1 October 2026: News on recycling, EES and 30 zones

Context

In brief

• As of 1 October 2026, five provisions will change in Switzerland
• TJPG and TJPV aim to combat money laundering and terrorism
• EES progressively digitises airport screening
• EFTA-Kosovo and new rules for 30 km and 50 km

Key Facts

• TJPG and TJPV → October 1, 2026
• Foreign companies → branch, management or real estate in Switzerland
• Titles → "Professional Bachelor" and "Master"
• Borders → non-Schengen countries
• EES → system
• Agreement → FTA between EFTA States and Kosovo
• Traffic-oriented roads → 50 km/h in principle
• Urban areas → 30 km/h no longer on a large scale

As of 1 October 2026, five amendments on money laundering, tertiary level professional education and training, airport controls, trade with Kosovo and speed limits in localities will come into force in Switzerland. The overview includes the provisions and laws that have been applicable since the beginning of the month.

Transparency and training

The first change concerns the Federal Act on the Transparency of Legal Entities and the Identification of Economically Beneficiary Persons, TJPG, and the related TJPV regulation. The two provisions are intended to improve the fight against money laundering and terrorism. Their scope also includes foreign companies when they have a branch in Switzerland, are managed here or own real estate in Switzerland. At the same time, new due diligence obligations apply to certain advisory activities, which involve, among others, lawyers and notaries, and in particular public limited companies, GmbH, cooperatives, certain investment companies and limited partnerships.

The revised Vocational and Professional Education and Training Act introduces the titles "Professional Bachelor" and "Master's degree". It makes post-diploma courses at specialist schools more flexible, allows English as the language of the examination and protects the term "Höhere Fachschule" by law.

Borders, exchanges and roads

For those arriving at the airport from non-Schengen countries, the adapted regulation on the Entry and Exit System, EES, initiates the progressive digitalisation of the Schengen external borders. In the future, biometric data will be collected for third-country nationals; the Swiss authorities will be able to use new search alerts and information in the Schengen Information System, SIS. The EES replaces the previous manual passport checks with entry stamps and will digitally record when and where a third-country national enters or leaves.

The FTA between the EFTA states and Kosovo will increase legal certainty and predictability of bilateral trade, while improving access to the Kosovar market will gain better access to the Kosovo market. All existing Swiss exports to Kosovo will be exempt from customs duties, some of which will be subject to transitional periods.

Finally, the new amendments to the 30 km/h limit, linked to the "Schilliger motion", tabled almost five years ago, provide in principle for a limit of 50 km/h on traffic-oriented roads in localities. It is no longer possible to introduce the 30 km/h limit on a large scale in urban areas. Cities and municipalities that want to do so will have to prove by means of an expert report that there will be no diverted traffic on the streets of the districts.

Operational details

The five changes have different recipients. For those who live or work in Switzerland, the practical step is to understand whether the novelty concerns a corporate activity, a training course, a non-Schengen trip, an export to Kosovo or a municipal decision on traffic.

The before and after comparison

For foreign companies, the source identifies three specific links to Switzerland: branch, land management or real estate. New due diligence obligations are to be considered for certain consultations; lawyers and notaries are among the professionals mentioned. The scope also includes public limited companies, GmbH, cooperatives and some investment and limited partnerships.

In the tertiary level vocational education programme, qualifications and organisation are changing: "Professional Bachelor" and "Master's" are coming, post-diploma courses are becoming more flexible, English is admitted to examinations and "Höhere Fachschule" is protected by law. For those who study, these are different elements to be checked in the same path.

For travellers, the difference between before and after is the transition from a manual passport check with a stamp to an electronic entry and exit record. The transition is progressive: those coming from non-Schengen countries must consider the new system, while the collection of biometric data for third-country nationals is suitable for the future. The SIS can also be used by the Swiss authorities with new alerts and information.

For trade with Kosovo, the effect is commercial: the FTA between the EFTA states and Kosovo increases legal certainty and predictability and improves access to the Kosovar market. Existing Swiss exports to Kosovo will be duty-free, partly after transitional periods.

In traffic, the comparison is between 50 km/h in principle on traffic-oriented roads and the use of 30 km/h, which can no longer be extended on a large scale in urban areas. A city or municipality that intends to introduce it on those roads must back up the choice with an expert opinion on the absence of diverted traffic in the districts. The Touring Club Schweiz (TCS) and the Automobil Club Schweiz (ACS) endorse this approach for traffic flow and network hierarchy, also mentioning public transport, fast e-bikes and emergency response organizations. To learn more about the mobility associated with this transition, see the mezzi pubblici. However, the two associations criticize low-noise road surfaces, which they consider to be more effective against noise.

Recommended tools

For an updated estimate, use the net salary calculator and the CHF-EUR exchange comparator.

Key points

From an operational point of view, it is advisable to separate the date, subject and procedure. The same date does not produce the same action: for TJPG, TJPV and the 30 km/h limit, the entry into force is indicated on 1 October 2026; for EES, digitization is progressive and biometric data are planned in the future.

Five-step checklist

1. Date and scope. Use October 1, 2026 as a reference for TJPG, TJPV, and new 30 km/h rules. For the airport system, consider a progression instead: EES replaces manual checks with digital enrollment, and biometric collection is set for the future.

2. Company or consultancy. If the subject is a foreign company, compare the situation with the three elements indicated: branch, management or real estate in Switzerland. If the activity is consultancy, check the new duty of care for certain activities; the source mentions lawyers and notaries among others. For the financial side, you can also consult the conti bancari in Svizzera.

3. Education. Tertiary level vocational education and training students can check which qualification they apply, the flexibility of post-diploma courses and the possibility of taking the exam in English. The term "Höhere Fachschule" is now protected by law.

4. Travel. If you are coming from a non-Schengen country, consider the gradual transition to the EES. The system will record when and where third-country nationals enter or leave; the Swiss authorities will be able to use new alerts and information in the SIS.

5. Export or viability. For exports to Kosovo, check the application of duty exemption and any transitional periods. If a city or municipality wants to introduce 30 km/h on a traffic-oriented road, the expert report must show that there will be no diverted traffic on the streets of the districts. To follow the effect on the personal budget, consult the costo della vita in Svizzera.

This distinction avoids confusing an educational qualification, a border procedure, a business rule, and a local decision. Once you've identified the change that affects you, use the calcolatore stipendio for a personal estimate.

Source: tio.ch