In 1866, it set up its first foreign branch in Germany.
In 1898, it began operations in France and, three years later, in the Netherlands.

Following the introduction of state supervisory bodies for insurance in Germany (1901), France (1905) and the Netherlands (1922), the company received the required licenses in each country, enabling it to continue its business operations. For a long time, Germany was the most important foreign market.

In the mid 20th century, the "Schweizerische Rentenanstalt" tapped into other European markets.

• Belgium (1955)
• United Kingdom (1967)
• Spain (1975)
• Luxembourg (1985)
• Italy (1987)

In 1962, the Swiss Life Network was founded, linking subsidiaries and partners in other countries. It began to forge international relationships in order to expand the scope of its product range. The Swiss Life Network and its partners currently cover 67 countries.

Nowadays, Swiss Life is concentrating on the markets in Switzerland, Germany and France.