Switzerland

The person posts on a public social-media account, under their own name, that the Holocaust did not happen and the gas chambers are a fabrication. The post contains no threat, no call to violence, and names no living individual.

Art. 261bis para. 4 of the Criminal Code makes it an offence to publicly deny, grossly trivialise or justify genocide, punishable by up to 3 years in prison or a monetary penalty; it is prosecuted ex officio. The EKR recorded 50-78 decisions with a conviction each year under Art. 261bis in 2020-2025, about two-thirds of all decided cases. Most end in penal orders with fines or (often suspended) monetary penalties; prison has been imposed on repeat Holocaust deniers (e.g. Amaudruz).

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · Federal Commission against Racism: overview of Art. 261bis cases by year · EKR study: Die Rassismusstrafnorm in der Gerichtspraxis 1995-2019 (2021)

The person posts a public rant using slurs against an ethnic or religious group, saying the group is inferior and unwelcome in the country. No threat, no call to violence, no named individual.

Art. 261bis para. 4 punishes publicly denigrating a group for race, ethnicity or religion 'in a manner that violates human dignity', up to 3 years or a monetary penalty, prosecuted ex officio. Calling a group inferior and unwelcome with slurs is the core case. In the EKR's 1995-2019 study, sanctions were mostly fines (356 cases) and monetary penalties (307), with 122 custodial sentences; social-media posts are typically handled by penal order.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · Federal Commission against Racism: overview of Art. 261bis cases by year · EKR study: Die Rassismusstrafnorm in der Gerichtspraxis 1995-2019 (2021)

At a lawful, peaceful protest in a public square, the person burns a national flag they own and a copy of the dominant religion's scripture they own. No fire-safety rule is broken.

Burning your own national flag is not an offence: Arts. 270 and 298 only protect flags displayed by a public authority or a foreign state's official representatives. Burning scripture falls under Art. 261 (maliciously desecrating objects of religious veneration), punishable by a monetary penalty, and legal scholars consider Koran burning covered. We found no recent conviction for scripture burning, so the de facto score sits slightly above the statutory one.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · SRF: Swastika gesprayt, Koran verbrannt - wo ist rechtlich die Grenze? (Nov 2023)

The person posts that the head of state is a criminal and a pedophile. They have no evidence and present it as their opinion of the leader.

There is no special offence for insulting Swiss officials (Art. 296 protects foreign heads of state only), but criminal defamation applies on complaint: Art. 173 (monetary penalty) and, if knowing falsity is proven, Art. 174 (up to 3 years). A baseless pedophilia accusation meets Art. 173, and the truth defence is unavailable without evidence. Federal Councillors rarely file complaints; in April 2026 Karin Keller-Sutter filed one for insult and defamation over Grok-generated sexist insults, and Bern prosecutors opened a case.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · SRF: Was braucht es, bis eine Bundesrätin Strafanzeige einreicht? (Apr 2026)

The person prints and hands out a pamphlet praising an organisation the state has banned as terrorist or extremist, saying its cause is just. The pamphlet urges no specific act, and the person has no contact with the group.

For groups banned under Art. 74 Intelligence Service Act (IS, Al-Qaeda), organising propaganda or 'in any other way' promoting their activities carries up to 5 years. Hamas, banned by a separate act from 15 May 2025, is deemed a terrorist organisation under Art. 260ter, where support carries up to 10 years. The Federal Criminal Court gave an IS propagandist 7 months in prison plus a 21-month suspended term in 2023; the Federal Prosecutor investigates such cases with searches and detention.

Sources: Intelligence Service Act (SR 121), English · Federal Act banning Hamas and related organisations (SR 122.1), German · SRF: Schaffhauser IS-Anhänger verurteilt (May 2023)

The person repeatedly refers to a named transgender public figure by their former pronouns and name in public posts, with no threats and no contact with the figure.

