To obtain Swiss citizenship, a foreigner must have lived in the country for at least 10 years, master one of the official languages and not have problems with the law. There are several ways to become an applicant for a Swiss passport, namely through naturalization/renaturalization, by descent, adoption and through marriage.
Switzerland’s migration policy has changed greatly over the past 20 years. The acquisition of a local passport is regulated by the Civil Rights Act, the Foreign Citizens and Integration Act and the Swiss Citizenship Ordinance. The state has become focused on attracting highly qualified workers from Europe. Such policy changes provide more opportunities for immigration.
The Swiss passport ranks 7th in the world rankings. The document provides the opportunity for visa-free travel to 174 countries. The attractiveness of Swiss citizenship among immigrants is directly related to economic stability, decent social security, a reliable banking system, moderate taxation, high levels of education and health care. Despite the difficulties of obtaining citizenship in Switzerland, the rate of immigration to the state is quite high. In the first half of 2022, about 75,000 people moved to the country, which is 21% more than in 2021. The reasons why you should choose Switzerland as your second citizenship state are detailed below.
Swiss passport: what it looks like and what it gives
There are several types of Swiss passports: official, refugee document (travel), diplomatic, ordinary (indefinite), for foreign citizens living in the country and temporary. The latter is issued in emergency cases for entry into the country and is valid for a maximum of a year.
In 2022, the appearance of the Swiss passport has changed; it now looks slightly different and may contain biometric data or not have a chip. The cover design of the new document is made in red with a white cross and embossed in the form of a mountain range.
Advantages of a Swiss Confederation passport:
- the possibility of unhindered movement in 174 countries, as well as living and doing business in the Schengen zone countries;
- loyal taxation;
- obtaining the services of a reliable banking system;
- participation in the political life of the country by voting in referendums;
- the opportunity to use the health care system in Switzerland as a citizen;
- purchasing housing in the confederation without approval from government agencies.
Who can obtain Swiss citizenship and under what conditions?
The following categories of persons can apply for a Swiss passport:
- Spouse of a citizen of the country. A legal partner who has been married for at least 3 years can obtain Swiss citizenship through the simplified naturalization procedure. A Swiss husband/wife after 6 years of marriage, if there is a close connection with the spouse’s homeland, is also allowed to obtain a passport in an expedited manner.
- Minor children. A child whose parents already have a confederation passport (including naturalized ones) and are married has the right to become a citizen. Children adopted by the Swiss acquire citizenship of the local canton or municipality. For minors living in the confederation between the ages of 8 and 18, during this period a year is counted as 2.
- Descendants of the Swiss. Children have the right to apply for resident status if one of their parents was a citizen of the confederation before or at the time of their birth. At the same time, persons born before 01/01/2006 from a Swiss father who recognized the child before he came of age and who are not married to the mother can apply for simplified naturalization. If the applicant has only a mother with Swiss citizenship, he must have close ties to the confederation. The applicant must be able to communicate in one of the national languages of the country, know about its political structure, geography and history. The applicant’s acquaintances living in Switzerland must confirm the fulfillment of this requirement.
- Representatives of the third generation of foreigners. An applicant under 25 years of age can apply for citizenship status if his grandparents were born or immigrated to Switzerland . A descendant is a person one of whose parents has permanent residence, has lived in the country for at least 10 years and attended compulsory school there for at least 5 years. Representatives of this category also include those who were born in Switzerland or have permanent resident status and received education at a local educational institution for 5 years or more.
- A person mistakenly recognized as a Swiss citizen. Foreigners who have lived in the country in good faith and who are considered Swiss by the municipal or cantonal authorities can apply for a passport under a simplified procedure.
- Persons who have lost Swiss citizenship. This basis applies to those who previously lost their resident status, including when marrying a foreigner. Revoked Swiss citizenship cannot be restored. It is also not possible to obtain a passport in the event of naturalization being invalidated or in the event of adoption of a Swiss by a foreigner. A person who has lost his citizen status has the right to apply for its renewal within 10 years.
Spouses of a Swiss citizen, minor children and persons mistakenly recognized as a Swiss citizen have the right to request citizenship after 5 years of residence in the country.
