Switzerland will maintain the temporary protection status (Status S) for Ukrainians who fled Ukraine due to Russia’s full-scale invasion until March 4, 2028, but will tighten the eligibility criteria for obtaining it.
“There are still no signs of long-term stabilization of the situation in Ukraine. Therefore, Status S for individuals from Ukraine seeking protection will be extended until March 4, 2028. Support measures for individuals with Status S (Program S) will also continue until that date,” the Swiss government stated in a Wednesday announcement on its website.
It is reported that the Federal Council made this decision at its meeting on August 19 following consultations with relevant stakeholders.
At the same time, it is noted that as of August 20, S protection status will be restricted for certain other groups of individuals—S protection status will now be granted only to those performing military duties they may have in Ukraine. “This new rule applies to all new applicants who submitted their applications on August 20 or later. It does not affect individuals who have already been granted S protection status,” the government statement notes.
As explained by the Swiss government, this decision was made to align with EU policy on this matter. “Switzerland has thus far closely coordinated its actions with the EU regarding S protection status and will continue to do so. On July 30, EU member states decided to extend temporary protection until March 4, 2028. At the same time, they decided to restrict access to temporary protection in the EU: as of July 31, temporary protection is granted only to those performing military duties in Ukraine. The requirement to perform military duties applies, in particular, to Ukrainian citizens of draft age, those in the reserves, and those who have voluntarily joined the armed forces. “Switzerland is not legally obligated to implement this decision adopted by the Council of the EU. However, the Federal Council believes that it is in Switzerland’s interest to align its practices with those of the EU,” the statement reads.
Should the situation in Ukraine stabilize sustainably, the Federal Council will review the status of protection for Ukrainians.
As previously reported, in late July, the European Union extended temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 4, 2028, with a new provision stipulating that newly arrived Ukrainian citizens subject to military service will be eligible for protection only if they have no issues with their military registration documents.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China’s economy fell by 10.3% year-over-year in January–April, to 287.69 billion yuan ($42 billion), according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The manufacturing sector attracted 78.9 billion yuan, while the services sector attracted 204.2 billion yuan. Notably, investment in high-tech industries rose by 20.3% to reach 166.3 billion yuan.
Luxembourg more than doubled its FDI (by 110.3%), Switzerland increased it by 60.8%, France by 58.3%, and the U.S. by 24.5%, according to data from the ministry cited by Xinhua News Agency.
In January–April, 20,113 new enterprises with foreign capital were registered in China, which was 6.8% higher than the figure for the same period in 2025.
As reported, FDI for 2025 fell by 9.5% to 747.7 billion yuan.
Switzerland has expanded its sanctions lists targeting Russia and Belarus, partially aligning itself with the European Union’s 20th sanctions package, adopted in response to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to the Swiss government, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research expanded the sanctions lists against Russia and Belarus on May 22.
An additional 115 individuals and entities have been subject to the new restrictions. Asset freezes and a ban on the provision of funds are being imposed on them. Individuals are also prohibited from entering Switzerland and transiting through its territory.
The Swiss government specified that the new sanctions apply, in particular, to individuals and organizations linked to the Russian military-industrial complex and the energy sector.
In the trade sector, Switzerland is imposing stricter export controls on an additional 60 companies, including entities in third countries. The aim of this measure is to prevent the supply of critically important goods to the Russian military-industrial complex.
Bern has also adopted some of the EU measures targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The restrictions have been extended to 46 additional vessels, with bans on their purchase, sale, and the provision of services to them. At the same time, in accordance with the EU decision, previously imposed bans on 11 vessels have been lifted.
In addition, Switzerland has imposed a ban on transactions involving two Russian ports and one port in a third country that are used for the transport of Russian petroleum products.
At the same time, Switzerland has not yet included seven companies from a third country, which were mentioned in the EU decisions, on its sanctions list. Bern stated that operational measures are being applied to prevent the circumvention of sanctions.
The results of a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research firm Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center indicate that Ukrainians continue to hold a high level of positive sentiment toward Switzerland, although the overall share of positive assessments has declined slightly compared to August 2025—from 71.7% to 67.8%. At the same time, negative attitudes have decreased from 3.3% to 0.7%, confirming a consistently low level of critical perception of this country.