Art. 261bis covers sexual orientation but not gender identity, so misgendering a group or person is not hate speech. A named figure could file a complaint for insult (Art. 177, monetary penalty up to 90 daily units) if a court finds misgendering an attack on honour, which is legally uncertain, or sue under Art. 28 Civil Code (personality rights) for an injunction and damages. We found no criminal conviction for misgendering in Switzerland.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · Swiss Civil Code (SR 210), English · Transgender Network Switzerland: Recht

A blogger writes that a named local businessman (a private figure) is a fraud. The claim is false, but the blogger honestly believed it after reading a news report.

Defamation is a criminal offence on complaint (Art. 173, monetary penalty). The accused must prove truth or that they had 'substantial grounds' for an honest belief (para. 2), so relying on a news report is a defence only if the court accepts it as enough checking. Honour-offence complaints have more than doubled in 15 years; since 2024 cantons demand deposits of CHF 500-2,100 from complainants, which filters some cases out.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · SRF: Staatsanwaltschaften verlangen Vorschuss bei Ehrverletzungsklagen (May 2024)

A journalist accurately reports, with evidence, that a sitting politician is having an extramarital affair. The politician sues for defamation and invasion of privacy.

Under Art. 173 para. 3 of the Criminal Code, the accused may not prove truth for statements about private or family life made without public interest, so a true report of an affair can be criminal defamation (monetary penalty). Civil personality-rights claims under Art. 28 Civil Code allow injunctions and damages. Since 1 Jan 2025, Art. 266 Civil Procedure Code allows interim injunctions against media on a 'serious' rather than 'particularly serious' disadvantage. Swiss media rarely run such stories, so the typical risk is a civil injunction or damages, not a conviction.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · Swiss Civil Code (SR 210), English · Civil Procedure Code (SR 272), German, as of 1 July 2026

A foreign billionaire sues a local critic in local courts over a harsh but clearly opinion-based review of their business conduct.

Switzerland has no anti-SLAPP law. A foreign claimant can file a criminal defamation complaint (Arts. 173-174) as well as a civil suit, and interim measures against media became easier on 1 Jan 2025 (Art. 266 Civil Procedure Code). Value judgments are protected only if not presented as factual, which is decided case by case. An OFCOM-commissioned ZHAW study (2024) found SLAPPs, typically filed by wealthy individuals or firms, impose heavy costs and delays and cause self-censorship.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · Civil Procedure Code (SR 272), German, as of 1 July 2026 · ZHAW: Abusive lawsuits against journalists in Switzerland (2024)

The person wants to buy a common centrefire semi-automatic rifle (e.g. an AR-15 pattern rifle with a 30-round magazine) and keep it at home.

Since 15 Aug 2019, a semi-automatic centrefire long gun with a magazine of more than 10 rounds is a prohibited weapon (Weapons Act Art. 5(1)(c)). It can be owned only with a cantonal exemption permit, granted on 'legitimate grounds' such as target shooting, which requires club membership or proof of regular shooting rechecked after 5 and 10 years (Arts. 28c-28d). Unlawful possession carries up to 3 years (Art. 33). The same rifle with a 10-round magazine needs only a shall-issue acquisition permit.

Sources: Weapons Act (SR 514.54), English

The person wants to buy a 9mm handgun and keep it loaded at home for self-defence.

A handgun requires a cantonal weapon acquisition permit (Art. 8), issued to adults without disqualifying convictions or danger indicators. A reason must be stated only if the gun is not for sport, hunting or collecting, and self-defence is accepted. Storage must be 'safe' and protected from unauthorised access (Art. 26), with no rule against keeping it loaded; breach is a fine (Art. 34). Unlicensed possession carries up to 3 years (Art. 33).

Sources: Weapons Act (SR 514.54), English

The person wants to carry a loaded handgun, concealed, in everyday public places.

Carrying a weapon in public needs a carry permit (Art. 27). It requires the applicant to 'plausibly justify' needing the weapon to protect against a genuine danger and to pass an exam, so it is effectively may-issue and issued mainly to security professionals. Carrying without a permit is a crime punishable by up to 3 years (Art. 33(1)(a)).

Sources: Weapons Act (SR 514.54), English

The person wants to carry pepper spray, or a folding knife with a 9 cm locking blade, in public for self-defence.

