Unemployment for cross-border workers, the rules could change

Context

In brief

• Today, the state of residence normally matters
• In Italy, NASpI applies if the requirements are met
• The revision indicates at least 22 consecutive weeks
• Date reported by the source: 28 September 2026

Key facts

• Competent state today → State of residence
• Benefit for Italian residents → NASpI
• Period in the other state → at least 22 consecutive weeks
• Institutions mentioned → SECO, INPS
• Scope → coordination of social security systems

The source associates the date 28 September 2026 with the final approval by the Council of the European Union of the revision of the rules on the coordination of social security systems. The revision also concerns unemployment for workers who live in one state and work in another.

This point concerns cross-border workers residing in Italy who work in Switzerland and completely lose their jobs. According to the rules currently described, the relevant state is normally the state of residence: for an Italian resident, this means turning to the Italian system and potentially accessing NASpI, provided the requirements set out by the legislation are met.

The current principle

SECO, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, indicates that so-called «true cross-border workers» receive benefits in their state of residence in the event of complete unemployment. The INPS page dedicated to unemployment among cross-border workers confirms the same approach: for those residing in Italy, the NASpI rules apply.

This criterion also applies if, during the employment period, contributions were paid in the country where the employer was located. However, the years worked in Switzerland are not ignored: insurance and contribution periods accrued in the state of last employment may be taken into account when verifying entitlement to the benefit.

The possible change stems from the new European legislation. A worker who has carried out their activity in another state for at least 22 consecutive weeks could receive, subject to the conditions laid down by national legislation, the allowance from the country of last employment rather than from the country of residence.

The revision also concerns family benefits, posted workers and those working in multiple states. For Italian cross-border workers employed in Canton Ticino, the source speaks of particularly important consequences for the thousands of workers concerned. However, the change would depend on the rule being adopted in relations between Switzerland and the European Union. The source reports that this very possible consequence prompted Swiss policymakers to take action.

For more information on the mechanism described, guida alla disoccupazione dei frontalieri can be consulted, distinguishing the current framework from the European scenario.

Operational details

The comparison for those working in Ticino

For a cross-border worker, the difference concerns not only the entity that pays the benefit. The connecting factor changes: under the current rules, residence prevails, whereas under the European revision described by the source, the country of the last activity may become decisive, provided the national conditions are met.

Before and after

| Situation | Current rule | Scenario described by the revision | | Complete loss of work | Benefit paid in the State of residence | Benefit paid in the State of last employment | | Resident in Italy, working in Switzerland | Reference to the Italian system and NASpI | Possible reference to the Swiss system, if the rule applies to Switzerland |

The source uses a specific case to show the difference: a worker residing in Como, employed in Lugano for some time, loses their job. Under the current rules, they would normally turn to Italy; if the new European system were also applied to Switzerland, the Swiss system could instead be responsible for paying the benefit.

That proviso limits the practical effect of the news. The European revision is described as a possible change in relations with Switzerland, not as an automatic change already in force for those working in Canton Ticino. The threshold of 22 consecutive weeks should not be considered in isolation either: entitlement remains tied to the conditions of national legislation.

A cross-border worker must therefore distinguish between two questions: where they reside and where they carried out their last activity. The former currently determines which State to turn to; the latter could determine the country responsible for payment if the revision is applied. The insurance and contribution periods in the State of last employment remain relevant to establishing entitlement.

The dossier should not be confused with different topics such as a G permit, AVS, LPP, LAMal, rebates, withholding tax or double taxation: here the source examines the benefit in the event of complete unemployment. To follow this distinction, consult the in-depth article on disoccupazione dei frontalieri.

Useful planning tools

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Key points

How to read the specific case

The operational process starts with the correct classification of the situation, not with the place where the contributions were paid. The source makes it possible to follow a simple sequence, without confusing the rules currently indicated with the European hypothesis.

Five checks

1. Verify that this is a case of complete unemployment. This is the situation to which the rule indicated by SECO, the reference to INPS and the possible shift toward the last employment relate. 2. Identify the State of residence. If the cross-border worker resides in Italy, the current framework normally leads to the Italian system and the NASpI rules, subject to the requirements. 3. Indicate the State of the last employment. The insurance and contribution periods accrued there may be taken into account to verify entitlement, even if the benefit is normally now the responsibility of the State of residence. 4. Check the threshold indicated by the European revision. The activity in the other State must reach at least 22 consecutive weeks, subject to the conditions of national legislation. 5. Verify the Switzerland-EU scope. The shift toward the country of the last activity is described as possible only if the new system is also applied to relations between Switzerland and the European Union.

For those living in the provinces of Como, Varese or Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and working in Canton Ticino, this sequence lines up the elements present in the source: residence, complete loss of employment, last employment and insurance or contribution periods. The conditions of national legislation remain applicable both to NASpI and to any new rule.

The date should also be reported without attributing automatic effects to it: 28 September 2026 is the date reported by the source alongside the European Union Council's final approval. The text, however, links any change for cross-border workers to its application in relations with Switzerland. To follow the evolution of the criterion and check the comparison between residence and last employment, consult guida alla disoccupazione dei frontalieri.

For a precise net salary calculation, use our tax comparator: compare take-home pay between G and B permits with all 2026 deductions.

Source: tio.ch