With National Day behind us and the kids back in school, people in Switzerland will now brace for the end of the summer and the coming of September. Plenty of important things are set to occur in the ninth month of the year. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Insurance cold calls to be banned in Switzerland

From September 1, phones and landlines in Switzerland will be a little bit quieter thanks to a new ban on cold-calling. Health insurance providers and other private insurers will no longer be allowed to pester people who aren’t already their clients. Those that do face fines of up to 100.000 francs per case.

2. Possible changes to rental costs thanks to reference interest rate

The Federal Office for Housing (BWO) is expected to announce the new reference interest rate for Swiss mortgages on September 1, a move which could have a major impact on those who rent a house or apartment in Switzerland. Among other things, the metric is used to determine whether landlords are able to automatically raise rents on their tenants.

The rate has increased twice in the last few years, going from 1,25 to 1,5 percent in June 2023, and from 1,5 to 1,75 percent in December last year. This allowed landlords to raise rents by 6 percent on average.

So, will tenants see another rise on September 1? According to experts from UBS, while mortgage rates recently dropped to a two-year low, they do not expect the BWO to lower or raise the reference rate. However, with mortgage interest rates expected to fall further, the reference rate may fall at some point in the next two years, finally allowing tenants to ask for a rent reduction.

3. Gotthard Basel Tunnel to fully reopen on September 2

Rail passengers between Swiss cities, Ticino and Italy will see their journey times slashed from September 2, following the full reopening of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. The western tube of Gotthard has been closed since last August, after a freight train partially derailed while passing through the tunnel.

Since August, workers have laboured in 40-degree heat to replace 20.000 rail sleepers and safety systems along a seven-kilometre stretch of the tunnel. With the full reopening, all InterCity and InterRegional services can use the Gotthard, which should cut journey times through the mountains by an hour.

4. September referendums in Switzerland

What would Switzerland be without referendums? After votes in March and June of this year, September 22 will see Swiss citizens return to the polls once again to vote on federal initiatives. These include a reform to second-pillar pensions and a proposal which seeks to better protect biodiversity and wildlife in Switzerland.

For more information, check out our guide to the national referendums in Switzerland for September 2024.

5. Guidance on Swiss health insurance premiums to be published

It is likely that in the first half of September, the Swiss government will announce whether the cost of health insurance will increase when premiums for basic and supplemental insurance are renewed for 2025. After residents of Switzerland saw the average cost of basic insurance rise by 6,6 percent for 2023 and 8,7 percent for 2024, there was hope that costs would ease next year.

Sadly, because of the rising cost of healthcare and the ageing population, insurance costs are expected to rise again. While unconfirmed, Swiss price comparison site Comparis has predicted that premium costs will increase by 6 percent in 2025.

6. Transport police in Switzerland to be equipped with body cameras

As people across the country brace for insurance hikes, employees at Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) will start to be fitted with body cameras. The cameras will be issued to members of the Transport Police and are designed to help “deter potential perpetrators, de-escalate conflicts and, if necessary, record for evidence purposes.”

According to the company, the cameras will only be switched on if the police deem it necessary, or it is requested by the person being questioned by the authorities.

7. Autumn term begins at Swiss universities

While the Swiss school holidays are already over for younger children, older students will still be given a few more weeks before the start of term at Swiss universities. All 11 of Switzerland’s highest institutions, the Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts and a number of other technical colleges are due to begin teaching on September 16.

Is it your first term? Check out our guide to getting started at a university in Switzerland.

8. Holidays in Switzerland in September

September may not have the pomp and circumstance of National Day, but there are a few public holidays that people in the alpine nation can look forward to. First, the residents of Geneva will celebrate Jeûne genevois on September 5. On the day of fasting and thanksgiving, the people of the largest French-speaking Swiss city will enjoy a day off - and maybe a prune tart or two!

Then on September 9, Canton Zurich will awake to the sound of gunfire with the return of Knabenschiessen. The holiday - meaning “shooting boys” in English - is the largest youth rifle shooting competition in the world, dating back to the 17th century and consisting of thousands of 12 to 16-year-olds trying to showcase their shooting skills. 

However, as a non-statutory holiday, not all workers in the region will be given the day off - contact your employer for more information.

Finally, a number of cantons will see people come together to celebrate the Federal Day of Thanksgiving, Repentance and Prayer on September 15. The event is designed to be an opportunity for people of all faiths and political persuasions to come together in discussion, thanks and of course prayer.

While considered a holiday in all but one canton (Geneva), as it always falls on a Sunday, very few workers are given an extra day off. However, in Canton Vaud and unofficially in parts of Neuchâtel and Bern, the Monday following Thanksgiving (Lundi du Jeûne) is a cantonal holiday, meaning Vaudois employees will be given a day off on September 16, 2024. 

9. Switzerland bids goodbye to summer 2024

Finally, on September 22, Switzerland will bid a fond farewell to summer at the autumnal equinox. While some may be lamenting the end of swimming in the lakes for another year, many others will be looking forward to crunchy brown leaves, roast chestnuts, wild saison at Swiss supermarkets and other indications that autumn has arrived in Switzerland.

Whatever you find yourself doing during the next 30 days, we wish you every success for the new season!