October will bring a cluster of legal, commercial and practical changes that will affect travel, housing, digital security and even how Swiss forests are handled — readers should prepare now and act deliberately where consequences are immediate.
Switzerland and its residents face several consequential changes taking effect in October, ranging from international trade and border-management systems to domestic tenancy rules, public-health measures in forests and a major technology lifecycle milestone: the end of mainstream support for Windows 10. These changes are not isolated; they intersect with everyday decisions about travel, rentals, IT upgrades and environmental protection. This feature explains what changes arrive when, why they matter to Windows users and the broader Swiss public, and what concrete steps to take in the coming weeks. Key facts used in this report were verified against official and independent sources to ensure accuracy.
I also reviewed community and technical briefings that explain practical prerequisites and common enrollment problems; the guidance converges on the same checklist: devices must be on Windows 10, version 22H2 and fully patched; enrolment typically requires signing in with a Microsoft account and installing particular cumulative updates to enable the in-product ESU wizard. Treat ESU as a temporary bridge, not a long-term strategy.
Practical reminders:
Particular caution is required around Windows 10 ESU messaging: the EEA-specific concessions created confusion in media coverage. Switzerland is not an EEA member; do not assume EEA concessions apply automatically to Swiss residents — verify terms with Microsoft’s regional ESU pages and your local policy documentation.
Every reader affected by these items should treat the October dates as firm deadlines for preparedness: update systems, revise administrative forms, plan travel communications and coordinate with cantonal authorities where environmental interventions are involved. The month is a concentrated moment of change — the better prepared you are, the lower your risk of disruption.
Source: blue News You need to know these changes for October now
Background / Overview
Switzerland and its residents face several consequential changes taking effect in October, ranging from international trade and border-management systems to domestic tenancy rules, public-health measures in forests and a major technology lifecycle milestone: the end of mainstream support for Windows 10. These changes are not isolated; they intersect with everyday decisions about travel, rentals, IT upgrades and environmental protection. This feature explains what changes arrive when, why they matter to Windows users and the broader Swiss public, and what concrete steps to take in the coming weeks. Key facts used in this report were verified against official and independent sources to ensure accuracy. Free trade agreement: EFTA–India (effective October 1)
What is changing
On October 1 the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — which includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein — and India comes into force. The deal reduces tariffs and opens market access for a wide range of goods, with the agreement promising substantial customs relief for most Swiss exports to India and a package of investment-promotion commitments. Independent reporting and EFTA coverage show the pact cutting or easing duties on a large share of goods traded between the two partners.Why it matters
- For exporters: improved tariff treatment will lower export barriers for machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and watches, sectors where Switzerland has strong global positions.
- For investment: the agreement includes targets and measures intended to attract capital; public commentary has highlighted ambitions of up to USD 100 billion of investment and one million jobs over 15 years — figures that were announced alongside the agreement’s political messaging and reported by major outlets.
- For consumers: some imported products could become cheaper in both directions as tariff duties fall.
Practical implications for businesses and IT buyers
- Exporters and procurement teams should review product-level tariff schedules immediately to quantify cost impacts and update cross-border pricing, contracts and logistics plans.
- IT and hardware purchasers in multinational organisations should note potential shifts in procurement costs for devices and components sourced from or routed through India following tariff changes.
Border checks: Entry/Exit System (EES) begins October 12
What is the EES?
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a biometric register that will digitally record entries and exits of travellers from third countries (short-stays up to 90 days) across Schengen external borders. The EU set the operational start date for EES as 12 October 2025, with a staged roll-out over roughly six months; participating countries will progressively connect their external border points, including major airports. The system captures passport data, fingerprints and a facial image to reduce identity fraud and better track overstays.Swiss rollout and what travellers should expect
- Switzerland will integrate its largest external-access airports into EES as a first step: Basel–Mulhouse, Geneva and Zurich are identified as priority external border hubs to connect. Border authorities will register travellers’ entry/exit data and biometrics for third-country nationals traveling for short stays.
