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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Swiss lawmakers refuse to ease citizenship rules for third-generation immigrants

A parliamentary commission rejects the push for simpler naturalisation rules for Swiss-born grandsons and granddaughters of immigrants.

Published: 1 February 2023 14:07 CET
Swiss lawmakers refuse to ease citizenship rules for third-generation immigrants
'Swissness' is not accessible to everyone. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Unlike many other countries, being born in Switzerland doesn’t automatically mean the person is Swiss.

If their parents were born abroad and still hold foreign passports, a person will not obtain Swiss citizenship at birth. They are referred to as second or third-generation foreigners.

Even though they were born in Switzerland and have lived their entire lives here, they have the same nationality as their parents and will continue to be considered as foreigners – until and unless they become naturalised.

But this process is quite complex, as “the obstacles to be overcome are so high that the legal requirements are impossible to meet,” according to a report by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

There have been some motions in the parliament filed by the Social Democratic and Green MPs in favour of at-birth citizenship for the second generation, but so far nothing has come out of these attempts.

And though in 2017 voters approved facilitated naturalisation for the third generation, hurdles still remain, as no progress has been made to date on this issue.

In fact, this week the Political Institutions Commission of the Council of States recommended that the parliament turn down any motions aimed at lowering the obstacles to naturalisation for this group of people.

The reason, according to the Commission, is that facilitated naturalisation for the third generation was introduced only four years ago and “we must now wait for more information on the evolution of the situation before starting a new revision of the law.”

More decisions on this issue will be made during the spring session of the parliament, which will take place from February 27th until March 17th.

In the meantime, access to Swiss nationality for this population group remains “unreasonably bureaucratic,” as in many cases proof required for this process to be successful is difficult to obtain, SEM’s report found.

This article details the criteria that third-generation foreigners must meet in order to obtain Swiss citizenship:

EXPLAINED: Why so few third-generation Swiss are actually ‘Swiss’?

As a result of these strict conditions, which in many cases are impossible to meet, most third-generation foreign nationals don’t even bother to apply for naturalisation: out 25,000 people in this group, only about 800 seek citizenship each year. 

READ MORE: Third generation fast-track naturalisation in Switzerland: What you need to know 
 
 

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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Do you need permanent residency to become a Swiss citizen?

There are many eligibility criteria to be met before applying for naturalisation. But is living in Switzerland one of them?

Published: 17 April 2024 14:01 CEST
Do you need permanent residency to become a Swiss citizen?

If you have gone through the naturalisation procedure — or are planning to do so — you probably know all the requirements you need to fulfil.

There is the language proficiency, successful integration, and yes, length of residency as well.

This implies that you must actually live in Switzerland a certain length of time as a permanent resident before being able to seek citizenship.

This rule also extends to foreign spouses of Swiss citizens, who must live at least five years in the country — including three years before applying for naturalisation. 

What exactly does this mean?

In Switzerland, ‘permanent residence’ for the purpose of naturalisation means that you must have a ‘settlement’ C permit — the highest in Switzerland’s permit hierarchy, and the only one allowing to apply for citizenship.

Most foreigners in Switzerland, especially those coming from the EU or EFTA nations (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) ‘worked their way up’ from the B to C permit through residency — typically five years.

In case you come from non-EU / EFTA states (including the UK), then your wait to ‘upgrade’ from a B to a C permit is twice as long — 10 continuous years.

There are, however, some exemptions from these rules.

For instance, Americans and Canadians are on par with their EU/ EFTA counterparts: they can also apply for a C permit after five years of continuous residence on a B permit.

Another exemption to the length-of-residency rules are Switzerland-born foreigners who have lived in the country since birth and are automatically holders of a C permit.

READ ALSO: Why does Switzerland have two kinds of C-permit holders? 

So in that sense, applicants for citizenship must be permanent residents of Switzerland who have a C permit.

But there are some non-residents who can become Swiss citizens as well

This is where the so-called ‘citizenship by ancestry’ kicks in.

You may apply for citizenship via the ancestry route through paternal or maternal descent, regardless of your place of birth and whether you actually live in Switzerland or not.

According to the Swiss Citizenship Act, you are considered Swiss if your parents are married to each other and either of them is a Swiss citizen

You may also apply for facilitated naturalisation if you are the child of a female Swiss citizen, even if your mother is not married to your father.

This process is not automatic, however; you will still have to prove that you have close ties with Switzerland — for instance, through family interactions or regular visits to the country.

If, however, you are the child of a Swiss father not married to your mother, the situation is slightly trickier.

In such as case, you can acquire citizenship at birth (or later) so long as the father’s paternity is established. In this case, too, you will need to prove your close ties with Switzerland.

In all these cases, you don’t have to live in Switzerland at all (or only occasionally) and still apply for a Swiss citizenship.

READ ALSO: The bizarre reasons applicants have been denied Swiss citizenship
 

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