To become a Swiss citizen you can obtain citizenship in two ways. Citizens spouse, child, or third-generation foreigners can classify for a process known as simplified naturalization. The other way is to go through the original process of naturalization, this requires the applicant to be a Swiss resident for at least 8-12 years.
Residency Status Confirmation
To become a Swiss citizen, an individual must confirm that they have been living in Switzerland for 8-12 years to apply for citizenship. This applies to all individuals who have no blood ties with Swiss citizens.
In Jun 2014, Switzerland introduced a law reducing the number of years a person requires to live in the country before getting citizenship status. The law will be in effect from January 2018, lowering the living years from 12 to 8.
Like any other regulation, there are a few exceptions. People who spent years in the country between the age of 10-18 count as double. Arriving as a refugee in Switzerland will also require an application for asylum, and citizenship can be applied for after 8-12 years of living.
C-permit Application
Application for a C-permit allows individuals to have a right of settlement in the country. For European Union citizens, the qualification period is 5 years – individuals are competent for settlement after 5 years of living in Switzerland. This, however, does not apply to citizens from Malta, Cyprus or Eastern European countries. Others are required to live in Switzerland for 8-12 in order to qualify for a c-permit.
The application process must be done in person at the local commune office. Along with a c-permit, applicants will need documents that confirm requirements for naturalization. Once documents are given in, the commune office is then responsible to pass over this information to the canton level who will then pass it to the federal government. An interview might be requested by one of the offices.
Requirements for Citizenship Application
In order for the citizenship applications to be approved, the applicants must show evidence that they have integrated into the Swiss community. This can be confirmed by proving you’re aware of Swiss customs, by complying with the law or maintaining employment. Applicants commonly show evidence of tax payments, employment status, present personal and social ties to the country, military service, or lack of criminal record.
In regards to naturalization, guidelines differ depending on location. In some locations, people may be asked to take a written or verbal exam. Others ask for input from local residents, whilst some do personal interviews.
Naturalization Fee & Wait
A naturalization fee depends on the chosen location of the application – federal, canton or commune. Hence, there are three different fees. The federal government fee varies between 50 ($54.34) and 150 (163.06) francs for naturalization application. In contrast, cantons and communes that are in different locations have much higher fees:
- The canton of Vaud charges 350 francs ($380.48)
- The canton of Zurich charges 500 francs ($543.55)
- The canton of Geneva is 920 francs ($1000.12), but it goes up in accordance with personal earnings.
The wait for naturalization is lengthy and can take from 1.5 to even 3.5 years. In 90% of the cases, it does take up the whole three and a half years. The process may be faster if the application is processed at a canton or commune where you live.
Simplified Naturalization
For applicants who have blood ties with Switzerland citizens, the process is much easier and quicker. Applying as a spouse (applicant is married to a Swiss citizen) will guarantee citizenship after 3 years of marriage and 5 years of living in Switzerland.
If a spouse has kids from a previous partnership, then those children are automatically granted citizenship. This needs to be done at the local commune office, where the simplified naturalization process begins. No tests are required to be done, but individuals must be able to show that they are integrated within the community, comply with all Swiss laws, and are not a threat to Switzerland’s security.
Requesting naturalization as a minor of a Swiss citizen is different. If a child was born in Switzerland they are not automatically granted citizenship, which is uncommon in many countries.
They only gain automatic citizenship if they were born to married parents (one of them must be Swiss) or if they are born to an unmarried Swiss national.
Children of unmarried Swiss women gain automatic citizenship, whilst unmarried Swiss men require proof of paternity for citizenship to be granted. Furthermore, if Swiss child was born abroad, they can obtain dual-citizenship before they turn 22.
Application as a third-generation foreigner (person born in Switzerland who is a grandchild of Swiss national) may also apply for simplified naturalization. Application processes also happen at the local commune office, where supporting documents have to be presented for citizenship to be granted.
Demanded documents include c-permit, evidence that the child attended five years at a Swiss school, a parent has a c-permit who also attended Swiss school and lived in the country for over 8 years. In this situation, individuals must be under 25 years and have evidence of grandparents’ birth in Switzerland is also demanded.
