November 1st: Religious holiday
The All Saints’ Day, which commemorates all Christian saints and martyrs, is a public holiday in all but 11 cantons: Aargau, Basel-Country, Basel-City, Bern, Geneva, Graubünden, Neuchâtel, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, and Vaud.
READ ALSO: Where in Switzerland is November 1st a public holiday?
November 1st to 30th: Quit smoking
You don’t have to wait until November to give up this habit, (the sooner the better), but November is earmarked in Switzerland as a “Month Without Tobacco," so it is a good time to quit once and for all.
The national online campaign, promoted by the Tobacco Prevention Fund, aims to “offer a tool to help the many people who wish to free themselves from cigarettes".
In Switzerland, 27 percent of the population smoke, exposing themselves to the higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems, among other medical conditions.
More information about the November campaign can be found here.
November 6th - November 9th: The youth session of the parliament, Bern
Once a year, young people come to Berm from all over Switzerland for the Federal Youth Session, slipping into the role of members of the National Council and Council of States to discuss their concerns and formulate political demands.
The event is organised by the Swiss Association of Youth Associations (SAJV), with the support of numerous sponsors, including several federal authorities such as the Federal Office for Cybersecurity and the State Secretariat for Migration.
For the first time this year, In addition to political standards such as equal opportunities, the free movement of persons. and neutrality, debates on assisted suicide are also on the agenda.
November 10th - November 15th: National Vaccination Week in Doctors' Offices and Pharmacies
The first National Vaccination Week replaces the National Flu Vaccination Day.
Anyone wishing to be vaccinated can receive advice and vaccines against influenza, COVID-19, and - in some cases - for the respiratory virus RSV at participating doctors' offices and pharmacies.
The National Vaccination Week is an initiative of the College of Primary Care Medicine (CMPR) in collaboration with the Federation of Swiss Physicians (FMH), the Swiss Society of Pharmacists (pharmaSuisse), and the Federal Office for Public Health.
READ ALSO: Where can you get a Covid and flu vaccine in Switzerland this autumn?
November 17th: Zurich Airport: Introduces he EU Entry/Exit System (EES)
After Geneva and Basel EuroAirport in October,, Zurich Airport will implement the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES).
The system will change border control procedures for third-country nationals. Travellers from Switzerland and EU/EFTA countries, on the other hand, will not be affected.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about the start of new border checks at Swiss airports
November 30th: Referendums
Two issues will be at stake at the ballot box in the last referendum of 2025.
One, called an ‘Initiative for the Future’ actually concerns an inheritance tax for the super rich.
The Socialist Youth, a wing of the Social Democratic Party, collected enough signatures to launch an initiative calling for a 50-percent inheritance tax to be imposed on those whose assets exceed 50 million francs.
This would be levied by the federal government in addition to cantonal or municipal inheritance taxes.
Under the Socialist Youth's proposal, the proceeds of this windfall would be used for environmental causes and climate control measures.
The Federal Council, however, has pointed out this such a tax would drive away a large proportion of the approximately 2,500 Swiss residents who have a fortune of more than 50 million francs.
If introduced, this tax would generate around 100 to 650 million francs annually — not enough, though, to compensate for the loss of 2.8 to 3.7 billion francs in revenue from wealth and income taxes paid by these high-value individuals each year.
The second issue to voted on is the ‘Civic Duty Initiative.’
This is what it is about: All Swiss men are required to perform military service or civil protection duties.
Conscientious objectors to military service must instead complete a longer period in civilian service.
The Civic Duty Initiative, spearheaded by a group of politicians and civic leaders, proposes that all Swiss citizens, men and woman alike, should be required to perform community or environmental service.
Its aim is to promote the common good through a form of civic duty, extending the current service obligation to include women.
This service should be performed either in the military, in civil protection, or through an equivalent citizen-based service, provided that the required personnel levels for the Armed Forces and civil protection are guaranteed.
The initiative seeks to broaden the definition of national security by highlighting mandatory service in areas such as climate protection, food security and caregiving. As with the current system, those who do not serve would be required to pay a tax.
The government, however, urges the ‘no’ vote because “the army and civil protection, supported by the civil service, play a central role in Switzerland's security. The obligation to serve should be reserved for these organisations. The civic service proposed by the initiative would go much further, resulting in high costs for the Confederation and the cantons and a significant burden on the economy.”
November 30th: Health insurance deadline
This is an important month for people who have a compulsory health insurance KVG / LaMal (which is practically everyone in Switzerland), as the 30th is the deadline to cancel your current plan and switch to another one in 2026 — if that’s what you would like to do.
Premiums for next year will increase by 4.4 percent on average, but even higher in some cantons.
If you do decide to switch to another provider, or remain with your current carrier but perhaps make changes to your policy — for instance, raise or lower your co-pay deductible — you must do so before the end of this month.
However, don't cancel your policy before you have a new one in place.
That's because the current provider won't let you 'resign' unless you attach proof that you have taken out a new insurance policy.
Any outstanding monthly premiums must be paid before you can make the switch.
Ben McPartland, The Local
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