- The operational change does not affect EU/EEA citizens in the same way; it is aimed at third-country nationals and visa policy enforcement.
What to do before traveling
- If you are a non-EU/EEA national planning short business or tourist trips to Schengen countries, expect longer but more predictable processing at airports during the initial months.
- Ensure travel documents are valid and carry them in the original form requested by your carrier or consulate.
- For organisations that manage frequent travellers, update corporate travel policies and inform staff about potential changes in border-processing times.
New Swiss Air Force commander (October 1)
The personnel change
Divisionary Commander Christian Oppliger assumes command of the Swiss Air Force on 1 October 2025, succeeding Peter Merz, who will leave the post to become CEO of Skyguide in November. The Federal Council named Oppliger earlier in the year; the transition is part of scheduled senior appointments. Oppliger brings a long service record including roles in F‑35 operational introduction and as deputy commander.Why this matters beyond headlines
- Defence continuity: the handover occurs while Switzerland continues to integrate F‑35 capabilities and modernise air-defence structures; leadership continuity for major procurement and operational projects is material to national defence planning.
- Industry and procurement watchers will track how the change influences long-running procurement, interoperability and airspace management projects.
Tenancy law transparency changes (in force October 1)
The new rule
From 1 October 2025, landlords in cantons that require official initial-rent forms (for example Zurich, Lucerne, Basel‑Stadt, and others) must include the most recent reference interest rate and the national consumer price index (inflation) that were used in determining the previous tenant’s rent on the official initial-rent notification form. Cantons with partial or full form obligations must update their local forms and ensure private landlords use the revised documents.Why regulators made this change
The Federal Council’s amendment to the Ordinance on the Rent and Lease of Residential and Commercial Premises aims to boost transparency around initial rents so tenants can better assess whether a proposed rent is contestable.Practical impact for tenants and landlords
- For tenants: the change makes it easier to evaluate whether a starting rent is excessive, because it exposes two key objective inputs — the reference interest rate and the CPI level that applied under the previous tenancy. In cantons with form requirements, missing details on the form can invalidate the agreed initial rent, enabling tenants to challenge it to the conciliation authority or court.
- For landlords: those using mandatory cantonal forms must adapt processes immediately. Incomplete or incorrect forms risk legal challenge and can nullify the initial rent figure.
- For property managers and IT systems providers: update lease-generation templates and document workflows to ensure automatic inclusion of the two indicators on relevant forms by the October 1 deadline.
Windows 10 end of mainstream support — what every user needs to know (October 14)
The calendar and the options
Microsoft’s lifecycle calendar sets October 14, 2025 as the end of mainstream support for Windows 10: after that date Microsoft will no longer provide routine feature or quality updates and will cease standard technical support. To reduce immediate exposure, Microsoft offers a Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program that provides security-only patches for eligible devices through October 13, 2026. Enrollment options include a one-time paid purchase (around USD 30 or local equivalent), use of Microsoft Rewards points, or specific free enrollment paths in certain regions. Official Microsoft documentation explains the program and its scope.I also reviewed community and technical briefings that explain practical prerequisites and common enrollment problems; the guidance converges on the same checklist: devices must be on Windows 10, version 22H2 and fully patched; enrolment typically requires signing in with a Microsoft account and installing particular cumulative updates to enable the in-product ESU wizard. Treat ESU as a temporary bridge, not a long-term strategy.
What Microsoft’s ESU does — and doesn’t — cover
- ESU provides security-only fixes (Critical and Important) for enrolled consumer devices up to the program end date; it does not deliver feature updates, quality enhancements or general technical support.
- Enrolling after the main cutoff is allowed but enrollment does not extend the coverage window beyond October 13, 2026; earlier enrollment yields the full 12 months of coverage.
