Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

HOUSING

Everything that changes in Switzerland in March 2020

Coronavirus dominates the news and the changes scheduled in Switzerland in March. But there is some good news on the horizon as well.

Published: 3 March 2020 21:55 CET
Everything that changes in Switzerland in March 2020
SWISS airline is restricting flights to and from Italy in March. Photo by THOMAS COEX / AFP

Better internal rail travels and improved connections between Switzerland and Italy

On the night of March 1st, the seven-month test phase started on The Ceneri base tunnel in Ticino. If successful, a new train service linking Zurich with Milan will begin in December.

READ: How the new Léman Express train link will ease Geneva's traffic woes 

New parliamentary session

The parliament is starting its spring session on March 2nd, with 246 deputies convening in the two chambers of the Federal Assembly. But spectators and lobbyists will not be allowed to participate in the discussions to respect the government guidelines limiting public gatherings to less than 1,000 people. 

Depending on the coronavirus situation in the country, Swiss government will decide on March 15th whether to lift, modify, or extend the restrictions on large public events.

READ MORE: LATEST: More cases of coronavirus confirmed in Switzerland

Coronavirus impacts air traffic

SWISS is reducing the frequencies of its services to and from Florence, Milan, Rome and Venice. It is also restricting flights to Milan, Bologna, Turin, Verona, Venice, Trieste and Genoa. These changes will be in place until the end of March.

The taxman cometh!

Tax declarations are due on March 15th at the latest for Swiss residents. For cross-border workers, the rules may vary, depending on their country of residence.

READ: Everything that changes in Switzerland in February 2020 

Good news for Swiss tenants

Starting this week, the benchmark interest rate applicable to lease contracts has been lowered by 0.25 percentage points to 1.25 percent, the Federal Housing Office announced.

Under certain conditions, tenants will be able to claim a reduction in rent of almost 3 percent. 

READ MORE: This is how much it costs you to change apartments in Switzerland’s cities

An estimated 2.2 million households in Switzerland are able to apply for a rent reduction – although only a fraction of those eligible are expected to apply for it. The Swiss Tenants Association (MV) has prepared a sample form which can be filled out to lodge a request. 

New parking tickets in Zurich

As of March 1st, parking police in Zurich will no longer issue paper tickets. Instead, they will leave a slip with a QR code on it. 

When the QR code is scanned on a smart phone or other device, the amount can be paid. 

While this may make things more convenient, observers have warned that the QR codes are easier to forge. Police have warned motorists to check that the slip looks official – i.e. with a hologram and colouring/design – and to pay their fines only at official sites. 

Traveling to France with kids will get cheaper

From March 23rd to May 17th, children up to age 15 will be able travel on Swiss Federal Railways from Switzerland to France for a promotional price of 29 francs.

Bye bye winter!

Daylight saving time will begin at 02:00 AM on Sunday March 29th. Swiss clocks will go forward an hour as summer time begins. 


 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Checklist: What you need to do if you move house in Switzerland

Moving from one house or apartment in Switzerland to another is not as simple as just packing up your furniture. Instead, the process involves quite a few administrative tasks.

Published: 25 January 2024 12:10 CET
Checklist: What you need to do if you move house in Switzerland

Anyone who has ever moved, whether in Switzerland or elsewhere, knows it is not just a matter of simple logistics.

In fact, whether you are relocating to another town or canton, or just to another neighbourhood, moving is a big, expensive, time-consuming, and stressful experience.

These are various tasks you will have to cross off your list, one by one.

Getting your old apartment in order

It goes without saying that before you move out, you must make sure to leave the place clean and in order. Most people hire a cleaning company to do so, though you can, of course, do this yourself.

If, for instance, you broke or damaged anything while living in the apartment, you must repair it before you leave.

The condition of the apartment will be assessed during the final inspection process, when the landlord or the management company will write down all damages which you are responsible for either repairing yourself or paying someone else to do it for you.

You are not officially off the hook with your previous landlord until this process is completed.

De-register your old address and register the new one

Whether you are moving across the country or just across the street, this is an obligatory step.

You must let your ‘old’ commune’s population office (Einwohnerkontrolle / Contrôle des habitants/ Controllo abitanti) know you are leaving, and from which date.

You can do so either in person or (if available) online.

Then, when you settle in a new home, you have 14 days to announce your arrival in your new municipality, though in some places the deadline may be longer.

You will need the following documents:

  • A passport or ID card for each member of the family, in addition to a passport-sized photo for everyone
  • Documents relating to your family status — whether you are single, married, and with children
  • Your work or residency permit 
  • Your lease contract or proof of home ownership
  • Your health insurance card or proof of your current health insurance policy.

The rules are the same regardless of where you arrive from, that is, if you are Swiss, an EU citizen or from a third country, however the supporting documentation may vary. 

Some cantons may require other or additional documents, which you can find out ahead of time on your commune or canton’s website.

READ ALSO: Why you need to tell Swiss authorities where you live 

Inform the post office about your change of address

To ensure that your mail arrives at your new home, fill out the ‘change of address’ form online at least four days before your move. 

Four days is a minimum required time for the post office to process the address change and register it in the electronic database.

If you wait longer, your mail will continue to be delivered to  the old address.

You also should notify these companies of your move and new address:

  • Your mobile telephone / internet provider (if you still have a fixed phone, you should have it switched off at the old address and re-activated at the new one)
  • Your bank
  • Your insurance companies (health, car, and any other ones you have, both mandatory and optional)
  • Your doctor / dentist

If you forget to inform anyone of your new address, no worries — the post office will automatically forward the letters to you, provided your notified them of the change (see above).

What about the tax office?

You don’t have to do a thing.

Your local commune will automatically inform tax authorities of your move, so there is no chance whatsoever that they won’t find you.

Rental versus owned property

If you move into a rental property, you don’t need to, in most cases, notify utility providers like the electric company of your move.

But if you are going to live in your own house, then you must let the local power company know to switch on your electricity supply.
 

SHOW COMMENTS