Zurich adopts future integration goals for foreign arrivals; state pensions will be slightly higher in 2027; and more Swiss news in our roundup on Monday.

The picturesque Lac des Brenets between France and Switzerland has dried up after a record-breaking hot summer, leaving locals crying out for help to save the lake.

Switzerland's political system can be a little confusing for international residents to get their head around. Here's a quick guide to help you understand how it works.

MPs approve imposition of an immigration tax' on foreigners, and residents of Switzerland face higher health insurance premiums— these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.

Experts have raised fears of an exodus of companies from Zurich, a city long known as a banking and finance hub.

On October 1st, the Council of States had adopted a motion to penalise companies that recruit employees from abroad to the detriment of the local workforce, thus violating Switzerland’s established employment rules.

Guy Parmelin, 66, announced on October 2nd that he would leave the Federal Council at the end of his term as Swiss president, on December 31st.

The Council of States has adopted a motion to sanction companies which recruit from abroad, instead of hiring Switzerland-based job-seekers.

More dual nationals could be stripped of Swiss citizenship; MPs want to penalise employers who snub Swiss candidates; plus other news in our roundup this Friday.

Many questions are still up in the air regarding the new package of agreements between Switzerland and the European Union – such as when the public vote will actually take place. But we do now know what kind of referendum Swiss voters will have.

After a rollercoaster decade since the Brexit vote, the idea of the UK rejoining is still only a distant prospect and the European Union is waiting first to see what London wants next.

Premiums for Switzerland’s obligatory health coverage (KVG/LAMAL) will be on average 5 percent more expensive next year, though the actual price will depend on your canton of residence..

Switzerland's glaciers, which are disproportionately impacted by climate change, have lost nearly 20 percent of their mass in five years, experts said Thursday, with 2026 registering the second-biggest melt on record.

Switzerland to pay 3.3 billion francs to the European Union; study shows that Swiss glaciers have experienced significant damage; and more news in our Thursday roundup.

During its deliberations about the new package of agreements between Switzerland and the European Union, deputies decided that EU students enrolled at the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology must receive the same treatment as Swiss students regarding tuition fees.

A 55-year-old American died in the mountains above the resort of Zermatt – the second US tourist to lose his life in Swiss mountains in a span of two months.

As they have for several years in a row, in 2027 too ipremiums for the mandatory health insurance in Switzerland (KVG / LAMAL) will increase - this time, by 5 percent on average. There are, however, ways to cut these costs.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in an interview broadcast Wednesday that rejoining the EU was among the potential answers to the unavoidable question of what Britain's future relationship with Europe could look like.

Switzerland has strict employment and residency rules for foreign nationals. What does the law say about entry rights for individuals with criminal convictions?

In 2027, Swiss health insurance rates will increase by 5 percent on average. But you can find cheaper policies and switching to a new provider.

Four people were injured, one of them seriously, when an explosion ripped through an apartment in the Swiss canton on Neuchâtel on Tuesday.

The Council of States wants to examine immigrants’ criminal records; Zurich rents rise by 3 percent over two years; plus more Swiss news in our roundup on Wednesday.

As it does each year at this time, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has revealed the increase in the health insurance premiums that residents of Switzerland will pay in 2027.

Lawmakers in Switzerland have approved the idea of imposing a tax on foreign nationals who settle in the country. What's next?

From September 28th, Switzerland’s national airline, SWISS, is gradually introducing Starlink-powered Wi-Fi on board its planes, with three aircraft the first to feature the new service.

Unlike other European countries, Switzerland’s federal authorities do nothing to mitigate the steadily rising petrol prices.

Stores in Switzerland’s border areas lose many customers to foreign retailers, where prices – especially given the favourable franc/euro exchange rate – are quite a bit cheaper.

The Council of States votes in favour of EU agreements; MP calls for rent reduction for heatwave-impacted apartments; and more Swiss news in our Tuesday roundup.

From Alpine festivals to autumn fairs - this is what's happening across Switzerland in October 2026.

Besides casting votes on two Switzerland-wide initiatives, citizens of several cantons also weighed in on issues of regional importance.

Believing that more financial resources should be used for the integration of foreigners in Switzerland, the Swiss Federal Council requested 334.5 million francs for this purpose for the 2028–2032 period.

Integration is a key requirement for any foreign national who wants to live and work in Switzerland and, even more so, become naturalised. And the government earmarks a tidy sum of money for that purpose.

The initiatives suffer a major setback at the ballot box; Swiss government allocates 334.5 million for the integration of foreigners; and more news in our roundup on Monday.

The Swiss are voting Sunday on a much-debated proposal to tighten their country's cherished neutrality, with polls indicating most will reject the initiative championed by the hard-right and dubbed "pro-Russian" by opponents.

After recent regional election breakthroughs by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), here is an overview of radical, nationalist and far- and hard-right parties' positions across Europe in recent years.

Switzerland abounds with rules and regulations — including a slew of ‘unwritten’ ones. Some of them also apply to train travel.

Amid ongoing drought conditions, forecasts suggest Switzerland will have a week of summery weather to end the month.

How do households in Europe and the United States spend their money? Official statistics reveal key and perhaps surprising differences when it comes to food and housing.

Switzerland's parliament this week rejected a proposal for a simplified naturalisation procedure that argued the Swiss naturalisation period is too long compared to other states.

The Parliament rejects efforts for a simplified naturalisation procedure; the National Council seeks to restrict free choice of doctors for supplementary benefit recipients; and more news in our Friday roundup.

Switzerland's Federal Department of Finance (FDF) announced an adjustment to the tax brackets and deductions for direct federal tax, effective from 2027, to compensate for a 0.47-percent increase in the cost of living since the last adjustment.

MPs in Switzerland are pushing for new arrivals in the country to be obliged to attend integration courses to learn "Swiss values" that they claim would help prevent incidents of domestic violence.

Switzerland's central bank kept interest rates unchanged at zero percent on Thursday, but raised its inflation forecasts because of higher-than expected oil prices.

Though it took the top spot in 2024, this year Switzerland made it only to fourth place in terms of appeal for international pensioners, a new global survey had revealed.

The Swiss will vote Sunday on a heavily debated proposal to tighten their country's traditional neutrality, amid fears that an expected "no" could be interpreted abroad as abandoning the cherished principle altogether.

Government to ease tax burden on families; voters are expected to reject the tougher neutrality bid; and more Swiss news in our roundup this Thursday.

Swiss voters will decide on September 27th whether to keep their neutrality as it currently is, or if it should be more restrictive. But how different is it really from other European countries’ policies of non-intervention in world affairs?

Faced with serious labour shortages and dwindling pension funds, Switzerland wants to encourage people to stay in their jobs longer.

The government wants to tighten regulations on non-resident foreigners buying property in Switzerland, and they are getting a boost from some deputies in the lower house of the Parliament.

National Council wants stricter regulations for property purchases by persons based abroad; immigrants should learn about Swiss values regarding domestic and sexual violence, MPs say; and more news in our Wednesday roundup.