What changes in Switzerland on 1 October 2026: five key updates

On 1 October 2026, five changes enter into force at federal level. They affect companies, higher vocational education, road traffic and foreign trade. The shared date should not obscure the fact that the practical impact differs greatly: a title suffix can be used immediately, transition periods apply to the transparency register, and new inspection intervals for electric delivery vans follow only later.

What has to be done on the effective date

Private individuals do not have to register anything across the board on 1 October because of these five changes. Action is required above all from the companies, authorities, educational institutions and holders of certain electric commercial vehicles concerned. What matters in each case is the detailed rule: «in force» can mean an immediately usable right, the start of a transition period or new requirements for future decisions.

1. Transparency register: deadlines depend on the case

With the Federal Act on the Transparency of Legal Entities and the Identification of Beneficial Owners, a new reporting system begins. Those affected include public limited companies, limited liability companies and cooperatives. A beneficial owner is always a natural person who ultimately controls a company – for example directly or indirectly through at least 25 per cent of the capital or voting rights, or in another way.

The register is not public. Access is granted to the authorities and bodies designated by law for combating money laundering and financial crime.

For existing companies, the reporting deadline does not end across the board on 1 October. Transitional law provides for staggered deadlines: for most affected entities the general transition period is at most six months. If all beneficial owners are already entered in the commercial register, the period can be two years. A change to a commercial register entry during the transition period generally triggers a report within one month. Foreign legal entities that fall under the act have six months. Companies should therefore examine their legal form, ownership structure and specific deadline.

2. New suffixes, but no university degrees

Anyone who has completed a federal professional examination or a higher vocational school may use the suffix «Professional Bachelor» from 1 October. For a higher professional examination, «Professional Master» is envisaged. This applies regardless of the year of qualification, including to earlier graduates.

The suffix must follow the protected Swiss title and may not be used on its own. It does not create an academic bachelor's or master's degree from a university or a university of applied sciences and does not automatically change admission to a university course. Earlier graduates do not receive a new diploma; for qualifications in the national qualifications framework, they can order a new diploma supplement for a fee from mid-October.

3. 30 km/h on traffic-oriented roads

For a speed reduction on traffic-oriented roads, an expert report must now also show that no unwanted through traffic into residential neighbourhoods arises. The legal term is narrower than the colloquial «main artery»: it means roads that are primarily geared to safe and efficient motor vehicle traffic.