A switching device (115, 300) for an on-load tap changer which includes at least two fixed contacts, the switching device providing: a main current path comprising a main switch which is series-connected in the main current path; and a transition current path comprising a transition inductor and a transition switch, the transition switch and the transition inductor being connected in series; the impedance of the transition current path being higher than the impedance of the main current path, the switching device being characterized in that: the inductive contribution to the impedance of the transition current path is at least 70 % at the frequency of a transmission system of which the switching device is arranged to form a part; the impedance of the transition current path falls within the range of 1 10 ⋅ U step I R to 10 ⋅ U step I R, where U step is the expected voltage between two adjacent taps of the on-load tap changer, and I R is the rated load current of the tap changer; the main switch is a compact-break switch; and the main switch and the transition inductor are connected in parallel, so that upon opening of the main switch when the transition switch is in a closed state, a load current flowing through the main current path will be commutated to the transition current path. a main current path comprising a main switch which is series-connected in the main current path; and a transition current path comprising a transition inductor and a transition switch, the transition switch and the transition inductor being connected in series; the impedance of the transition current path being higher than the impedance of the main current path, the switching device being characterized in that: the inductive contribution to the impedance of the transition current path is at least 70 % at the frequency of a transmission system of which the switching device is arranged to form a part; the impedance of the transition current path falls within the range of 1 10 ⋅ U step I R to 10 ⋅ U step I R, where U step is the expected voltage between two adjacent taps of the on-load tap changer, and I R is the rated load current of the tap changer; the main switch is a compact-break switch; and the main switch and the transition inductor are connected in parallel, so that upon opening of the main switch when the transition switch is in a closed state, a load current flowing through the main current path will be commutated to the transition current path. the inductive contribution to the impedance of the transition current path is at least 70 % at the frequency of a transmission system of which the switching device is arranged to form a part; the impedance of the transition current path falls within the range of 1 10 ⋅ U step I R to 10 ⋅ U step I R, where U step is the expected voltage between two adjacent taps of the on-load tap changer, and I R is the rated load current of the tap changer; the main switch is a compact-break switch; and the main switch and the transition inductor are connected in parallel, so that upon opening of the main switch when the transition switch is in a closed state, a load current flowing through the main current path will be commutated to the transition current path.