SWISS NATURALIZATION

Becoming a Swiss citizen

 

Swiss citizenship can be acquired through birth, adoption, marriage or through an application after 10 years of residency in Switzerland.

Children born overseas to a Swiss parent automatically hold Swiss citizenship until the age of 25 years old. If they hold another citizenship and have not been formally declared to the Swiss authorities, their Swiss nationality is lost after the age of 25 (art. 7 al. 1 LN).

Becoming a Swiss citizen implies a genuine desire to be integrated and the willingness to be involved in political and social life in Switzerland.

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Swiss citizenship

To apply for Swiss citizenship, it is mandatory to hold a C permit and to have lived in Switzerland for at least 10 years. Time spent in Switzerland under a B or C permit, or with a carte de légitimation (CLD), counts towards this requirement (art. 33 LN).

If the applicant left Switzerland for more than six months during the 10 year residency period, this is considered as a gap and does therefore not count towards the 10 year requirement (art. 33 al. 3 LN).

Under certain conditions, a naturalization reintegration procedure can be initiated within a 10 year period after the loss of Swiss citizenship by the applicant (art. 26 and 27 LN).

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Ordinary naturalization

As of January 2018, the law on Swiss citizenship or Loi sur la nationalité (LN) requires applicants to hold a C permit and to have lived in Switzerland for at least 10 years in order to be eligible for Swiss citizenship (art. 9 al. 1  LN).

The residency requirements for each canton may differ. For instance, applicants in Geneva must have resided in the canton for a minimum of two years before applying, while the canton of Vaud requires at least three years of residency.

To be naturalized, good integration is demonstrated through the ability to speak and write the language of the canton (A2 written B1 oral), financial stability by being employed or following studies, absence of debts or criminal proceedings and a respect of Swiss values and national security (art. 12 LN).

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Facilitated naturalization

The spouse of a Swiss citizen can request Swiss citizenship after three years of marriage and at least five years of residency in Switzerland or after six years of marriage if the couple lives overseas and the spouse has strong ties with Switzerland (art. 21 LN).

The child of a naturalized citizen can request citizenship if he was under 18 when his parent got naturalized and if he is under 22 years old. The child must have lived at least five years in Switzerland with the past three years just before applying spent in the country (art. 24 LN).

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Third generation naturalization

The child of foreign citizens can apply for Swiss citizenship before the age of 25 when:

  • he was born in Switzerland
  • one of his grandparents was born in Switzerland and held a valid permit
  • the child held a C permit for at least five years and followed school in Switzerland
  • one of his parents was granted a C permit for at least 10 years and followed school for at least five years in Switzerland (art. 24 LN).
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How to proceed?

An ordinary naturalization application is first lodged through cantonal and communal authorities before being sent to the SEM in Bern. A facilitated naturalization procedure is lodged directly with the SEM.

We can prepare your naturalization application on your behalf and assure the liaison with authorities until you receive your citizenship.

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Browse our free content topics below.  Some answers to most of the important and frequently asked questions can be found here. 

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