Pepper (OC) spray is not a weapon: the Weapons Ordinance treats only sprays with CA, CS, CN or CR as weapons (Art. 1, Annex 2). A locking folding knife without a one-hand spring or automatic mechanism is not a weapon either (WaffV Art. 7). Both may be carried freely, subject only to the ban on carrying dangerous objects where use is not plausibly justified and misuse seems likely (Weapons Act Art. 28a).

Sources: Weapons Act (SR 514.54), English · Weapons Ordinance (SR 514.541), German, as of 1 Oct 2026

The person wants to own a machine gun, or a destructive device such as an artillery piece or a grenade launcher with live rounds.

Automatic firearms and military launchers with explosive effect are prohibited (Weapons Act Art. 5(1)(a)). Cantons may grant exemption permits for 'collecting' (Art. 28c(2)(c)) if the collector proves safe storage and keeps an inventory (Art. 28e), so collectors have a discretionary route to machine guns. Explosive munitions are banned except by Central Office exemption (WaffV Art. 26). Unlawful possession carries up to 3 years (Art. 33).

Sources: Weapons Act (SR 514.54), English · Weapons Ordinance (SR 514.541), German, as of 1 Oct 2026

At night, a stranger armed with a knife breaks into the person's home. The person shoots and kills the intruder with a lawfully held gun.

Art. 15 allows defence against an unlawful attack 'by means that are reasonable in the circumstances'. Art. 16(2) excuses excess caused by excusable excitement or panic, so a homeowner who shoots an armed intruder at night is usually justified. There is no statutory presumption, and every killing is investigated by the prosecutor. Convictions have followed only where the burglar was fleeing (Thun 1993: 5.5 years; Emmenbrücke 1999: 3 years).

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · 20 Minuten: Darf man auf einen Einbrecher schiessen? (2017)

On the street, a stranger attacks the person with fists. The person could safely walk away but instead punches back once, breaking the attacker's nose.

Swiss law has no duty to retreat: Art. 15 allows proportionate defence against any unlawful attack, and one punch against a fist attack is proportionate. In practice, both sides of a street fight often file complaints for simple assault (Art. 123, on complaint), and prosecutors may examine brawl liability (Art. 133, which exempts a participant acting purely in self-defence) before dismissing.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026

The person wants to buy a course of amoxicillin for a sinus infection without seeing a doctor.

Amoxicillin is prescription-only. Since 2019, pharmacists may dispense prescription-only medicines without a prescription for indications listed by the Federal Council or in 'justified exceptional cases' after direct contact (Therapeutic Products Act Art. 24(1)(a)). Pharmacy and telemedicine consultations make prescriptions easy to obtain. Individuals may also import a one-month personal supply (AMBV Art. 48).

Sources: Therapeutic Products Act (SR 812.21), English · Medicinal Products Licensing Ordinance AMBV (SR 812.212.1), German

The person wants to take a drug approved by the EMA or FDA but not approved in their own country, for a non-terminal condition.

AMBV Art. 48 lets an individual import ready-to-use medicines not authorised in Switzerland in the small quantity needed for personal use (one month), with no notification or permit. Swissmedic says no documents are needed. Shipments of counterfeit or dubious products are seized, with fees from CHF 540.

Sources: Medicinal Products Licensing Ordinance AMBV (SR 812.212.1), German · Therapeutic Products Act (SR 812.21), English · Swissmedic: Illegal drug imports / medicines from the internet

A terminally ill patient wants a drug that has passed Phase 1 trials but is not approved anywhere, and the manufacturer is willing to supply it.

Swissmedic may temporarily authorise use of unapproved medicines for life-threatening diseases outside trials (Therapeutic Products Act Art. 9b(1)). A treating doctor may import small quantities of a drug authorised for clinical trials in a comparable country for a specific patient after filing a risk analysis with the canton (AMBV Art. 49(2)). That route works on notification but depends on the drug being in a recognised trial.

Sources: Therapeutic Products Act (SR 812.21), English · Medicinal Products Licensing Ordinance AMBV (SR 812.212.1), German

The person wants to sell one of their kidneys to a willing recipient, with surgery by licensed surgeons.

