October 2025 in Switzerland: 6 important things expats need to know

The leaves are turning, the evenings are getting darker, and autumn is well and truly on its way. From changes to tenancy laws to new travel regulations in the EU, here’s what you should know about in Switzerland as we head into the 10th month of the year. 

1. More transparency in Swiss tenancy law

In certain Swiss cantons, landlords are required to disclose to incoming tenants how much the previous tenant paid in rent, via a so-called “Mitteilung des Anfangsmietzinses” (literally, “form for notifying the initial rent”). In a bid to give tenants more transparency, the Federal Council will extend the scope from October 1. 

Going forward, landlords will not only be required to disclose the rent paid by the previous tenant, but also the most recently applicable values for the reference interest rate and inflation (national consumer price index), to help tenants see whether any increase in rent is fair or whether they have grounds to contest the lease. 

This new regulation only applies in the cantons where these forms are mandatory; that is, in the Cantons of Zurich, Zug, Lucerne, Basel-Stadt, Fribourg and Geneva, plus some individual municipalities in Neuchâtel and Vaud. 

2. EU’s Entry/Exit system comes into effect

On October 12, the EU’s new border system, known as the Entry-Exit System or EES, will also come into effect. European countries will gradually introduce the system at their borders, including Switzerland.

In a nutshell, EES is an automated IT system that records certain details about non-EU nationals coming to the bloc for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of any EU country using the system. Instead of stamping the person’s passport, the information about their entries and exits, along with either a photo or a fingerprint scan, will be held electronically.

The new system aims to enhance the efficiency and security of border checks within the EU. In Switzerland, EES will initially be implemented at Zurich, Basel-Mulhouse and Geneva airports.  

3. Health insurers to release 2026 premium rates

October is also the month when health insurers in Switzerland are obliged to release their new premium rates for the following year, so keep an eye out for some communication from your insurer to be advised of their rates for 2026. It’s already clear that premiums are going up next year; the question is by how much. 

It’s worth noting that if you wish to switch your health insurance provider, you have until November 30 to give your current insurer notice and make the swap before the new year. 

4. Lucerne to lower gas prices and Uri lowers electricity prices

Residents in two Swiss cantons can also look forward to lower costs for energy from October. In Lucerne, Energie Wasser Luzern has advised that it will reduce its gas prices from October 1 onwards. For a single-family home with an annual consumption of around 20.000 kilowatt hours, the savings will be around 20 to 40 Swiss francs per year. 

In Uri, customers will also pay less for their electricity from October 1 - and the saving for an average family is expected to be around 225 Swiss francs per year, or around 16,5 percent. Business customers will also benefit from the change. EnergieUri is also expanding its cut-price periods, during which energy is cheaper, to apply continuously across weekends.

5. Autumn school holidays

It might feel like they’ve only just gone back after the summer holidays, but schoolchildren across Switzerland will take another break in October as the autumn school holidays kick off in all 26 cantons. The holiday lasts either one or two weeks, depending on where you live. 

6. Clocks go back

And finally, at the end of October, we’ll all be treated to an extra hour in bed in the morning, as the clocks go back at 3am on Sunday, October 26. The time change will see the mornings get a little lighter, while in the evenings it will get dark an hour earlier, the surest sign that autumn and winter are truly upon us. Don’t forget to update your watches, clocks and devices!