From new laws to to major events find out what lies ahead for Switzerland in each month of 2026.
January
From the first of the month:
Higher health insurance premiums will go into effect
Swiss health insurance premiums will rise by 4.4 percent in 2026.
That’s the national average — some cantons’ rates will be even higher: With a hike of 6.9 percent over current premiums, residents of Ticino will be saddled with the highest increase – 582 francs a month.
Next is Valais (5.8 percent – 439 francs); Appenzell-Innerrhoden (5.5 percent- 322 francs); Uri (5.3 percent – 363 francs); Zurich (5.1 percent- 451 francs); and Graubünden (5 percent – 400 francs).
READ ALSO: Which Swiss cantons will see highest hikes in health insurance premiums?
New year, new motorway vignette
You have until the end of the month to attach the 2026 sticker to your vehicle’s windshield, or purchase a digital version online.
If you are caught driving without one on a Swiss motorway from February 1st, you will be slapped with a 200-franc fine.
There are also some new laws that will go into effect from January 1st:
Stalking will become a criminal offence
Until now, victims of stalking had limited options for prosecuting perpetrators of this type of harassment.
Mostly, they had to resort to civil proceedings or rely on broader criminal laws
But from January 1st, people convicted of stalking can be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
Swiss police will use five different skin colours to categorise offenders
The government will be modernising the national Ripol search system, which centralises reports related to missing, wanted, deported, or dangerous persons.
The Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) announced in a press release on Saturday that the following five options for the offenders’ skin colour will be included: very light, light, medium, dark, or very dark.
As for the ‘type’ category, it will be covered by nine options, corresponding to geographical regions – namely Northern Europe, North Africa, Asia, and South America.
Better protection for property buyers
Anyone buying a house or an apartment will have more flexibility in claiming compensation or demanding repars if the construction company fails to properly execute the work.
The notification period for both apparent and hidden defects will be extended to 60 days from the date of purchase or the discovery of the defects.
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February
Basel Fasnacht
The biggest and most famous of Switzerland’s carnivals will begin – literally with a bang – at 4 am on February 23rd, for two days and nights of merrymaking.
READ ALSO: What you should know about Switzerland’s largest carnival
Ski holidays
Like every year, February is a traditional “family ski” month, when children get a week off from school, so families can head to mountain resorts.
Dates of this winter holiday vary among cantons; you can see the ones for your region here.
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March
Referendum
Four issues will be on the ballot on March 8th – the first round of referendums of 2026:
Lower bill for public broadcasting – and initiative which seeks to cap the annual 330-franc licence fee for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation at 200 francs.
Individual taxation – Voters will have decide on the government’s plan to introduce individual taxation, which would scrap the current system of taxing married couple’s joint income.
For a fair energy and climate policy – this initiative seeks federal funding for various environmentally-friendly projects and policies.
“Cash is freedom”: It seeks to enshrine cash in the Constitution, guaranteeing that coins and banknotes remain in circulation and that any replacement of the Swiss franc by another currency would require approval in a national referendum.
Daylight Savings Time
It will begin on March 29th.
You know the drill by now: sunrise and sunset will be about one hour later from that day onward.
We will set our clocks forward one hour and lose an hour of sleep.
Welcome again, spring!
The so-called Vernal Equinox, the first day of spring, will come on March 20th at 3:46 pm.
Tax filing deadline
And to top off the month of March, tax declarations are due in Switzerland on March 31 at the latest.
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April
Easter school break — again varying by cantons.
The main event this month is Easter, which will be celebrated will be celebrated on Sunday April 5th.
May
May 14th will be Ascension, a pubic holiday in Switzerland.
And on May 24th is Pentecost (Whit Monday) which, like Ascension, a public holiday in Switzerland.
June
The second annual referendum is scheduled for June 14th.
The issues to be voted on have not been released yet, but it is thought that the controversial hard-right initiative, ‘No to 10 million’ will be on the ballot.
READ ALSO: What exactly does the Swiss ‘no to 10 million’ anti immigration proposal aim to do?
Summer starts — at least officially
June 21st marks the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere – including Switzerland — when the sun will be at its most northerly point in Earth’s sky.
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July
With schools on summer break, July is a traditional vacation month in Switzerland and much of the country comes to a standstill (the same way as Italy and France do in August).
The Federal Council and the parliament are also on a break, so political life slows down as well.
August
This month starts with Switzerland’s National Day on August 1st which, needless to say, is a public holiday in all cantons.
READ MORE: Why Switzerland celebrates its national day on August 1st
August also marks the back-to-school month, with dates varying by cantons.
September
Thanksgiving
On September 20th, all Swiss cantons (except Geneva) celebrate the Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer, locally known as Eidgenössischer Dank-, Buss- und Bettag (German), Jeûne federal (French), Digiuno federale (Italian) and Rogaziun federala (Romansh).
It is a day of solidarity and fraternity, bringing people together and showing worshippers that they have a shared responsibility for each other and the world.
Geneva is the only canton to celebrate this day separately, on September 10th.
Adieu summer, hello fall
Autumn season will officially begin on September 22nd.
Ballot box (yes, again)
The third round of national referendums is scheduled for September 27th, but the issues to be voted on are not yet known.
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October
Schools in Switzerland will be on a fall break for two weeks.
Turn the clocks back
On October 25th, Daylight Savings Time will end, with clocks turned backward one hour, which means there will be more light in the morning.
New premiums released
Swiss health insurance providers will publish their official rates for 2027 which, hopefully, will be lower than current ones.
November
In what has by now become a familiar trek to the polls, the Swiss will vote in the fourth (and last) round of referendums on November 29th.
The issues have not been released yet.
This is also the last day to cancel your health insurance and switch to a new one
November is an important month for people who have a compulsory health insurance (which is practically everyone in Switzerland), as November 30th is the deadline to cancel your plan and switch to another one for the following year — if that’s what you would like to do.
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December
New public transportation timetable
As each year on the second Sunday of December, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will publish their 2027 timetable on December 13th.
Trains, buses, and trams across Switzerland will adjust their schedules accordingly.
13th pension to be paid for the first time
The government decided to begin paying the 13th instalment of the state pension (AHV/AVS), which was approved in a referendum in March 2024 – in December 2026, and continue annually thereafter.
Winter is here
December 21st marks the beginning of the winter season.
Christmas Day (December 25th) is a national holiday.
And (as though you needed to be reminded), 2025 will end, hopefully on a peaceful and happy note, on December 31st.
And one more thing…
The new biometric ID to go into effect sometime in 2026, though the exact date has not yet been announced.
