The pension vote is a toss-up, double surnames return in January, and the first snow shuts the passes.

The week

The first poll on the 29 November votes: a dead heat on the pension VAT

The first SRG survey by gfs.bern, published on 23 October, asked 14,874 voters between 5 and 18 October. Raising VAT by 0.4 points to pay for the 13th pension has 47 percent in favour and 49 percent against, with 4 percent undecided. The fireworks initiative leads 70 to 30, the married couples tax initiative has 55 percent in favour and the war material law 49 percent, both with many undecided. Only citizens vote, but a higher VAT would show on every receipt.

Source: SRF

Double surnames come back on 1 January 2027

On 21 October the Federal Council set the revised Civil Code in force for 1 January 2027. From then on spouses may carry a double surname again, with or without a hyphen, and couples who are already married can declare the change at the civil registry office. Children are still excluded and keep a single name. If you marry in Switzerland next year, the registry office will ask you to choose.

Source: Federal Council

One in six spends more than a third of income on housing

A Comparis survey published on 23 October finds that 16 percent of people in Switzerland put more than a third of gross household income into housing. Among tenants it is 22 percent, among owners 7 percent, and among households earning up to CHF 4,000 a month it is 36 percent. The one-third line is also the rule of thumb most agencies apply when they check a rental application.

Source: swissinfo.ch

Growth slows and moves out of the big cities

A UBS analysis published on 23 October counts about 460,000 more people and 240,000 more households between 2021 and 2025, against roughly 220,000 new homes. Growth was 0.8 percent in 2025, or 76,000 people, and is forecast at 0.7 percent for 2026. The fastest-growing cantons, at 1.4 to 1.6 percent a year, were Schaffhausen, Valais, Fribourg, Aargau and Thurgau, all on the edge of the big agglomerations. Zurich gained 38,000 people from abroad but lost a record 21,500 to other municipalities.

Source: swissinfo.ch

The first snow closes seven passes

After a warm, dry start to autumn, snow returned on 21 October. By 23 October the Furka, Gotthard, Nufenen, Grimsel, San Bernardino, Sanetsch and Susten passes were shut until further notice, and the Great St Bernard and Grosse Scheidegg had closed for the winter. Up to 25 cm was expected between the Dents du Midi and the Mont Blanc massif. The tunnels and the trains keep the country connected; the high roads wait for spring.

Source: Le News

Burglaries rose 4 percent in 2025, and the dark season is the peak

AXA recorded 4 percent more burglaries in 2025 and paid out 9 percent more in claims than the year before. The risk is highest in Geneva in November and December, followed by Vaud, both Basels, Jura, Solothurn and Neuchâtel; central Switzerland and the south-east are the quietest. Household contents insurance is optional here and many newcomers skip it. Check what your policy covers before the evenings get dark.

Source: The Local Switzerland

This week if you're arriving

• Your 2027 premium letter has arrived by now. Compare on priminfo.admin.ch; to switch, your cancellation must reach the old insurer by 30 November.
• The clocks went back on 25 October. Switzerland stays on Central European Time until the last Sunday of March.
• Several Alpine passes are closed for the season and the snow line can drop below 1,000 metres. Check the pass status before you drive, and fit winter tyres before the first frost.

City in focus: Zurich

• From 1 January 2027 the residents' parking permit is priced by weight: 35 Rappen per kilo for electric cars, 40 for petrol, diesel and hybrids, so a two-tonne petrol car pays CHF 800 a year instead of CHF 300. Apply by 15 January 2027; 2026 permits stay valid until 30 April 2027.
• ZVV fares rise on 13 December by 2.7 percent on average: a single ticket for one or two zones goes from CHF 4.70 to CHF 4.80, the 9 o'clock monthly pass for the whole canton from CHF 162 to CHF 174.
• Migros is extending opening hours in 45 stores in the canton: 24 since 1 October, 21 more from 2 November. The main station store now opens at 7 on weekends and closes at 22:30 every day.
• The vacancy rate has edged up from 0.48 to 0.52 percent, and about 8,500 new flats are expected in the canton by the end of 2026, 9,000 more in 2027. Still tight, slightly less so.

A quiet note

The passes closed this week, one after another, and the country got a little smaller. It does this every year. The high roads shut, the trains keep running through the mountain, and people move indoors without complaint. There is a lesson in it for a first winter here: you do not need every road open to get where you are going. Take the one that is open, go slowly, and let the rest wait for spring.