Seizure
Without an objection, or once a court sets it aside, the creditor can ask for the Betreibung to continue. It can do so 20 days after the payment order was served, at the earliest (SchKG, Art. 88). The office can then seize income and assets. It can tell your employer to pay the seizable part of your wage straight to it (ch.ch).
Income can be seized only as far as you and your family don’t absolutely need it, and for one year at most (SchKG, Art. 93).
What it means for your loan
If the seizure does not cover the debt, the creditor receives a certificate of loss for the rest (SchKG, Art. 149). If a payment order arrives and you can’t pay, read the guide on debt help. It explains each step and what a seizure leaves you to live on.
Explained in full
Missed a loan payment
What happens in Switzerland after a missed loan payment, from late interest to the IKO report and debt collection, what to do now and where to get help.
Sources
- Bundesgesetz über Schuldbetreibung und Konkurs (SchKG), SR 281.1, as in force on 1 January 2026, Art. 69, 74, 75, 88, 93, 149 and 149aSwiss Confederation, Fedlex, read on
- Debt enforcement: summons for payment, objection, distraintch.ch, a service of the Confederation, cantons and communes, read on