Everything that changes in Switzerland in October 2026
New money-laundering laws and longer wait times at airports are among changes that will happen in Switzerland this October.
October 1st: New anti-money laundering rules
The revised legislation, along with one on better transparency, will “close gaps in the Swiss system for combating money laundering and terrorist financing,” according to the Federal Council.
The newly established ‘Transparency Register’ will help in that effort, the government said.
October 1st: New leaf-raking regulations in Zurich
Stricter regulations for leaf vacuums and leaf blowers will apply in the city of Zurich, allowing only electrically operated devices. and banning fuel-powered ones.
This measure was approved by local voters in a referendum in September 2025.
October 6th to 9th: European earthquake simulation exercise to be held in Geneva and Vaud
Switzerland will host, for the first time, a civil protection exercise organised within the framework of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
The operations will take place simultaneously at the Epeisses site (Geneva), in the city of Geneva itself, as well as at the Payerne military airfield (Vaud).
Sometime in October: Health insurance carriers will inform you of 2027 rates
This time is probably the most dreaded period for Switzerland’s residents — except possibly for tax time.
We already know that the premiums for the obligatory health insurance will go up next year – though more so in some cantons than in others.
A reminder: all those who wish to switch to a cheaper insurance in 2027 must do so by November 30th at the latest.
Throughout October: Autumn school holidays
The autumn school break in most Swiss cantons falls some time in October, and lasts either one or two weeks, depending on canton.
This calendar shows when public schools will be off, and for how long, in each canton.
Expect significantly longer wait times at airports
According to media reports, SWISS airline expects greater passenger backlogs at Switzerland’s airports this month during the fall break.
That’s because the transition period for the introduction of the new Electronic Entry System (EES) – which allowed governments to temporarily suspend the time-consuming biometric data collection process during periods of high traffic - ends in September.
Starting in October, therefore, travellers from outside the Schengen Area will be required to submit their biometric data upon entry to Switzerland, causing backlogs at the airport.
READ MORE: New EES border system at Swiss airports causes longer waits for passengers
And this brings us to other travel news...
SWISS airline will launch its non-stop flights from Zurich to Bengaluru, India on October 28
They will be operated five times a week, except on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Edelweiss
On Fridays and Sundays from October 27th, the sister airline on SWISS will deploy a significantly larger aircraft - Airbus A340 - to Gran Canaria.
An Airbus A340-300, with the 314-passenger capacity - will also be used, during October, on Monday flights to Tenerife, as well as on Saturday flights to Rhodes.
Autumn flights to other parts of Greece will also have “significantly more capacity,” the airline said: for instance, Saturday service to Heraklion will be operated with the larger Airbus A350 instead of an Airbus A320, which s in use currently.
Furthermore, the service to Mallorca will be expanded in October with several additional flights and larger aircraft as well.
EasyJet
The low-cost airline is also expanding its offerings from October.
Specifically, it will fly:
From Zurich to Pristina: from October 26th (daily)
From Geneva to Rennes: from October 31st, 2026 (Mondays and Fridays)
From Milan Linate to Geneva: from October 25th, 2026 (Monday through Friday and on Sundays)
October 25th: Daylight Saving Time ends
A sure sign that the warm and sunny weather is over is having to wind the clocks back ahead of the coming winter.
On Sunday, October 25th, clocks in Switzerland will be turned back one hour at 3 am.
This means that sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier.
The good news is that we all get an extra hour of sleep. The bad news is that it’s going to get darker earlier in the morning and evening.
