The Monthly RAV Proof of Job-Search Efforts: Form 716.007, Deadlines, and How Many Applications You Need

If you claim unemployment benefits in Switzerland, one duty follows you every single month: proving to your RAV (regional employment center) that you actively looked for work. The proof of job-search efforts — in German the "Nachweis der persönlichen Arbeitsbemühungen" — is a signed, month-by-month record of every application you made. Miss the deadline or hand in too little, and benefit days can be suspended.

The good news: once you understand what the form asks for and keep your records as you go, the monthly proof takes minutes rather than a stressful evening of reconstruction. This guide walks through the official form 716.007 field by field, the deadline rules, the digital submission route, and how many applications you can realistically expect to be asked for.

What the monthly proof is and why it exists

Swiss unemployment insurance is built on a simple deal: you receive benefits, and in return you do everything reasonable to end your unemployment as quickly as possible. That duty is written into Art. 17 AVIG, and the official form itself spells it out: the insured person must do everything reasonable to avoid or shorten unemployment — including looking for work outside their previous occupation if necessary (form 716.007).

The proof of job-search efforts is how you demonstrate this. Each calendar month is a "control period", and for each control period you submit a written record of your applications (Art. 26 AVIV). Your advisor reviews it at your regular RAV appointments — both the quantity and the quality.

Form 716.007, field by field

The official form is called "Nachweis der persönlichen Arbeitsbemühungen", form number 716.007, published on arbeit.swiss. Here is what it asks for — per application, one row each:

At the top you fill in your name, AHV number, and the month and year; at the bottom you date and sign it and list any enclosures. Every one of these fields comes straight from the official PDF.

Notice what this means in practice: if you didn't note the contact person or the exact application date at the time, you'll be reconstructing it weeks later from memory and sent-mail folders. Recording each application the day you send it is the single biggest stress-saver.

How many applications per month?

There is no fixed national number. The amount is agreed individually with your RAV advisor at your first appointment, based on your occupation, the labour market, and your personal situation. What cantons publish is guidance, and it varies:

• Zurich: "in der Regel 10–12" — usually 10 to 12 documented efforts per month (zh.ch)
• Bern: at least 8 applications per month, starting as soon as you know you will become unemployed (weu.be.ch)

Other cantons publish figures in a similar range. Treat these as orientation, not law: the number that counts for you is the one in your agreement with your advisor. Many advisors also prefer efforts spread across the month rather than a burst of applications on the 30th.

The deadline: the 5th of the following month

The rule is printed on the form itself: the proof for each control period (calendar month) must reach the RAV at the latest on the 5th day of the following month (Art. 26 AVIV). Efforts submitted after that "can no longer be considered", unless there is an excusable reason (form 716.007).

That is a hard cutoff worth taking seriously: applications you actually made but reported late are treated as if they never happened. April's proof is due by May 5th; put a recurring reminder on the 1st of every month.

Digital via Job-Room, or on paper

You have two main routes:

1. The Job-Room eService. On arbeit.swiss, the eService "Efforts to find work" lets you record each application online in your Job-Room account. The recorded efforts are transmitted to your RAV automatically each month — no printing, no postal deadline panic (zh.ch).
2. The paper form 716.007, filled in, signed, and delivered to your RAV — by post, in person, or via the channels your canton offers (Zurich, for example, also accepts submission by email or online portal).

Some jobseekers keep their own spreadsheet. Whether a self-made table is accepted instead of the official form varies from RAV to RAV — the safe default is the eService or the official form unless your advisor explicitly agrees otherwise.

The duty starts during your notice period

A point that surprises many people: the obligation to look for work applies before unemployment begins. The form states it explicitly — the duty to make personal job-search efforts already applies before unemployment starts, for example during the notice period or the final phase of a fixed-term contract (form 716.007).

Canton Bern advises starting your documented search up to three months before unemployment where possible (weu.be.ch). And when you register, bring proof of the efforts you have already made to your first RAV consultation (arbeit.swiss). Advisors check this at the very first meeting — showing up empty-handed is a bad start.

What counts as an application?

The form's channel field tells you what the insurance recognizes: applications in writing or online, in person, and by phone all count, as long as they are documented with company, contact, and position. A few practical notes:

• Quality is assessed, not just quantity. Proper applications to real vacancies form the core of your efforts. Ask your advisor how they weigh spontaneous (unsolicited) applications — they are generally seen as a supplement to, not a replacement for, applications to advertised positions.
• Registrations with temporary-work agencies can count when documented — confirm the details with your advisor.
• Keep everything. The form instructs you to retain copies of application letters and rejection letters and submit them on demand. Rejection letters also feed the "outcome" column.

What happens if the proof is late or insufficient?

If you don't make sufficient efforts, or your proof is late or missing, the consequence is suspended benefit days (Einstelltage): depending on the degree of fault, benefit entitlement can be suspended for up to a maximum of 60 days (Art. 30 AVIG, as stated on form 716.007). First-time, lighter cases sit at the lower end of that scale; repeat or serious cases climb. Beobachter has a practical overview of how suspension days are applied in practice.

Also on the form: knowingly false or incomplete statements are a criminal offence (Art. 105 ff. AVIG). Never pad the list with applications you didn't make.

Where preparAItor fits

Look again at the form's columns: date, company, contact person, position, channel, outcome. That is exactly what the Application Tracker in preparAItor records for every application — date, company, contact, position, status/outcome, and notes — on every plan, kept for 365 days, with export available. If you log each application when you send it, your monthly proof becomes a five-minute copy-over instead of an end-of-month archaeology session. To be clear: preparAItor does not fill in or submit the official form for you — it keeps the same information organized so that you can.

The volume side matters too. If your agreement with your advisor lands at 10–12 applications a month, each one still needs a tailored cover letter to pass the quality check. preparAItor's generator produces a complete application package (cover letter, application email, and more) for 100 credits — a Pro plan's 2,000 monthly credits cover roughly 18 packages, comfortably above a typical RAV agreement. Pair that with a solid base CV (see our Swiss CV guide), and when the interviews start coming, our interview preparation guide and Interview Practice take over. New here? The credits system explained covers what everything costs — the Free plan's 250 monthly credits are enough to try roughly two full applications.

Sources

• Form 716.007 "Nachweis der persönlichen Arbeitsbemühungen" (PDF, arbeit.swiss)
• arbeit.swiss — eServices and forms for unemployment benefit
• arbeit.swiss — Signing on and registration
• Canton of Zurich — Persönliche Arbeitsbemühungen machen
• Canton of Bern — Anmelden beim RAV und bei der Arbeitslosenkasse
• Beobachter — So können Sie Einstelltage beim RAV vermeiden