Sunday shopping and shop opening hours by canton
The federal Labour Act allows at most four Sundays a year on which shops may employ staff without a permit; each canton decides how many apply. 12 cantons allow four Sundays, 2 none: Fribourg and Jura. In Vaud every commune sets its own opening hours. Shops in large railway stations, airports and motorway service areas may open every Sunday.
Sunday sales per year
All cantons
| Canton | Sundays a year | Who decides | Weekday closing | Saturday | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appenzell Inner Rhodes | 4 | canton | no cantonal rule | no cantonal rule | every Advent Sunday, 11.00 to 17.00; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Appenzell Outer Rhodes | 4 | commune | commune | commune | Law |
| Basel-Landschaft | 4 | canton and commune | no cantonal rule | no cantonal rule | two seasonal sales and two Advent Sundays Law |
| Glarus | 4 | commune | no cantonal rule | no cantonal rule | Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Grisons | 4 | commune | commune | commune | at most two in Advent Law |
| Obwalden | 4 | commune | no cantonal rule | no cantonal rule | counts Sundays and public holidays; at most two in Advent Law |
| St. Gallen | 4 | commune | 19:00 | 17:00 | per shop; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Solothurn | 4 | canton | 18:30 | 18:00 | two before Christmas and up to two set by the government Law |
| Schwyz | 4 | canton | no cantonal rule | no cantonal rule | counts Sundays and public holidays Law |
| Thurgau | 4 | commune | 22:00 | 22:00 | per shop Law |
| Ticino | 4 | canton | 19:00 | 18:30 | Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Zurich | 4 | commune | free | free | counts Sundays and public holidays Law |
| Aargau | 2 | canton and commune | no cantonal rule | no cantonal rule | two for the whole canton, each commune may add one Law |
| Bern | 2 | canton | 20:00 | 17:00 | counts Sundays and public holidays; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Basel-Stadt | 2 | canton | 20:00 | 18:00 | two Advent Sundays Law |
| Geneva | 2 | canton | 19:00 | 18:00 | plus 31 December Law |
| Lucerne | 2 | commune | 19:00 | 17:00 | one of them in December; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Nidwalden | 2 | canton | no cantonal rule | no cantonal rule | counts Sundays and public holidays; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Schaffhausen | 2 | commune | 22:00 | 18:00 | Law |
| Uri | 2 | commune | 18:30 | 17:00 | both in December; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Valais | 2 | commune | 18:30 | 17:00 | at least one tied to a special event; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Zug | 2 | commune | 19:00 | 17:00 | counts Sundays and public holidays Law |
| Neuchâtel | 1 | canton | 19:00 | 18:00 | only if the government designates it Law |
| Fribourg | 0 | commune | 19:00 | 16:00 | shops closed on Sundays; exceptions e.g. for bakeries and florists; Tourist places with special rules Law |
| Jura | 0 | canton | 18:30 | 17:00 | shops closed on Sundays; exceptions e.g. for bakeries and florists Law |
| Vaud | n/a | commune | commune | commune | each commune sets the opening hours Law |
What federal law says
- On at most four Sundays a year shops may employ staff without a permit; the cantons decide whether and which (Labour Act, Art. 19 para. 6).
- Shops in railway stations with heavy passenger traffic and at airports may open every Sunday, as may petrol-station shops at motorway service areas and on busy main roads that mainly serve travellers (Labour Act, Art. 27).
- In tourist areas businesses may open on Sundays during the season (Ordinance 2 to the Labour Act, Art. 25).
Frequently asked questions
Are shops open on Sundays in Switzerland?
Usually not. Depending on the canton, all shops may open on zero to four Sundays a year. Shops in large railway stations, at airports and at motorway service areas are open every Sunday.
How many Sunday sales are there?
Federal law allows at most four Sundays without a permit. 12 cantons use all four, many allow two, Fribourg and Jura none.
Who sets the dates of the Sunday sales?
Depending on the canton, the canton itself or the communes. The exact dates are published each year by the canton or the commune.
Sources: Labour Act and Ordinance 2 to the Labour Act (fedlex.admin.ch), cantonal laws on rest days and shop opening hours (official law collections). Information only; the law and permits are binding. Rules checked on 13 October 2026. JSON