Transplantation Act Art. 6 forbids offering or accepting any financial gain for an organ, allowing only reimbursement of lost earnings and expenses. Breach is punishable by up to 3 years for donor and buyer, and up to 5 years if commercial (Art. 69). Transplant centres will not operate on paid donors, so in practice the sale cannot happen in Switzerland.

Sources: Transplantation Act (SR 810.21), English

An adult declines a vaccine the state recommends or mandates for adults (score the strictest adult mandate in force in the last 5 years).

The Epidemics Act lets cantons (Art. 22) and the Federal Council (Art. 6(2)(d)) mandate vaccination for at-risk groups, exposed persons and certain occupations, but not by force. From 20 Dec 2021 to Feb 2022, the federal 2G rule barred unvaccinated people who had not recovered from Covid from restaurants, cultural, sporting and leisure venues and indoor events. That measure, within the last 5 years, sets the score.

Sources: Epidemics Act (SR 818.101), English · Federal Council: Coronavirus - tighter measures (2G), 17 Dec 2021

A competent adult with a terminal illness and under 6 months to live asks their doctor for lethal medication to take themselves.

Assisting suicide is a crime only if done for 'selfish motives' (Criminal Code Art. 115, up to 5 years), so a doctor may prescribe sodium pentobarbital. The doctor must follow narcotics prescribing law and SAMS professional guidelines: capacity, a well-considered wish, alternatives explored, and two detailed discussions at least two weeks apart. Organisations such as Exit and Dignitas carry out the practice openly.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · SAMS: Assisted suicide (guidelines)

A competent adult with unbearable but non-terminal suffering (e.g. advanced multiple sclerosis) asks their doctor for the same.

Art. 115 has no terminal-illness requirement. The SAMS guidelines require 'intolerable suffering' from medically definable severe symptoms or functional impairment, so advanced MS qualifies. The same safeguards apply as for terminal patients (two discussions two weeks apart, independent check of capacity).

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · SAMS: Assisted suicide (guidelines)

A layperson gets lethal medication for a competent friend who has clearly asked to die, and is present when the friend takes it. No payment.

A layperson who assists without selfish motives commits no offence under Art. 115. However, the usual lethal drug, sodium pentobarbital, can lawfully be obtained only on a doctor's prescription, and every assisted death is investigated as an unusual death. In the 2024 Sarco capsule case, Schaffhausen police arrested the only person present, a lay activist, and held him for over two months on homicide suspicion before reducing it to suspected incitement and assistance to suicide.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · swissinfo: Swiss authorities release right-to-die activist in Sarco case (Dec 2024)

The person is found with 5 grams of cannabis for personal use.

Under Narcotics Act Art. 19b, preparing a 'negligible quantity' for one's own use is not an offence, and 10 g of cannabis is defined as negligible. The Federal Supreme Court (BGE 145 IV 320 and earlier rulings) held that possessing up to 10 g for own use cannot be punished. Consumption itself remains a contravention punishable by a fine (Art. 19a), usually a CHF 100 fixed fine for adults. Police may still seize the cannabis.

Sources: Narcotics Act (SR 812.121), English · BGE 145 IV 320 (Federal Supreme Court, Art. 19b BetmG)

The person is found with one personal dose of psilocybin mushrooms or MDMA.

Possessing any narcotic for one's own consumption is a contravention punishable by a fine (Art. 19a), and minor cases may be dropped or end in a caution. Art. 19b's 'negligible quantity' exemption has a statutory threshold only for cannabis, so one dose of psilocybin or MDMA is normally handled by penal order with a fine. Contravention fines are criminal sanctions but do not appear on a standard criminal-record extract, so the score sits between 2 and 3.

Sources: Narcotics Act (SR 812.121), English

The person sells 30 grams of cannabis to another adult.

Unauthorised sale of narcotics, including cannabis over 1% THC, is punishable by up to 3 years or a monetary penalty (Narcotics Act Art. 19(1)(c)). The cantonal-municipal cannabis pilot trials sell only to enrolled participants through licensed outlets, so they do not cover this seller. A one-off 30 g sale typically ends in a penal order with a (usually suspended) monetary penalty.