A critical correction and caution
Some reports and summaries have suggested that ESU would be available free in Switzerland for one year; that claim is not supported by Microsoft’s regional guidance. Microsoft made a specific concession that allowed free ESU enrollment across the European Economic Area (EEA) under modified enrollment terms after regulatory scrutiny, but Switzerland is not an EEA member. Therefore the assertion that Switzerland receives a free one-year ESU automatically is unverified and should be treated cautiously. Confirm local enrollment options in the Windows Update ESU flow or Microsoft’s regional support pages before acting.Practical steps (immediate to 90 days)
- Inventory: list all Windows 10 devices, identify which are eligible for Windows 11 upgrades (run PC Health Check and verify TPM/UEFI settings), and mark devices that cannot be upgraded.
- Back up: create full-image backups for machines that will be upgraded or enrolled in ESU; verify restore points.
- Update: ensure Windows 10 devices run version 22H2 and install all pending cumulative updates (some enrollment paths require specific August/September 2025 LCUs).
- Enroll or migrate:
- If eligible, perform an in-place upgrade to Windows 11 — this is the preferred long-term path.
- If not eligible immediately, plan ESU enrollment only as a time-limited safety valve; evaluate whether the free EEA route applies to you (only for EEA residents) or whether the paid one‑time fee is required in your region. Confirm regional terms through Microsoft’s ESU pages.
- For organisations: model the total cost of ESU vs migration, prioritise internet-facing and critical endpoints for early upgrade, and consider cloud desktop options (Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop) which carry different servicing commitments.
Risks and trade-offs
- Security risk: devices left on unsupported Windows 10 and not enrolled in ESU will receive no Microsoft OS-level security patches after October 14, 2025, increasing exposure to newly discovered vulnerabilities.
- Operational risk: some hardware cannot meet Windows 11 minimums (TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, CPU lists) and may require replacement or migration to Linux/managed cloud desktops.
- Privacy and policy: the free EEA enrollment path included concessions that were shaped by regulatory pressure; regional differences mean enrolment mechanics and privacy implications vary by jurisdiction.
Daylight saving time: clocks go back (October 26)
Switzerland moves from Central European Summer Time (CEST) back to Central European Time (CET) on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 03:00 local daylight time, when clocks are set back one hour to 02:00 standard time. This is the regionally coordinated end-of-daylight-saving transition that applies across most European countries. Update scheduled tasks and any time-sensitive automation accordingly.Practical reminders:
- Schedule maintenance windows and backups around the weekend to avoid duplication or missed jobs that trigger on local timestamps.
- Verify calendar invites and recurring tasks in apps that may have timezone settings or legacy sync behaviour.
- Smart devices generally update automatically; however, manually-set clocks and embedded systems should be checked.
Asian hornet control expanded into forests (from October 1)
What changes
From 1 October 2025, Swiss authorities will allow the use of approved biocides to control Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) nests in forests under clearly defined conditions and only when mechanical or low‑impact measures are not feasible. The change follows a Federal Council amendment to chemical-use regulations and responds to a rapid increase in confirmed sightings and nests; the policy aims to limit the species’ spread ahead of next year’s breeding season. Cantons must authorise local measures and use biocides approved for forest application.Why this matters
- Ecological risk: the Asian hornet preys on honey bees and wild pollinators and has multiplied rapidly; official figures have shown sharp growth in reported sightings and destroyed nests in recent seasons.
- Beekeepers and agriculture: expanding control options into forests provides new tools to protect pollinators and beekeeping livelihoods from large secondary nests that form in treetops.
- Safety and procedure: authorities emphasise that citizens should not attempt nest control themselves and that confusion with native, harmless species must be avoided.
Practical guidance
- Report suspicious hornet sightings to the cantonal reporting platform; don’t approach or try to remove nests.
- Beekeepers should coordinate with cantonal authorities to access approved control services and document impacts to support future funding requests.
- For readers using forested properties, exercise caution around treetops and reward authorities for permitting only approved products and trained operators.
Cross-cutting analysis: strengths, risks and what to watch
Strengths of the October package
- Policy clarity and timing: many changes come with clear effective dates (October 1, October 12, October 14, October 26), giving defined windows for action.
- Targeted regulatory responses: tenancy transparency and forest biocide rules address concrete, measurable problems — excessive rents and an invasive species — and supply new enforcement or mitigation tools.
