantonal approval to bill mandatory insurance. This requires the practice licence and proof that you meet the quality requirements under Art. 58g KVV.
3. Joining the administrative agreement. The agreement between providers and insurers governs billing. You join through the professional association.
4. Applying for the ZSR number. Only now, with licence and approval in hand. The application goes in together with joining the agreement.
What you don't have to apply for
Two numbers appear on their own, and plenty of people still go looking for the form.
The GLN is generated automatically when your approval comes through. Nothing to do.
The UID arises with your entry in the medical professions register. You register with the AHV yourself, within three months of starting.
What comes after the ZSR
With a ZSR number you can bill — and from that moment your money runs through your own hands. Your services go to the insurer as a billing file, and what happens after that decides whether you keep an overview.
Two thresholds are worth knowing from day one. Above CHF 100,000 of taxable turnover you become liable for VAT — tariffed nursing doesn't count towards it, consulting and training do. And above CHF 500,000 in turnover, double-entry bookkeeping becomes mandatory.
Once the ZSR is in place, the bookkeeping starts
CuraSovo brings the invoices you already submit to your insurer into your own bexio accounting. From CHF 29 a month — or take 15 minutes with us.
See pricingFrequently asked
How long does it take to get a ZSR number?
Mostly it depends on the steps before it. The cantonal licence and the billing approval take the longest; the ZSR application itself is processed together with joining the agreement. Plan generously and start with the licence.
Do I need a separate ZSR number for each canton?
You need a practice licence per canton. For the ZSR, ask the register: which numbers your cantons require is settled with you during the application.
Do I need to apply for a GLN separately?
No. The GLN is generated automatically with your approval.
Do I need accounting software straight away?
Not on day one. But as soon as invoices run regularly, it decides whether you see your own numbers or wait for the year-end. Setting it up early saves reworking a whole year later.
This article is an overview, not legal advice. What applies are the rules of your canton, your professional association and the register.