Sources: Narcotics Act (SR 812.121), English

Two adults agree to have sex for money, in private, with no third party involved.

Selling and buying sex between adults is legal; the Criminal Code punishes only exploitation (Art. 195) and breaches of cantonal rules on place, time and manner (Art. 199, fine). Several cantons require registration: Geneva's LProst, for example, requires each sex worker to register in person and attend a free awareness course before starting. Zurich requires permits mainly for street work and brothels.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · Geneva Loi sur la prostitution (LProst, rsGE I 2 49)

Three consenting adults want to live together as a family, share property, and make binding arrangements for inheritance, medical decisions and parenting.

Living together is unrestricted; bigamy (Art. 215) covers only a second marriage or registered partnership. Contracts, wills (within reduced forced-heirship shares) and advance care directives cover property and medical decisions. Legal parentage is limited to two parents (Civil Code Art. 252), so a third adult cannot become a legal parent. Cohabitants also pay much higher cantonal inheritance tax than spouses.

Sources: Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026 · Swiss Civil Code (SR 210), English

Parents want to homeschool their 10-year-old using their own curriculum.

Homeschooling is cantonal, and the Federal Supreme Court found no constitutional right to it (2C_1005/2018). Population-weighted: Vaud and Aargau (about 17%) need only notification plus inspections or tests (about 7); Bern, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura and others (about 15%) need a permit with oversight (6). Zurich (about 18%) allows one year without a teaching diploma (4.5). Eleven cantons including Lucerne, Valais, Fribourg and Basel-Landschaft (about 28%) require a teaching diploma (4). Ticino, St Gallen, Basel-Stadt, Zug, Uri and Obwalden (about 14%) in practice forbid it (3). The weighted average is about 4.9.

Sources: Swiss Home School Family: Gesetzliche Anforderungen nach Kanton

The state wants to read the person's end-to-end encrypted messages, although they are suspected of no serious crime.

Targeted interception requires a strong suspicion of a catalogue offence and court approval (Criminal Procedure Code Arts. 269-272). Government trojans are limited to the most serious offences (Art. 269ter), and the accused cannot be compelled to self-incriminate (Art. 113), so a person suspected of no serious crime cannot be targeted. However, the intelligence service runs cable intelligence on cross-border traffic, authorised by the Federal Administrative Court (Intelligence Service Act Arts. 39-41), which sweeps in ordinary people's traffic. Providers must keep metadata for 6 months and remove encryption they applied themselves (Surveillance Act Art. 26). The 2025 draft VÜPF revision extending duties to messaging apps is not in force.

Sources: Criminal Procedure Code (SR 312.0), English · Intelligence Service Act (SR 121), English · Surveillance of Post and Telecommunications Act (SR 780.1), English

The person wants a prepaid SIM card and an internet connection without giving their identity.

Mobile subscribers must be identified with an ID document when a SIM is issued or activated, including prepaid (Surveillance Act Art. 21; VÜPF Arts. 19-20). Since 2024, professionally operated public Wi-Fi hotspots must also identify all end users (VÜPF Art. 19(2)), which takes away anonymous public internet access. There is no general real-name rule for online services, and the 2025 proposal to extend identification duties to apps is not in force.

Sources: Surveillance of Post and Telecommunications Act (SR 780.1), English · Surveillance Ordinance VÜPF/SPTO (SR 780.11), English, in force version of 26 March 2024

The person wants to pay a dealer 15,000 USD (or the local equivalent) in cash for a used car.

Switzerland has no cash-payment limit. Dealers in goods must identify the customer only when they accept more than CHF 100,000 in cash (Anti-Money Laundering Act Art. 8a). The 1 Oct 2026 amendments lowered the threshold to CHF 15,000 only for precious metals and stones, and to zero for real estate. A CHF 13,000 cash car purchase triggers no identification or report unless it appears suspicious.

Sources: Anti-Money Laundering Act (SR 955.0), German, as of 1 Oct 2026

The person wants to found a new religion, or an association, and hold weekly meetings without registering it.

