Streamlining Swiss Building Permits

by Andreas F. Vögeli, Fabiano Menghini, Charles Gschwind, and Annina Fey

On 22 April 2026, the Swiss Federal Council adopted a report in response to five parliamentary postulates (Gmür-Schönenberger, Müller Leo, Caroni, Wicki, and Jauslin) setting out a catalog of measures intended to accelerate planning and building permit procedures in Switzerland (the “Report“). The Report forms part of the federal “Aktionsplan Wohnungsknappheit” and complements the proposed comprehensive amendment of the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (the “Lex Koller“) unveiled one week earlier on 15 April 2026. The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (UVEK) has been mandated to submit a consultation draft by the end of 2026.