Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

For members

SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Switzerland rejects voting rights for foreigners

Foreigners resident in Switzerland will not be allowed to vote, after the State Political Commission of the National Council (SPK-N) rejected a proposal to introduce the measure.

Published: 3 March 2022 16:46 CET

A man casts a ballot in the Swiss city of Zurich. Photo: ANDY MUELLER / EQ IMAGES / AFP

A man casts a ballot in the Swiss city of Zurich. Photo: ANDY MUELLER / EQ IMAGES / AFP

Switzerland’s Greens had lodged a proposal to provide foreigners resident in Switzerland for five years with rights to vote and to be elected at a federal level.

Despite support from Switzerland’s Social Democrats, the measure was rejected by 17 votes to 8 in the SPK-N.

Those opposed to the measure said no change was necessary, with anyone wanting to gain voting rights free to apply for naturalisation, Swiss news outlet Watson reports.

According to procedure of the State Political Commission, Switzerland’s National Council will now decide on the matter, however prospects of success are limited due to the rejection.

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

Despite approximately 25 percent of Swiss residents being foreigners, Switzerland restricts voting at a federal level to citizens only.

Switzerland also has one of the most restrictive frameworks for gaining citizenship in the world, with third-generation foreigners often refused naturalisation.

Some cantons grant foreigners rights to vote at a cantonal and municipal level, however this is relatively rare.

The Commission said that as there had been no general trend among the cantons in awarding voting rights to non-citizens, it should remain a question of the cantons rather than allowing foreigners to vote at a federal level all across the country.

READ MORE: Why your Swiss citizenship application might be rejected – and how to avoid it

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

The most useful website resources to help you get Swiss citizenship

Even if you have been a resident of Switzerland for a long time, you may still not know every little detail about what is involved in the naturalisation process.

True, there are plenty of websites on this subject, but be very careful about believing everything you read on this topic online.

Not only do some websites spread information that is dated and no longer current, but — worse yet —they also promise to get you Swiss citizenship if you only part with your money.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that each and every site is out to scam you, though some undoubtedly are.

If someone guarantees that you will get your Swiss passport if you contract with them, that should sound alarm bells in your head. It goes without saying that this is not legitimate — not only in Switzerland but likely in most other countries as well.

So if someone makes this promise to you, run the other way, and don’t look back.

On the other hand, there are those that offer services of attorneys to get the naturalisation process going for you.

Generally speaking, they could be totally legit, but unless you are too busy to handle the process yourself or have other compelling reasons why you can’t, you don’t need an intermediary to apply for citizenship.

READ ALSO: Do you need a lawyer to help get a Swiss work permit or citizenship?

Websites you can trust

The Local Switzerland as gathered a horde of essential information on becoming Swiss that will cover everything from the costs, the tests involved, the reasons you might get rejected and also the different paths you can take to becoming Swiss. All the information is available at our special web page on Swiss citizenship. We also feature the experiences of those who have become Swiss and their essential advice.

There are also official government resources that can help with the basics.

State Secretariat for Migration (SEM)

Without a doubt, this is the most comprehensive ‘go-to’ source for anyone wishing not only to apply for citizenship, but also for foreigners who want to obtain a Swiss work /residency permit, a visa, or learn about entry requirements for various nationalities.

All the conditions for naturalisation, including the length of residency, language requirements, and integration criteria, are listed on this website.

Ch.ch

This particular website is operated jointly by federal and cantonal authorities, so information provided therein is also credible and accurate.

Unlike SEM, which offers extensive and detailed information on every aspect of naturalisation, this site provides the abridged, but nevertheless pretty complete, version on naturalisation requirements and steps to be taken.

Swiss Embassy in your country

Switzerland’s representations abroad are also good sources of information on this subject — especially if they are provide details relating to obtaining Swiss citizenship pertaining specifically to your nationality.

You can find Switzerland’s Embassy in your country of residence on the website of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Individual cantons

While federal naturalisation criteria are the same throughout the country, each canton has the right to implement its own eligibility requirements — as long as they are not contrary to, or less strict than, national rules.

A number of cantons have done so, either by imposing longer residency or stricter language requirements, as explained here:

If you want to check out what your canton’s naturalisation rules are, you can do so directly on their iindividual websites.

Url copied to clipboard!