Swiss will vote on two issues in a national referendum, and foreign students will see their tuition fees tripe — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Two hot-button issues are on the national ballot this month
Swiss citizens will have their say on two topics in the September 28th referendum.
The first is a long-debated and still contentious issue of the electronic identification card (e-ID), allowing Switzerland to keep pace with the digital transition.
The other issue concerns the govrernment’s wish to abolish the taxation of the imputed rental value currently in effect for both primary and second residences.
READ ALSO: What’s at stake in Switzerland’s September referendums?
Insurance companies can legally charge foreigners higher car premiums
It is no secret that many foreign residents are paying higher rates for their auto insurance than Swiss nationals, or even citizens of other countries. This practice is legal in Switzerland – unlike in the EU.
Insurance companies justify this system by pointing out that it is based on statistics: in determining premiums, they take into account criteria such as age, driving record, car type, and, yes, also nationality.
All these factors influence the probability of an accident, and data indicates that certain foreigners are involved in more accidents than others, insurance providers say.
READ ALSO: How Swiss insurance companies are allowed to charge foreigners
Advertisement
Foreign students to pay higher tuition fees at Switzerland’s two top universities
When the new academic year begins at the EPFL on September 8th, and at its sister institution ETH in Zurich on September 18th, new international students will see their tuition triple.
This means their fees will go up from 1,460 francs a year currently to 4,380 francs.
These hikes are meant to compensate for lower federal contributions because from 2025, the government’s financial aid to the two public institutes have been sharply reduced.
READ ALSO: How fees for international students in Switzerland are rising this September
Foreigners have mixed feelings about living in Switzerland
The latest Expat Insider Survey released by InterNations, places Switzerland in the 29th place out of 46 countries included.
It did not get a better score because, although many foreign residents appreciate the political and economic stability, as well as quality of life they found in Switzerland, a number of others complain about the high cost of living and the difficulty they’ve had making local friends – the same issues that most foreigners find challenging.
READ ALSO: The best and worst aspects of life in Switzerland for foreigners
How Swiss government plans to mitigate the effect of US tariffs
To help Switzerland’s export-oriented sectors withstand US trade tariffs, the government supports an ‘urgent extension of short-time work benefits.’
According to the government, “short-time working refers to a temporary reduction or complete suspension of work at a company, whereby the contractual employment relationship remains in place.”
In other words, this system is not intended for companies that go out of business altogether, but only for those facing temporary financial difficulties out of their control and, therefore, are unable pay their employees’ wages, either wholly or partially.
READ ALSO: How the Swiss plan to ease impact of US tariffs
Advertisement
Tenants could benefit from lower rents
For the second time in 2025, Swiss reference rates – used to set rents – have fallen. This means many tenants can expect to see their rents drop as well.
Concretely, the reference interest rate valid for setting rents throughout Switzerland has fallen by 0.25 percent and now stands at 1.25 percent.
This means that tenants are generally entitled to demand a rent reduction of 2.91 percent if their rent is based on the previous]reference interest rate of 1.5 percent.
If, on the other hand, it is based on a rate higher than 1.5 percent, the rent reduction will be higher.
READ ALSO: Tenants in Switzerland could benefit from drop in rent price
