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WHAT CHANGES IN SWITZERLAND

Everything that changes in Switzerland in November 2023

From health insurance deadline to getting a shot in the arm, we have put together the roundup of the key changes and events in Switzerland in November 2023.

Published: 23 October 2023 14:46 CEST
Updated: 1 November 2023 09:00 CET
Everything that changes in Switzerland in November 2023
November is a month for flu shots. Image by LuAnn Hunt from Pixabay

November 1st: Religious holiday

The All Saints’ Day, which commemorates all Christian saints and martyrs, is a public holiday in all but 11 cantons: Aargau, Basel-Country, Basel-City, Bern, Geneva, Graubünden, Neuchâtel, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Vaud, and Zurich.

READ ALSO: Where in Switzerland is November 1st a public holiday?

 
 
November 1st to November 30th: Quit smoking!
 
You don’t have to wait until November to give up this habit, (the sooner the better), but November is earmarked in Switzerland as a “Month Without Tobacco,” so it is a good time to quit once and for all.

The national online campaign, promoted by the Tobacco Prevention Fund, aims to “offer a tool to help the many people who wish to free themselves from cigarettes”.

In Switzerland, 27 percent of the population smoke, exposing themselves to the higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems, among other medical conditions.

More information about the November campaign can be found here.

November 1st: Free access to official government documents 

New amendments to the Transparency Act will make it possible for members of the public to view the documents of federal administration

The access will be free of charge, except in cases where the request to see the documents entails “a significant additional work on the part of the authorities,” the government said.

 
November 1st: New guidelines for blood donation

 
From this day, blood donations can be made regardless of sexual orientation.
In addition, men have who have had sexual relations with other men will no longer have to wait a year before donating blood.

The rule restricting gay men from donating blood first went into effect in the midst of the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s. 

The new rule is based “on an updated risk assessment of various sexual behaviours and takes due account of the epidemiological situation in Switzerland, as well as data from other countries that have already adapted their donation criteria accordingly,” the government pointed out.

READ ALSO: Switzerland to clear way for gay and bisexual men to donate blood.
 
From November 4th: Some ski resorts set to open

Even though snow may be scarce after an extremely hot summer, a number of high-altitude resorts will inaugurate their ski season during the month of November. Among them are:

  • Engelberg: November 4th
  • Davos: November 10th
  • Andermatt, Crans-Montana, and Grindelwald: mid-November
  • Celerina and Klosters: November 25th

November 10th: Flu shots begin

The National Flu Vaccination Day will take place on November 10th, kicking off vaccinations, along with an awareness campaign about the importance of immunising against this contagious disease, especially for older people and those with chronic illnesses.

The Federal Vaccinations Commission and the Federal Office of Public Health recommend the jabs for people in the following categories:

Anyone aged 65 or over
Children and adult aged six months and over with certain chronic conditions or low immunity
Pregnant women
Children aged six months and over who were born prematurely

New this year, shots are also recommended for people who have regular contact with poultry or wild birds. This is intended to prevent  contracting an avian flu virus and a human flu virus at the same time.

From November 16th: Christmas markets

Yes, it’s ‘this’ time of the year again.

Though Christmas is still weeks away (and most holiday markets don’t open until the beginning of December), some will be welcoming visitors already from November:

  • November 16th: Geneva
  • November 17th: Lausanne
  • November 23rd: Montreux, Basel, Zurich, and Zug
  • November 30th: Lugano

November 30th: Health insurance deadline

This is also is an important month for people who have a compulsory health insurance KVG / LaMal (which is practically everyone in Switzerland), as the 30th is the deadline to cancel your current plan and switch to another one in 2024 — if that’s what you would like to do.

Premiums for next year will increase by 8.7 percent on average in 2023,

By now, you  have received a letter from your insurance company, notifying you of the premium for your health insurance for 2024 — by law, carriers must announce the new rates to their clients no later than October 31st.