Depending on the canton and municipality in which the immigrant will reside, the requirements for applicants to become a Swiss citizen may vary significantly.
Legal ways to obtain a Swiss passport
Unlike most European countries, Switzerland does not provide foreigners with the opportunity to acquire a passport through the purchase of real estate, through investment or by birth, since this is not provided for by current legislation. Citizenship of a child born in the confederation is not granted automatically. It is impossible to purchase citizenship status legally.
Naturalization
Through standard naturalization, foreigners who:
- confirmed knowledge of one of the national languages of the country;
- have lived in the country for at least 10 years on the basis of a residence permit category C;
- were law-abiding citizens and did not pose a threat to public order, internal and external security of the country;
- confirmed knowledge of the political and social structure, geography and history of the confederation;
- successfully integrated into society.
To obtain Swiss citizenship, a foreigner must have one of the grounds for naturalization:
- employment;
- opening a business;
- Financial independence;
- studying at a university.
Applicants for citizenship submit an application to the canton or municipality of their place of residence in Switzerland. The cost of processing all documents for obtaining resident status on average per adult ranges from 1320 to 3100 EUR. The naturalization procedure usually lasts up to 24 months.
Simplified naturalization
This procedure provides for the acquisition of Swiss citizenship with a lower residency requirement than with standard naturalization for the following categories of foreigners:
- persons legally married to Swiss citizens residing in the territory of the confederation at the time of filing the application;
- young foreigners (up to 25 years old) in the third generation;
- stateless minors and children of naturalized citizens of the confederation adopted or born by the Swiss;
- applicants who were mistakenly taken by the authorities to be Swiss.
The right to obtain Swiss citizenship through simplified naturalization can be exercised by spouses of Swiss citizens living outside the confederation, provided that the couple has been married for 6 years or more. The procedure takes on average 1.5 years.
With simplified naturalization, the approximate cost of the federal fee in 2023 is for:
- adults – 909 EUR;
- minors – 657 EUR;
- under 12 years old – 253 EUR;
- spouses applying for Swiss citizenship jointly – 152 EUR.
Other fees are charged at the rates established by the canton of residence.
Renaturalization (restoration of citizenship)
Persons who have lost or are deprived of Swiss citizenship (except by revocation and invalidation) can benefit from simplified re-naturalization by applying for reinstatement within 10 years of its loss. After the end of this period, any person may apply for renewal of residence if he has resided for at least 36 months in the confederation. The processing time and cost are identical to those for standard naturalization.
How to obtain Swiss citizenship
A peculiarity of obtaining a passport in Switzerland is that a foreign person receives the status of a citizen of a separate canton and confederation. The candidate’s application must be approved at the municipal, federal and local/local levels. The naturalization procedure consists of several stages:
- Obtaining entry permission.
- Registration of residence permit.
- Compliance with mandatory requirements and acquisition of permanent residence.
- Submitting a package of documents for Swiss citizenship.
Registration of a residence permit
A person can submit documents to obtain permission to settle in Switzerland with a view to further acquiring citizenship at the cantonal Office of Migration and Labor Market at his place of residence. The request must be submitted before the visa expires. Depending on the reasons, length of stay, nationality of the foreigner and canton, the requirements for the candidate may differ.
After continuous residence in Switzerland for at least 10 years (for certain groups of citizens – 5), foreigners who have had a residence permit for 5 or more years can apply for a long-term settlement permit (permanent residence permit). Holding permanent residence, a person can stay in Switzerland without restrictions, but the authorities check the candidate’s compliance with legal requirements every 5 years. If it is necessary to extend the residence permit, documents must be submitted by the foreigner to the municipality no later than 2 weeks before the expiration of the residence permit.
Passing the test
Mandatory conditions for acquiring Swiss citizenship by a foreign person are successful integration and knowledge of one of the state languages (Italian, French, German, Romansh) at level A2 (written) and B1 (oral). You can prove your skills by taking a knowledge assessment and passing the fide test (the Swiss integration program developed by the federal government) or by providing a nationally recognized certificate. Persons who have completed secondary or higher education at a university where teaching was conducted in the national language of Switzerland are exempt from the exam.
