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WHAT CHANGES IN SWITZERLAND

Everything that changes about life in Switzerland in April 2024

From new rules for e-bikes and cars, to Geneva's ban on disposable tableware, this is what is set to change in Switzerland in April 2024.

Published: 26 March 2024 09:44 CET
Updated: 1 April 2024 09:17 CEST
Everything that changes about life in Switzerland in April 2024
During April, you will learn why this is a definite 'no-no'. Image by flockine from Pixabay

April 1st – Easter Monday

Most cantons have a public holiday on this day, meaning many workplaces and shops, as well as all schools, will be shut. 

It’s officially a day off across Switzerland apart from residents in the cantons of Valais, Neuchatel, Solothurn and Zug.

However companies in these cantons may still give their workers the day off. 

April 1st: New speed rule for high-speed electric bikes

All high-speed e-bikes that exceed 45 km/h, will have to be equipped with a speedometer when they are put into circulation for the first time. 

Owners of fast electric bikes that are already in circulation, on the other hand, have until April 1st, 2027 to equip their bikes with a tachometer  — an instrument which measures the working speed of an engine.

This measure is being put in place to avoid cyclists speeding in areas limited to 20 or 30 km/h, the government said.

It applies to all public traffic areas.

This new rule will be an addition to the already existing electric bike regulations:

READ ALSO: Switzerland’s laws that electric bike owners need to know

April 1st: New safety standards for new vehicles go into effect

New vehicles will have to be equipped with new driver assistance systems.

They will  make it possible, for example, to alert the driver in the event of drowsiness or distraction, to carry out emergency braking, or to provide assistance when reversing and changing direction.

New vehicles must also be equipped with an accident data recorder.

April 2nd: Geneva bans disposable tableware in public places

From this day, organisers of public events subject to authorisation will have to replace all disposable utensils with the reusable kind to serve food and drinks.

The reasons for the move is that single-use tableware generates waste, and its disposal requires that additional human and financial resources  be allocated to cleanups.

They also create environmental concerns.

“Carried away by waterways and the wind, this waste affects natural environments. In addition, disposable tableware has an environmental impact during its production and disposal, which is disproportionate to its single use and short duration,” Geneva authorities said.

April 15th:  Zurich Sechseläuten

While not a public holiday, many businesses, offices, and banks close for the day, so that Zurich residents can celebrate this ancient spring festival that occurs every year on the third Monday of April. This means that this year it falls on April 15th, and allows for a long weekend of fun and festivities.

This article explains what this holiday is all about:

READ ALSO: Why do people in Zurich burn a huge snowman every April?

April 22nd : Earth Day

In Switzerland, as elsewhere, April 22nd marks the Earth Day, the world’s largest environmental movement.

This year’s theme is ‘Planet vs. Plastics’, which calls to advocate for widespread awareness on the health risk of plastics, and rapidly phase out all single-use plastics.

Various towns around the country, including schools and universities, will hold earth-related events for people of all ages.

Check your community’s calendar to find out what is planned for your area.

Throughout April: Skiing at most Swiss resorts comes to an end

While low resorts have already shut down, many lying at higher attitudes will close for the summer in April (though a few remain open in May).

This site lists all the April closings. 

Also: Look out for strikes

Given the frequency of industrial actions throughout Europe, it is always smart to check out the situation if you are planning to travel abroad during April.

For instance, train strikes are planned in the UK on April 6th and 8th. 

You can keep abreast of all planned walkouts through this site, which is updated as new actions are announced. 

Last but not least: Don’t be an April’s Fool!

Be on your guard on this day, because some people still believe in perpetrating tricks.

This is a good time to recall one that went down in Switzerland’s history:

READ ALSO: The most successful April Fools’ Day prank of all time 

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For members

CRIME

‘Your permit is invalid’: How scammers in Switzerland target foreigners

Scores of foreign residents have received an email recently telling them their residency rights in Switzerland have been revoked.

Published: 26 April 2024 11:17 CEST
'Your permit is invalid': How scammers in Switzerland target foreigners

A number of foreign nationals, especially in the German-speaking part of the country, have received an official-looking letter, purportedly from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) informing them that the Free Movement of People agreement between Switzerland and the EU has been nullified, and therefore “your residence permit is no longer valid.”

Faced with enquiries from concerned recipients, SEM responded that the letter is fake, advising recipients to ignore it and, above all, not to click on the QR code on the top.

“Fake letters from the SEM have been circulating since the beginning of this week,” the immigration authority said on its website as well as on X (formerly Twitter).  

“The letter has no impact on the recipient’s  residence status,” SEM added.

Fake jobs, real threats

However, this is only the latest scam perpetrated in the name of SEM.

There have been others in the past.

For instance, many foreigners have also received emails from addresses swissimmigration@consultant or eu_immigration@consultant, that pretend to be the Swiss immigration authority.

“In most cases, a fictitious job in the hotel industry is offered, with the senders demanding payment of 300 to 1,000 euros for a permit in Switzerland and for health and accident insurance,” SEM reported.

The first clue that this email doesn’t come from  SEM, which is part of Switzerland’s government, is that it is asking for payment in euros. If the scammers were smarter, they’d demand Swiss francs.

“These e-mails do not come from the SEM and should be considered as an attempt at fraud,” the agency said. 

Extortion attempt

And a few years ago, a number of foreigners received emails coming allegedly from SEM, Swiss border control authorities, or even the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol).

They threatened to revoke the victim’s residence permit or even expel them from the country altogether if they didn’t pay a certain sum of money into an anonymous account.

Needless to say, no government authority would ever resort to blackmail or demand payment for such ‘services’.

So a good rule to remember (for foreigners and Swiss alike) is that if threats and pressure are involved, letters / emails / phone calls ( WhatsUp messages are more than likely scams.
 
READ ALSO: The common scams foreigners in Switzerland need to be aware of 

Don’t respond

SEM as well as police urge everyone contacted by scammers, by whatever means to:

  • Ignore these messages by hanging up the phone and / or deleting emails, moving them to the Spam folder
  • Never give out your credit card number or bank account information to people you don’t know
  • If you did give your card number, contact your credit card company immediately to have the card blocked. Likewise, if you gave out your banking details, get in touch with your bank.
  • In the event of threats of extortion attempts, consider filing a criminal complaint. You can search for police stations in your area on the Police website. 
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