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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Why young foreigners are opting out of Swiss citizenship

Young people eligible for Swiss citizenship, including some born in Switzerland, are deciding not to pursue the famous red passport. Here’s what you need to know.

A red Swiss passport up close
A Swiss biometric passport. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Switzerland’s naturalisation process is one of the toughest in Europe due to a variety of federal, cantonal and communal rules. 

While these rules place significant restrictions on who can actually become naturalised, even those who are eligible can in some cases be reluctant to do so. 

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

A recent assessment by the Federal Migration Commission (FKM) shows that only a fraction of those who are eligible use this option.

One of the reasons, according to FKM director Walter Leimgruber, is that many migrants are EU nationals who feel no need to become Swiss as they face almost no restrictions in Switzerland, apart from the inability to vote.

A consequence of Switzerland’s stringent nationalisation rules is that roughly 25 percent of the population cannot vote in federal or cantonal elections, while a handful of municipalities grant the right to vote on a communal level. 

OPINION: Switzerland’s denial of voting rights to foreigners motivated by fear

Also, naturalisation procedures, both regular and fast-track, are complex, deterring many eligible foreigners from applying.

“The bureaucratic hurdles are still too high”, Leimgruber told Swiss news outlet 20 Minutes. 

As a result, even those born in Switzerland and who have never lived anywhere else have not pursued Swiss citizenship. 

EXPLAINED: Why ‘simplified’ Swiss naturalisation is actually not that simple

Have your say: Are you eligible to become Swiss but choose not to?

Whether by descent or any other reason, we want to hear from those who are eligible for naturalisation but who haven’t done so. 

If you are able to become Swiss – or will soon be able to – but will not go through the process, we’d like to get to the bottom of why. 

Please let us know below and click through to give us more specific information. If it is a combination of reasons, let us know the major one.

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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Zurich looks to change fees for Swiss citizenship process

Some candidates applying for Swiss citizenship in the city of Zurich will pay less for the procedure, while for others the costs will be higher.

Zurich looks to change fees for Swiss citizenship process

The naturalisation process in Switzerland’s largest city used to cost 1,200 francs for those coming from abroad, and 500 francs for foreigners born in Switzerland.

This week, the municipal council decided, however, to ‘equalise’ the cost: all foreigners, regardless of their place of birth, would pay a flat fee of 750 francs.

People under the age of 25 would apply for free. The fee could also be partially or completely waived for people without financial means to afford this charge.

While various parties quibbled over the new amount — with left-wing parties seeking to drop it to 500 francs — it was ultimately decided that 750 francs would be fair, as it would cover all the administrative costs.

‘Incentive for naturalisation’

During the debate, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) argued against lowering the cost of obtaining citizenship.

“If it doesn’t cost anything, it’s no longer worth anything,” its deputies said.

On the other side of the political spectrum, Social Democrat Maya Kägi Götz pointed out that a lower fee would provide an “incentive for naturalisation.”

This view was shared by a Green councillor, Urs Riklin, who said that making the naturalisation process more ‘affordable’ is good for the city and Switzerland in general.

“Everyone should be able to participate in democracy,” he said.

The final decision on this move will be taken at one of the forthcoming council meetings.

READ ALSO: How much does it cost to become a Swiss citizen?

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