The recent death of a young girl in a skiing accident in Lenk in Switzerland has reopened the debate on how to deal with dangerous skiers. On 28 December 2018, a four year old girl, who was hit by a skier at the resort of Lenk in the canton of Bern, died in hospital after […]
Question of the week: do we need a retirement age?
Reaching the official retirement age1 is an important milestone for many people. Some look forward to it while others dread it. Some dreading it would prefer to continue working either because they enjoy their work or would like the extra income. Some feel they are being systematically and unfairly labelled too old to work. A […]
Swiss man arrested in connection with murder of Scandinavian tourists in Morocco has long criminal record
A Swiss man arrested in Morocco in connection with the brutal murder of two Scandinavian tourists has a criminal record and is suspected of being radicalised, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes. The man from Geneva has a criminal record for crimes committed between 2007 and 2013. His crimes include drug offenses, theft, burglary, property […]
New year swim in chilly Lake Geneva attracts 120 swimmers
On 1 January 2019, around 120 brave souls took the plunge into the cool waters (7 degrees) of Lake Geneva. The event, which started 22 years ago, kicked off around midday with a champagne celebration. According to Le Matin, the event was started by a local resident from Lapland in 1997. The first year, there […]
Vaccination against tick borne encephalitis now covered by Swiss health insurance
In the face of a rapid rise in the number of infections, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has confirmed to various media, including RTS, that vaccination against tick borne encephalitis is now covered by basic Swiss health insurance. Page 7 of this PDF issued by FOPH shows a list of vaccinations covered […]
Renewal of Swiss residence permits now depends on good behaviour and integration
From 1 January 2019, the rules around renewing Swiss residence permits are different. The change, decided last year, grants renewals only if certain requirements are met. These include respect for the constitution and its values, respect for public order, participation in economic life1 or education, and competency in the local language. Language competence will be […]
Swiss VAT now applied to more foreign online purchases from 1 January 2019
In 2016, Switzerland’s government decided to tighten the VAT exemption on imported purchases, a move that affects most online orders from foreign retailers. The new rules took effect on 1 January 2019 – they were originally planned for 1 January 2018 but systems and processes were not ready. Until the beginning of this year, any […]
Switzerland’s new president for 2019
In Switzerland, the position of president is ceremonial. Switzerland’s executive is led jointly by all seven members of the Federal Council, also known as les sept sages (the seven wise ones) by French speakers. The ceremonial role of the president rotates annually among Federal Council members. In addition to the diplomatic duties of the president, […]
Swiss residence permits to be replaced with new cards the size of a credit card
The government decided last month that the paper residence permits currently issued to some foreigners are to be replaced by forgery-proof cards the size of a credit card. Chips will not be included on the new cards. The required legal changes will be complete by 1 April 2019. The card will contain the permit holder’s […]
Police warn of fake Swiss franc notes
Since the beginning of December 2018 more and more counterfeit 100 Swiss franc notes have been appearing in the Swiss canton of Valais in and around Sion and Conthey. The fake notes, which the local Police say can be spotted if compared to real ones, have been making their way into circulation via shopping centres, […]