Successful integration into society is confirmed by cantonal services by checking foreigners for:
- respect for constitutional values, order and public safety;
- active participation in the economic, cultural and social life of the country;
- having basic knowledge of geography, politics, society, history of the confederation;
- maintaining contact with the Swiss.
Collection and preparation of documents
The basic list of documents required for Swiss citizenship includes:
- statement;
- copy and original of a valid passport with photo;
- certificate of absence of tax debt;
- extract from the civil registry;
- original tax return from previous places of residence for the last 5 years (issued no later than 3 months from the date of submission);
- certificate of no criminal record in Switzerland;
- current settlement permit;
- employment contract and confirmation from the employer or educational institution;
- salary certificate for the last 3 years;
- receipt for payment of mandatory fees;
- confirmation of integration;
- a generally recognized language certificate or other proof of language proficiency;
- medical certificate of health;
- bank statement/receipt of financial independence;
- confirmation of the absence of social assistance from social protection authorities during the last 36 months.
Documents provided in a foreign language must be legalized and have a notarized translation.
Applying for citizenship
You can obtain a sample and submit a completed application for Swiss citizenship by contacting the canton or municipality of the person’s place of residence or by contacting the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) via email. The processing time and procedure for filing a petition may vary greatly depending on the selected county.
On average, local governments issue a decision on naturalization within 12 months after federal approval, and the overall processing time for an application at all levels takes 2–3 times longer.
Preparation of internal documents
You can order a Swiss ID and passport for travel by applying online or in person at the relevant office in your canton of residence.
The travel document and ID card are valid for 10 years (or 5 for minors). On average, it takes from 2 to 6 weeks to process requests for internal permits, and about a month for a passport. A biometric identification document for a foreigner has been issued in the format of a plastic card since December 2018.
Time frames and costs for obtaining Swiss citizenship status
Registration of a residence permit, which is the first step on the path to citizenship and obtaining a Swiss passport, takes a foreigner 1–2 months or more. A Swiss residence permit is issued for a period of 12 months and can be renewed annually. Citizens of third countries are provided with a biometric residence permit (settlement permit category C), the validity period of which is 5 years with the possibility of extension up to 10. A person can apply for citizenship after receiving permanent residence and staying in the country for more than 10 years. For children living in the confederation between the ages of 8 and 18, the minimum residency requirement is 6 years.
The costs that third-country nationals wishing to obtain Swiss citizenship should expect include the following:
| Service name | Approximate cost for an adult, in € | Approximate cost for minors, in € |
|---|---|---|
| Visa issuance | 80 | 40 |
| Submitting an application for naturalization to SEM | 506 | 253 |
| Federal duty | 101–152 | 51 |
| Cantonal tax | 455–2023 | — |
| Municipal fee | 506–1012 | — |
| Issuance of identity card | 22–71 | 40 |
| Issuance of residence permit | 96 | 31 |
| Registration of a settlement permit (permanent residence permit) | 10–96 | 31 |
| Issuance of passport | 147 | 61 |
The total period for a foreigner to obtain Swiss citizenship can take from 18 to 48 months from the date of application.
Dual Swiss citizenship: is it possible to get a second passport?
Since January 1992, Switzerland has allowed dual and second citizenship. Any foreigner who has undergone the naturalization procedure can have 2 passports. It should be taken into account that the loss of a person’s original residence is not excluded if the legislation of the country of origin does not provide for the possibility of having dual/second citizenship. In most cases, there is no need to give up your first passport.
Unlike dual citizenship, second citizenship implies that a foreigner has several residences of different countries without recognizing the rights and obligations of another state. There is no uniform system under which Swiss authorities notify a person’s country of origin when a Swiss passport is issued.
Refusal and deprivation of citizenship
The reasons why an immigrant may be refused, revoked or deprived of Swiss citizenship are the actions or behavior of a person that causes significant damage to the reputation and interests of Switzerland, as well as his concealment of material facts from government authorities and/or the provision of knowingly false information. If naturalization is declared, the applicant can apply for a repeat procedure only after 2 years. A foreigner is allowed to appeal a refusal and a decision to deprive him of citizenship by filing an appropriate application with the competent authorities. The consequences of illegal stay in the country can be deportation, cancellation of entry permit, expulsion from the country, a ban on entry into the Schengen zone states or the imposition of penalties.