- Managed digital transition: Microsoft’s ESU program provides a narrowly defined safety valve that avoids an immediate, unpatched security cliff for devices that cannot immediately upgrade. Official guidance and multiple enrollment pathways (paid, rewards, regional free options) give options for diverse user circumstances.
Notable risks and open questions
- Regional fragmentation: ESU concessions that apply to the EEA do not automatically apply to Switzerland; misreporting risks leaving Swiss users underprepared or misinformed about free-enrollment options. Verify local Microsoft guidance rather than assuming special deals apply outside the EEA.
- Implementation friction: the Entry/Exit System will be novel to travellers and carriers; early roll‑out problems (queues, traveler confusion) are plausible. Organisations should anticipate temporary friction during the staged deployment.
- Administrative load: updated tenancy forms shift administrative obligations to landlords and cantonal offices; errors on mandatory forms in cantons with form requirements can cause legal disputes and retroactive rent challenges. Property managers must update workflows immediately.
- Environmental trade-offs: allowing forest use of biocides to fight Asian hornets is a pragmatic response to a rapid invasion, but it creates an inherent trade-off between immediate control and potential broader ecological effects; cantonal authorisation and the “least-impact” rule are critical safeguards.
Checklists: what to do now
For Windows users and IT teams
- Inventory all desktops and laptops; flag which meet Windows 11 hardware requirements.
- Install the latest cumulative updates (ensure devices are at Windows 10, 22H2) and run the ESU enrollment wizard if you plan to use ESU. Back up first.
- For organisations, calculate ESU vs upgrade vs cloud‑desktop total cost, prioritise remediation for externally facing systems.
For tenants and landlords in cantons with form obligations
- Landlords: update rental-document templates to include the last reference interest rate and the national CPI as applied to the previous tenant’s rent; use the mandatory forms after October 1.
- Tenants: ask for the official initial-rent form on first signing; if the form is incomplete, consult the cantonal conciliation authority — missing information can nullify the initial rent.
For travellers and travel managers
- Expect EES biometric registration at major Swiss airports starting mid-October; update itineraries to allow possible extra time for border processing and communicate the change to frequent travellers.
For beekeepers, forest users and environmental bodies
- Report Asian hornet sightings and defer nest removal to approved, trained operators; record losses and coordinate with cantonal authorities for targeted action. Cantons will only permit biocide use under strict conditions and after less-invasive options are exhausted.
Final assessment and caveats
October’s changes are a mix of international trade openings, security lifecycle management, procedural transparency and targeted environmental intervention. Many elements are constructive — the EFTA–India agreement opens commercial opportunities, tenancy transparency arms tenants with stronger informational rights, EES modernises border control and ESU offers a defined safety net for Windows 10 devices — but all carry implementation and regional caveats.Particular caution is required around Windows 10 ESU messaging: the EEA-specific concessions created confusion in media coverage. Switzerland is not an EEA member; do not assume EEA concessions apply automatically to Swiss residents — verify terms with Microsoft’s regional ESU pages and your local policy documentation.
Every reader affected by these items should treat the October dates as firm deadlines for preparedness: update systems, revise administrative forms, plan travel communications and coordinate with cantonal authorities where environmental interventions are involved. The month is a concentrated moment of change — the better prepared you are, the lower your risk of disruption.
Quick recap (dates to remember)
- October 1, 2025: EFTA–India trade agreement enters into force; tenancy‑form transparency and (in cantons with form requirements) revised initial rent form becomes mandatory; expanded authority to control Asian hornet nests in forests under strict conditions.
- October 12, 2025: Entry/Exit System (EES) operations begin as the EU starts progressive roll‑out across Schengen external borders.
- October 14, 2025: Mainstream support for Windows 10 ends; Extended Security Updates (ESU) program runs through October 13, 2026 for enrolled devices. Verify regional ESU terms.
- October 26, 2025: Clocks go back to standard time (CET) in Switzerland; set clocks from 03:00 CEST back to 02:00 CET.
Source: blue News You need to know these changes for October now
