Swiss passport gets a good score in international ranking; the area around the popular Oeschinen Lake is at risk of rockfalls; and more news in our Tuesday roundup.
Swiss passport still ranks highly in international comparison
Switzerland retains the fifth place in the 2025 ranking of the world’s most ‘powerful’ passports, published last week by Henley & Partners consultancy.
Updated twice a year, the index assesses the freedom of movement offered by each passport, based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It takes into account countries accessible without a visa, with a visa on arrival, or via electronic authorisation.
Swiss citizens can now enter 187 countries without a visa — down from 190 in 2024. The three countries for which they now need a visa are Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Pakistan.
Switzerland is outdone by neighbours France, Germany, and Italy, whose citizens can travel to 192 nations visa-free.
A landslide threatens the Oeschinen Lake region
Due to heavy rainfall, landslides have accelerated above Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland.
Because of a significant risk of rockfalls, part of the region is closed to hikers — including the popular tourist spot, the Oeschinen Lake (Oeschinensee).
Also at risk is the area located on the right side of the Oeschibach river, as it flows up to the lake from Kandersteg. It includes the permanent exclusion zone and the downstream riverbed in the Oeschi Forest. The hazard levels range from “considerable” to “moderate.”
If you are planning to visit this area, first check the updates and travel advisories on the Kandersteg municipal website.
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The idea to make mail delivery service less frequent is sparking controversy
The ‘Avenir Suisse’ think-tank issued a new report proposing a radical reform of Switzerland’s postal service.
Concretely, it proposes cutting down mail delivery from daily to twice weekly, especially in sparsely populated rural areas, adding that “by 2030, the universal service could be limited to B mail, with delivery by postmen at least twice a week. Delivery of A mail would then become a ‘premium’ service outside the universal service.”
Since the Swiss Post is wholly owned by the government, this proposal would have to be approved by the parliament before having any chance of being adopted.
But a number of MPs are against it.
Deputy David Roth, for instance, noted that if this measure were implemented “public service to the population would be dismantled and postal service limited in unprofitable areas.”
Another MP, Simon Stadler, sees this move as “an attack on public services and the basic needs of our mountain and rural populations. In a country where the Swiss Post remains a pillar of social cohesion, this debate illustrates a growing tension between profitability and public service.”
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Experts warn against ‘nicotine bombs’ fad for young people
These products — the small, mostly flavoured pouches placed between the lips and gums — are booming among young people in Switzerland.
Though they contain no tobacco, they are pure nicotine, according to Luciano Ruggia, managing director of the Swiss Working Group for Tobacco Prevention.
“The pouches can put a strain on oral health and the stomach. A connection with cancer or cardiovascular disease cannot be ruled out either – it just hasn’t been sufficiently researched yet,” he said.
These products have a higher nicotine content than regular cigarettes.
The Tobacco Products Act, which has been in force in Switzerland since October 1st, 2024 prohibits sales of such products to minors, “but the online trade makes it possible’s many young people can still easily obtain them,” Ruggia said.
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