If you do decide to  switch to another provider, or remain with your current carrier but perhaps make changes to your policy — for instance, raise or lower your co-pay deductible — you must do so before the end of this month.

Throughout the month

Novembers are typically not the best months weather-wise. 

It can be grey, cold and wet, but don’t let that dampen your spirits, especially as there are plenty of things to do and enjoy:

READ ALSO: 10 events in Switzerland you shouldn’t miss this November

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For members

WHAT CHANGES IN SWITZERLAND

Everything that changes in Switzerland in June 2024

From important referendums to train travel disruptions, these are the events and changes that are planned in Switzerland in June 2024.

Published: 22 May 2024 11:18 CEST
Everything that changes in Switzerland in June 2024

June 4th: Fighter jets on a motorway

The A1 motorway between Avenches and Payerne in canton Vaud will be closed to ‘regular’ traffic from June 4th to 6th.

That’s because F/A-18 fighter jets will be landing on, and taking off from, this section of the highway.

The reason is that the Swiss Air Force will be testing whether in case of emergencies its fighter aircraft can also be deployed from improvised locations, such as motorways.

June 9th: National referendums

The Swiss will vote on some hot-button issues in a second round of national referendums.

Two proposals aiming to curb the cost of the obligatory health insurance (KVG / LaMal) are on the ballot.

The first one calls for capping the insurance rates at 10 percent of income, with the excess be paid for by the federal and cantonal governments.

The second provides for a ‘brake’ on health costs, which should evolve according to the economy and wages.

READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s two crucial health insurance referendums could impact you 

Also on the ballot is a proposal titled “For the freedom of physical integrity,” launched by the STOP compulsory vaccination committee of a group called Swiss Freedom Movement.

The initiative demands “protection of the body” against interference by the state — anything from vaccinations and other medical procedures to actions involving physical contact that could impact a person’s physical and mental state.

READ ALSO: What’s at stake in Switzerland’s ‘physical integrity’ referendum on June 9th? 

The fourth issue is the electricity supply.

That’s because supplying Switzerland with sufficient energy has become a challenge due to International conflicts and the restructuring of the European power grid.

Therefore, a new law sets the ground for Switzerland to rapidly produce more electricity from renewable energy sources such as water, sun, wind, and biomass. 

June 9th: Geneva to weigh in on foreigners’ voting rights

Geneva residents will go to the polls to decide on an initiative launched by the trade unions and political left, calling for foreigners who have lived in the canton for at least eight years to be able to vote and stand as candidates for political offices at the cantonal level.

Foreign nationals can already vote in Geneva on municipal level, but supporters of the initiative argue that his ‘upgrade’ to the cantonal voting rights is important, because it would enable foreigners to have more political impact.

READ ALSO: Could Geneva be first Swiss canton to grant foreign residents more voting rights? 

June 9th: International train disruption

From this day and for at least three months, the train service between Italian cities of Domodossola and Milan will be interrupted due to railway works, also disrupting travel between western Switzerland and Italy.

To make it easier for people from Switzerland to reach Italy during the peak summer travel, Swiss national rail company SBB is considering setting up direct buses from Geneva and Lausanne to Milan via the Grand Saint-Bernard tunnel.

“We are planning around three buses in each direction every day,” the company said. 

June 14th: Feminist strike

As in years past, women in Switzerland will take to the streets to highlight the gender bias that is widespread in the country, especially regarding work, wages, and childcare conditions. 

This annual event began in 2017, with women in various countries, including Switzerland, rallying for equal pay, as well as other gender and trans-gender rights.

June 15th -16th: Switzerland to host high-level conference on peace in Ukraine

The summit, to be held at the Bürgenstock resort in the canton of Nidwalden, aims to establish a forum on ways to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.

While a number of countries have already accepted an invitation from the Swiss president Viola Armherd to attend the conference, Russia said it would not be there. 

June 20th: The first day of summer

Regardless of weather, June 20th marks the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

It will last until the first day of fall, that is, September 22nd.

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