The idea of taxing foreigners who settle in Switzerland is not new, but now it is gaining momentum on the political level.
In August, The Council of States’ Committee on Political Institutions said that it wants to add an immigration levy to the ‘safeguard clauses’ within the future package of agreements between Switzerland and the European Union.
The proposal will be discussed further once the Parliament convenes for its autumn session on September 27th, but in the meantime, the Federal Council has warmed up to the idea.
The council said that it will “continue studying models consistent with the Constitution and international law” in order to submit the legal basis for such a tax to the Parliament.
That is a turnaround from the government’s statement in May 2026 that “the only option considered feasible without amending the Constitution would be to introduce an incentive-based tax, the revenue from which would be redistributed to the population and the economy.”
And the most recent statement is a major reversal from 2023 – when the idea of the immigration tax was first introduced by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP),
At that time, the Federal Council dismissed the proposal, pointing out that it would be “difficult to implement, discriminatory, and undesirable from an economic standpoint,” given that Switzerland benefits from immigration.
What is this tax about?
As reported by The Local, “For employed individuals, the levy would be charged to employers, but adults arriving in Switzerland under family reunification provisions would also be subject to the tax and would have to pay it themselves.”
The proposed amount is from 4,000 francs up, though the modalities are still unclear.
Big battle ahead
Just because the Federal Council is now more open to the idea doesn’t mean that this levy will actually be implemented, especially in the near future.
The debates in both houses of the Parliament – the National Council and the Council of States – could be long and contentious, especially as many deputies are against this measure.
For instance, Green MP Delphine Klopfenstein Broggini said that “this proposal sidesteps another debate: migration clearly benefits Switzerland.”
Many foreigners could end up not coming to Switzerland at all to avoid paying this tax.
And “without this workforce, Switzerland would not have the wealth it enjoys today,” shew added.
What’s next?
As with any parliamentary proposals, it too will be debated at length the legislative level.
If both houses vote in favour of it, the Parliament will have to draft a bill.
But before it can be enacted, Swiss voters will have their say on this matter.
