While 2024 may be coming to an end at a breakneck pace, many important events and changes are coming to Switzerland in the penultimate month of the year. From key deadlines and international travel to Swiss referendums and skiing, here’s are 11 key things you need to know about November 2024:

1. Deadline for switching health insurance looms

With the cost of health insurance in Switzerland set to increase for the third year in a row, many people will be looking to switch providers when policies are renewed for 2025. Those who want to switch their basic (compulsory) health insurance have to switch to their new plan and inform their current insurer in writing by November 30.

To help you along, the Swiss government has its own calculator, which you can use to see whether you are getting the cheapest deal. It also provides templates for the letter that you must send to your current provider by post.

Ideally, you should send your letter by November 15 at the latest, to make sure your request arrives in time. 

2. Switzerland heads to final round of referendums for 2024

November 24 will see Swiss citizens head to the polls to vote on the fourth and final round of national referendums for 2024. This time around, four proposals are set to be voted on, all of which are government plans where opponents have managed to get enough signatures together to force a referendum.

Two of the votes concern amendments to the rules between landlords and renters in Switzerland, while the others cover a planned expansion of the motorway network and the uniformed financing of healthcare. To find out how these votes will impact you, check out our guide to the November 24 referendums in Switzerland.

3. Switzerland says goodbye to blue driver's licences

From November 1, drivers in Switzerland will bid a fond farewell to blue paper driving licences. Anyone who still has an old paper driving licence must exchange it for a new card version at their local Road Traffic Office.

Anyone caught using a paper licence from the start of November will be treated as driving without a licence by the Swiss police, risking a fine of 20 francs.

4. Special characters allowed in Swiss civil registries

Those with names from outside English, German and French-speaking countries will be happy to hear that the Swiss civil registry will soon allow residents to change their names to include special characters. Thanks to an update to their registry software, officials will allow characters from the majority of European languages, such as the ć used in Croatian names, to be used in Swiss residence permits, IDs and other official documents.

It will cost 75 francs for a single person and 100 francs for a family to change their name, though it will be free of charge when registering a birth. Those who have a “civil status event” (marriage, birth, etc) can change their name at the event itself from November 11, 2024. Those who don’t, can submit a request to change their name from January 2025.

5. SBB offers easier international bookings and discount ski passes

At the start of November, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will expand the number of tickets that can be booked via its mobile app. This will include journeys between Switzerland and all neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It will also include some one-off routes which are popular such as between Swiss cities and London, Barcelona and Bratislava.

The app will allow users to book tickets for SBB trains and those run by other providers like TGV Lyria, SNCF and Deutsche Bahn. If the rail company offers a seat reservation system, this can also be accessed and booked via the app.

In addition, from mid-November SBB will launch its annual Snow’N’Rail special offer. These combine one, two or six-day ski passes for Swiss ski resorts with a public transport ticket to get you to and from the mountains. 

The offer promises a discount price on ski passes, a 20 percent discount on public transport services in the early and late season, and a 15 percent discount on equipment rental at Intersport.

6. Switzerland and US sign student exchange agreement

On November 30, a new agreement between Switzerland and the United States concerning international students will come into force. According to the Federal Council, the agreement will “make it easier for young Swiss people to receive training in the US, and for Americans to do the same in Switzerland.”

The programme is targeted at Swiss and Americans aged 18 to 35 who are still in secondary education, or are studying for a university degree or vocational qualification. Organised primarily through businesses and institutes of higher education, the plan will grant American students a 12-month work and residence permit for Switzerland and vice versa, which can be extended by six months.

7. Month without Tobacco campaign launches

With the nights drawing in, it may not seem like the ideal moment to consider quitting smoking. Nevertheless, November marks Switzerland’s “Month Without Tobacco”, a national campaign run by the Tobacco Prevention Fund that aims to offer a way for users to steer away from cigarettes.

Despite the recent legislation to restrict tobacco sales in Switzerland, around a quarter of the population still smokes.

8. Airlines to offer brand new routes to and from Switzerland

Dreaming of a winter break in the sunshine? From November easyJet will be expanding its route network to and from Swiss airports. This includes a new twice-weekly flight from Basel to Seville in Spain, routes from Geneva to Egyptian destinations Cairo and Marsa Alam, and a regular service to Manchester and Bordeaux from Zurich.

Many other airlines have expanded their flight operations ahead of the winter season. You can find out more about these changes by checking out our guide to the winter flight schedule in Zurich.

9. Swiss ski season gets underway

Get ready to clip into your boots and start carving powder: November is the start of the winter season for Swiss ski resorts! The first of the major destinations to open will be Saas-Fee and Zermatt, which will open their doors to skiers and snowboarders on November 1.

Various resorts will follow over the course of the month, provided that the weather in Switzerland is kind. Want to know when your favourite resort will open? Check out our guide to the Swiss ski season for 2024.

10. Swiss Christmas markets to open their doors

Whether you are bracing for Whamageddon and hoping Mariah Carey remains entombed or can’t wait to deck the halls with Christmas cheer, November marks the start of many of the top Christmas markets in Switzerland. From tasty hot chocolate and Glühwein to all the fun trinkets of the season, the markets are well worth a visit.

The first of the major markets will open in Lucerne on November 16, followed by Bô Noël in Lausanne and the various Christmas markets in Zurich on November 20. Markets in Geneva, Montreux, and Bern follow on November 21.

If you just can’t wait to get into the spirit of the season, then Baden Christmas Market opens its doors on October 31!

11. All Saints' and St Martin's Day in Switzerland

Finally, communities in 15 different cantons will be given a chance to kick back and relax, thanks to All Saints’ Day on November 1. The event is designed to celebrate and honour all of the saints of the Christian Church, and remember loved ones who have passed away.

Parts of Aargau, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Fribourg, Glarus, Jura, Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, St. Gallen, Solothurn, Schwyz, Ticino, Uri, Valais and Zug consider it a day off, amounting to 922 of the 2.294 local councils in Switzerland. Be sure to check with your local authority to see if the holiday applies to you! 

While it isn’t a public holiday in any canton, on November 11 communities across Switzerland will celebrate St Martin’s Day. The feast day to remember the life and work of Saint Martin of Tours and the end of the harvest is typically celebrated via turnip lantern processions, fairs, markets and other strange traditions. 

Whether you are participating in these two feast days or using the time to explore or spend time with family and friends, we hope you have a splendid time!