The breakdown of responses shows a balanced positive perception: 29.6% of respondents rated their attitude as “entirely positive,” and another 38.2% as “mostly positive.” Thus, Switzerland remains in the group of countries with a predominantly positive image among Ukrainians, although the trend indicates a certain increase in the share of neutral assessments.
A neutral position was chosen by 30.1% of respondents, which is a relatively high figure and may indicate the country’s limited informational presence or a lack of direct experience of interaction. Negative assessments remain minimal: 0.7% of respondents indicated a “mostly negative” attitude, while the share of completely negative responses is virtually nonexistent. Another 1.4% of respondents were undecided.
Compared to the previous period, the key trend is not so much an increase in negativity as a shift of some positive assessments into the neutral category. This indicates a certain cooling of emotional perception, but without the formation of a negative attitude.
“Switzerland is traditionally perceived by Ukrainians as a stable and neutral country with a high level of trust. At the same time, we see that some respondents are shifting to a neutral position, which may be linked to the reduced visibility of specific actions or projects. This does not mean a deterioration of the image, but rather indicates a need for more active communication,” noted Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
Overall, the survey results confirm that Switzerland maintains a positive image in Ukrainian society; however, the dynamics of the ratings indicate the importance of a constant presence in the information sphere and the development of bilateral ties to sustain this level of trust.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Switzerland ranks 27th in total trade volume of goods with Ukraine, with a figure of $994.7 million. At the same time, imports of Swiss goods significantly exceed Ukrainian exports, resulting in a trade deficit of over $780 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, SWITZERLAND, UKRAINE, URAKIN
The Swiss Federal Council has approved the launch of a housing tax reform effective January 1, 2029—from that point on, homeowners who live in their own homes will no longer pay tax on the so-called imputed rental value (Eigenmietwert).
This is one of the most unique tax rules in Europe: until now, living in one’s own house or apartment in Switzerland was considered imputed income, on which income tax was levied. As part of the reform, this system will be abolished for both primary and secondary residences, while parliament simultaneously provided a constitutional option for cantons to introduce a special tax on second homes.
The reform became possible after Swiss voters supported changes to housing taxation in a referendum on September 28, 2025. According to Swissinfo, 57.7% of voters supported the reform. The Federal Council rejected requests from several Alpine cantons to postpone the launch of the new system until at least 2030, deciding to maintain the effective date of the changes as 2029.
For the housing market, this means not only the abolition of the imputed rental income tax but also a revision of related tax deductions. According to the official explanation, the current model was based on a balance between taxing imputed income and the ability to deduct mortgage interest and housing maintenance costs from the tax base. Following the reform, this mechanism will be significantly altered, and the cantons will have to adapt their own tax regimes over the coming years.
For foreign investors and real estate buyers, this news is important primarily as a signal of further adjustments to the rules governing home ownership in Switzerland. At the same time, the final impact of the reform on the tax burden will depend on the structure of real estate ownership, the presence of a mortgage, and how specific cantons exercise their right to impose a separate tax on second homes.
Against the backdrop of an acute housing shortage and record low vacancy rates, the Zurich authorities are strengthening their approach to the “fair allocation” of affordable housing, including through restrictions on under-occupancy, so that large apartments are not occupied by single people.
This is not a general ban on the entire rental market, but primarily on the city’s housing stock (municipal, including subsidized, apartments), where strict minimum occupancy rules are already in place: “the number of rooms minus one” equals the minimum number of occupants. For example, a 4.5-room apartment must be occupied by at least three people, and if it remains underoccupied after a set period, the tenant must move out.
The background to the decision is the extremely low proportion of vacant housing. According to city data, as of June 1, 2025, there were 235 vacant apartments in Zurich, and the vacancy rate remained at 0.1%.
At the same time, the city is promoting its updated housing strategy, Programm Wohnen 2026, which confirms the goal of increasing the share of non-profit (gemeinnützig) rental housing to one-third by 2050. The documents indicate that the share of such apartments is currently around 27%, and that around 25,000 additional non-commercial apartments will be needed to achieve the goal.
The city’s housing fund is a separate financial instrument: a model worth CHF 300 million (CHF 100 million in property loans and CHF 200 million in framework loans) has been approved as a mechanism to support the creation of more affordable housing, with funds from the fund to be disbursed starting in 2025.
In a broader context, the city is also discussing the extension of similar principles (including verification of living conditions and minimum occupancy) to the segment of “affordable” apartments owned by private owners, if they are rented out under preferential rules.
