Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

Paywall free

SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Have your say: How could Switzerland improve citizenship and naturalisation?

An NGO has called for improvements to Switzerland’s naturalisation procedures, calling them “among the most restrictive in Europe”. What could be done to make things better?

Published: 24 November 2021 14:16 CET

Switzerland's famous red passport up nice and close

Is the Swiss passport too difficult to obtain - or should things stay as they are? Let us know. Photo: Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

That Switzerland’s naturalisation requirements are strict is nothing new to the one quarter of the country’s residents without a Swiss passport.

Around two million people living on Swiss soil have not been naturalised, including plenty who born in Switzerland or whose parents were.

How to apply for Swiss citizenship: An essential guide

In a press release from Tuesday, the Observatory for Asylum and Foreigners Rights said the law – which was made stricter in 2018 – should be relaxed to make it fairer for the nation’s foreign residents.

“The requirements for naturalisation are too high, the procedures too different. The new law needs to be adapted and practice urgently simplified,” the press release reads.

READ MORE: Would you pass a Swiss citizenship test?

Only around two percent of the country is nationalised each year, which represents one of the lowest figures in the world.

A result of the tight rules is a range of absurd cases where people are denied naturalisation for bizarre reasons, including not knowing enough about the local zoo or not liking hiking (no, really).

READ MORE: The nine most surprising questions on Switzerland’s citizenship exam

While the Observatory laid out ten recommendations – including conferring citizenship on people born in Switzerland – we want to hear from you.

Whether you are a long-term Swiss citizen or if you are a new resident, what do you think of Switzerland’s citizenship rules?

Do they need to be changed? And if so, how could they be improved?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Do EU residents in Switzerland need to get Swiss citizenship?

While many foreign residents are impatiently waiting for the moment when they will be eligible to apply for a Swiss passport, others are in no rush to do so.

The desire (or the lack thereof) to become a citizen of Switzerland — in addition to maintaining their original nationality, if they decide to do so — varies from person to person, depending on many different factors.

The main one is undoubtedly whether the foreigner intends to stay in Switzerland indefinitely, or plans to return home eventually.

Another reason may very well be the desire to participate fully and completely in Switzerland’s political life and democratic processes — that is, to vote in referendums and elections, and feel that your opinion matters.

But a lot may also depend on another factor: your nationality.

For people from third countries who have lived in Switzerland long enough — 10 years with a B or L permit — before finally being eligible for their permanent residency C permit, is a huge event. (Americans and Canadians, on the other hand, can apply for a C permit after five years of consecutive residence).

It is therefore logical that many of these people, whose status in Switzerland has been conditional and tenuous for many years, will jump on the opportunity to be naturalised and ‘regularise’ their situation.

What about people from the EU / EFTA?

Admittedly, there is far less urgency — or need, for that matter — to become a Swiss citizen if you have a passport from an EU or EFTA state.

That’s because you have an almost unlimited access to Swiss jobs and residency, as well as sweeping rights overall. For instance, you are free to change jobs and move from one canton to another.

Another benefit that you, as a citizen of an EU / EFTA state have, is that you can come to Switzerland and look for work for up to six months without any visa requirements.

Also, in case of a job loss, an EU / EFTA citizen doesn’t have to leave Switzerland immediately.

Instead, they may stay in the country for at least six months to seek new employment.

Another perk is that if you are living in Switzerland as an EU/EFTA citizen, you can purchase property – indeed, you have the same rights in this regard as Swiss citizens do.

You do not need a permit or any additional permissions that a Swiss citizen would not require to buy property.

READ ALSO: Just how freely can EU citizens move to (and within) Switzerland?

All this to say that you can live in Switzerland pretty much indefinitely on your EU / EFTA passport, and neither your residency nor employment is subject to the same restrictions as those imposed on third country nationals.

You basically enjoy the same rights as Swiss citizens, except for the right to vote, which may or may not matter to you.

In that respect, you don’t need a Swiss passport, especially if you don’t plan to remain in the country longterm.

However…

…if you do want to continue living in Switzerland, it may be worth your while to apply for naturalisation, if only out of pragmatism.

That’s because if you leave the country for more than six months on a B permit, you will lose the residency rights (though can re-apply to have them re-established).

With a C permit, you have the benefit of putting it on hold for up to four years. But if you neglect to do so, then the permit (and your permanent residency status) will expire.

READ ALSO: How long can I stay out of Switzerland and keep my residency rights?

So in this respect at least, having a Swiss passport will give you more flexibility and security.

Url copied to clipboard!