Mobility, health insurance, buses You'll pay more for this next year

2025 will be a year of adjustments: While higher social benefits and tax advantages will take pressure off the budget, mobility and health insurance costs will rise.

New year, new rules, new costs. An overview of changes relevant to consumption by the online comparison service Comparis shows: While some adjustments, such as lower electricity prices, have a positive effect on the financial stability of the Swiss population, others have negative consequences for the budget.

Health insurance premiums are rising, air travel is becoming more expensive and the value-free limit for travel is being restricted. "While tax relief and higher social benefits provide financial relief, increased health insurance premiums and higher mobility costs are putting an increasing strain on household budgets," says Comparis media spokesperson Adi Kolecic.

Here is a thematic overview of the most important changes for 2025.

● Value-free limit for travel: From 2025, travelers will only be allowed to import private purchases into Switzerland tax-free up to a total value of CHF 150 per person per day. If the total value exceeds this limit, Swiss VAT must be paid on the imported goods.

● Electricity prices: Electricity prices will fall by an average of 10 percent in 2025, but will remain higher than 3 years ago.

● Increase in tobacco tax: The Federal Council has decided to moderately increase the tax rates for certain tobacco products. The tax increases will come into force on January 1, 2025.

● Maximum of two debt collections per year: From January 1, 2025, health insurers will be able to pursue insured persons twice a year. In addition, from July 1, 2025, the cantons can have the loss certificates for unpaid premiums and co-payments assigned to them by the health insurers.

● Changing health insurer during the year: From January 1, 2025, insured persons with free choice of doctor and optional deductible can also switch to an alternative insurance model with the same health insurer during the year (e.g. to family doctor, HMO or telemedicine models). It is still not possible to switch to another provider during the year. Switching between different alternative insurance models with the same provider during the year is also still not possible. Insured persons with standard basic insurance can continue to terminate their contract with their old insurer until the end of March and switch to another insurer as of July 1.

● Health insurance premiums rise: On average, health insurance premiums will rise by 6 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year.

● Blood donation discrimination ends: With the new Blood Donation Act, which comes into force on January 1, 2025, no one may be excluded from donating blood on the basis of their sexual orientation. The law also stipulates that blood donations may not be remunerated.

● Adjustment of the basic insurance benefits catalog: Various changes to the Healthcare Benefits Ordinance (KLV) will come into force on January 1, 2025. These include:

○ Compulsory healthcare insurance will now cover the costs of head prosthesis therapy for premature cranial suture closure in infants if disability insurance does not pay.

○ The cantonal screening program for bowel cancer in the canton of Solothurn is exempt from the deductible.

● Adjustment of the energy label for new cars: The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications has decided to reclassify the energy efficiency categories of the energy label for passenger cars from 2025. This means that only the most efficient vehicle models will be classified in category A.

● Stricter law against vehicle noise: The Federal Council is extending the ban on avoidable vehicle noise. From January 1, 2025, the generation of banging noises caused by shifting gears and abruptly releasing the accelerator will be prohibited. In addition, the ban on avoidable vehicle noise no longer only applies at night and in residential and recreational areas, but in general.

● Adjustment of fines: As part of the new regulation to prevent unnecessary vehicle noise, the Federal Council is also adjusting the amount of various administrative fines. For example, the fine for leaving the engine running unnecessarily will be increased from 60 to 80 francs. No new fines will be introduced.

Travel to the UK will become more difficult: travelers from countries that do not require a visa, such as Switzerland, will have to apply for an electronic travel authorization from 2 April 2025. This will cost CHF 11 and must be renewed after two years.

● Flights operated by national airlines will become more expensive: the Lufthansa Group will levy a new type of environmental fee from 2025. This will also affect the Swiss airlines Swiss and Edelweiss. Ticket prices will rise as a result.

● Indication of emissions caused by flights: From 2025, airlines will have to state the emissions likely to be caused by the flight in their flight offers.

● New SBB timetable for French-speaking Switzerland: The so-called construction site timetable is the most extensive timetable change in 20 years. The aim: trains should run more punctually in future. To achieve this, travelers will have to accept longer journey times. The timetable comes into force on December 15, 2024.

● Discontinuation of the 3G network: Various telecom providers, including Sunrise and Swisscom, will switch off the outdated 3G mobile technology by the end of 2025. The shutdown of 3G will enable the expansion of capacities for 4G and 5G. Customers will thus benefit from an even faster mobile network.

● SRG radio only via DAB+: From January 2025, SRG radio stations will only be broadcast via DAB+. Drivers with older vehicles will be particularly affected. These are often not equipped with a DAB+ receiver.

● Digitization in education, research and innovation: The Federal Council is pursuing the goal of making the most of the opportunities offered by digitalization in Switzerland. The "Digital Switzerland" strategy sets out the government measures to shape the necessary transformation processes for the benefit of society. The funding period, which supports players in the fields of education, research and innovation, starts in 2025.

● Standardized USB-C charging interface: From 28 December 2024, cell phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, portable video consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, PC mice, portable navigation systems and earphones that are newly launched on the market in Switzerland and the European Union must be equipped with a USB-C charging port.

● Retirement age for women: The reference age for women will rise by 3 months for the first time in 2025.

● Adjustment of occupational pension thresholds: Following the increase in the BVG minimum interest rate in 2024, the occupational pension thresholds will be adjusted as follows from January 1, 2025

○ Entry threshold (minimum annual salary): increase from CHF 22,050 to CHF 22,680

○ Coordination deduction: increase from CHF 25,725 to CHF 26,460

○ Upper limit of the annual salary: increase from 88,200 to 90,720 francs

○ Maximum coordinated salary: increase from 62,475 to 64,260 francs

○ Minimum coordinated salary: increase from 3,675 to 3,780 francs

● Subsequent purchases into pillar 3a: From the beginning of 2025, people who do not make any or not the full contribution to pillar 3a from 2025 onwards will be able to pay this for the first time in the form of subsequent purchases. These additional payments can be made retroactively for a maximum of 10 years. Anyone wishing to make a purchase must have earned income subject to AHV contributions in both the year of the purchase and the year of the subsequent payment.

● Increase in social benefits: The Federal Council is increasing various social benefits as of January 1, 2025:

○ Child allowances will be increased from CHF 200 to CHF 215 for the first time since 2009.

○ Education allowances will be increased from CHF 250 to CHF 268.

The AHV/IV minimum pension increases from CHF 1225 to CHF 1260 per month.

● New regulation for mortgage financing: As part of the "Basel lll" reform package, banks will have to comply with new lending rules from January 1, 2025 to ensure financial market stability. In future, banks will have to deposit more equity capital for each mortgage and be stricter when assessing creditworthiness. The equity capital deposited is also to be adjusted even more closely to the risk of the respective mortgage loan. The new rules are intended to make the banking system more resistant to crises, but may lead to an increase in mortgage interest rates due to the stricter requirements.