An association gains legal personality as soon as written articles show the intention to exist as a body (Civil Code Art. 60); registration is needed only for commercial activity. Religious freedom, including forming communities, is guaranteed (Constitution Art. 15). The only exception is the small number of banned terrorist organisations.

Sources: Swiss Civil Code (SR 210), English · Federal Constitution (SR 101), English

The person organises a protest of 50 people in a public square with one day's notice to nobody. It is peaceful.

Freedom of assembly is guaranteed (Constitution Art. 22), but nearly all cantons and cities require a permit for demonstrations on public ground. Organisers of unpermitted demonstrations can be fined under cantonal or municipal law, and Bern and Zurich (after a 2024 vote) can bill organisers for police costs. Small peaceful spontaneous gatherings are usually tolerated, though police sometimes disperse or kettle unpermitted demonstrations.

Sources: Federal Constitution (SR 101), English · SRF: Amnesty - Demonstrationsrecht unter Druck, auch in der Schweiz (July 2024)

The person publicly announces they have left the country's dominant religion, or Islam, and criticises it.

Switzerland has no apostasy law, and the Constitution protects the right to change or leave a religion (Art. 15). Criticising a religion is lawful unless it maliciously mocks believers' convictions (Art. 261, monetary penalty) or degrades a religious group's human dignity (Art. 261bis). Announcing you have left a faith and criticising it does not meet either threshold.

Sources: Federal Constitution (SR 101), English · Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026

The person wants to move abroad permanently, taking 1 million USD of savings and shares.

Switzerland has no exit tax on individuals: capital gains on private movable assets are tax-free (Federal Direct Tax Act Art. 16(3)), and there are no capital controls. Leaving requires only deregistering with the commune and a final tax assessment. Swiss withholding tax continues on Swiss-source dividends.

Sources: Federal Direct Tax Act (SR 642.11), German, as of 2 Sept 2026

The person, who already holds another citizenship, wants to renounce this one.

Renunciation ('release') is granted on request only if the person is not resident in Switzerland and has another nationality (Citizenship Act Art. 37). A resident must therefore emigrate first. Once abroad, it is a written application to the canton of origin plus a cantonal fee, with no military-service or tax-clearance condition.

Sources: Swiss Citizenship Act (SR 141.0), English · FDFA: Loss and renunciation of Swiss citizenship

Police find 20,000 USD in cash in the person's car at a traffic stop. They charge no crime.

Switzerland has no civil or administrative forfeiture. Cash can be seized only within criminal proceedings by written prosecutor order (Criminal Procedure Code Art. 263), which can be appealed to a court, and must be returned once the grounds lapse (Art. 267). Forfeiture requires a court to find the assets come from or were meant for an offence (Criminal Code Art. 70). Cash found on a traveller can still be held for months while prosecutors investigate suspected money laundering.

Sources: Criminal Procedure Code (SR 312.0), English · Swiss Criminal Code (SR 311.0), English, as of 12 June 2026

The person is arrested for a non-violent offence carrying up to 2 years in prison. They have a home and a job.

Police must release an arrested person or hand them to the prosecutor within 24 hours. The prosecutor must apply for remand within 48 hours of arrest, and the compulsory measures court decides within 48 hours of the application, so a judge may not be seen for up to about 4 days (Criminal Procedure Code Arts. 219, 224-226). Remand requires strong suspicion plus a risk of flight, collusion or serious reoffending (Art. 221), and there is no routine money bail. Remand for risk of collusion is common in larger investigations, but a resident with a job facing a minor non-violent charge is usually released after questioning.

Sources: Criminal Procedure Code (SR 312.0), English

The person wants to build a 20 m² wooden shed on their own rural land.

Every building needs a permit, and it must conform to the zone (Spatial Planning Act Art. 22). Outside building zones, a non-agricultural shed can be allowed only if its purpose requires that location (Art. 24), which a private storage shed does not meet. Unpermitted buildings outside building zones face demolition orders that never lapse with time (BGE 147 II 309), plus cantonal fines. A shed on farmland built without a permit can therefore be ordered torn down at any time.

Sources: Spatial Planning Act (SR 700), English, as of 1 July 2026 · BGE 147 II 309 (no 30-year limit on demolition outside building zones)