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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

When can I start counting my residency in Switzerland towards citizenship?

The path towards a Swiss passport is generally long, but some applicants face a shorter wait than others.

Published: 22 April 2024 10:38 CEST
When can I start counting my residency in Switzerland towards citizenship?
In this case, the wait for Swiss citizenship is shortest. Photo: Pixabay

If you are newly arrived in Switzerland and your ultimate goal is to become a Swiss citizen, then you should arm yourself with patience.

Just how much patience will depend on various factors, but in all cases, be ready for this process to be rather lengthy.

Here’s what you should know.

Step one: from B to C

The official wait period begins the day you receive your C permit, the only stepping-stone for a foreigner towards Swiss citizenship (read more about this below).

However, the actual countdown starts even earlier, when you first obtain your B permit.

This means you are allowed to live and work in Switzerland for up to five years, though this can be extended further.

But the length of time before you are eligible to switch from B permit to  C depends on whether you come from the EU/ EFTA or from third countries.

If you are a citizen of the EU or EFTA (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), and live in Switzerland on a B permit continuously for five years, you can apply for the C permit, provided you meet all the requirements, such as language proficiency and integration criteria.

If, however, you come from non-EU / EFTA states (including the UK), then your wait to ‘upgrade’ from a B to C permit is twice as long — 10 continuous years, also provided you fulfil all the above-mentioned criteria.

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.

There are other exceptions as well: if you are a non-EU / EFTA spouse or the minor child of a Swiss citizen or a permit C holder, you too can apply for a C permit after five years.

So, depending on your nationality or personal circumstances, you will be able to switch from a B to C permit after either five or 10 years.

READ ALSO: When will my Swiss B permit be switched to a C? 

Step two: C permit

Once you receive this permit, nothing stops you from advancing to the next level — you have been vetted by the authorities and cleared for citizenship.

Nothing, that is, except a wait that is more or less long, depending on your circumstances.

At this point, however, it is not your nationality that determines how long the wait will be, but rather the kind of naturalisation procedure you qualify for.

Most foreigners go through the ‘ordinary’ process, which means you will have to wait 10 years after getting the C permit before you can apply. 

If, however, you are eligible for the simplified / fast-track procedure (for instance, spouses or children of Swiss citizens, as well as third-generation foreigners), then your wait is cut in half, to five years.

READ ALSO: Five ways you can fast-track your route to Swiss citizenship 

So if you do the math, your wait under the ‘best-case’ scenario is 10 years and in the ‘worst’, 20.

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For members

SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Can I get Swiss citizenship and then move abroad?

Most people apply for Swiss naturalisation with the intent of remaining in the country. But what happens if you choose to live abroad right after receiving your passport?

Published: 13 May 2024 14:55 CEST
Updated: 13 May 2024 17:34 CEST
Can I get Swiss citizenship and then move abroad?

You may have a variety of reasons why you opt to move out of Switzerland after becoming a citizen.

Your decision may have to do with your work, education, family, or simply a desire to live elsewhere.

But is there a wait period before a newly-minted citizen can leav the country?

No, there isn’t.

There is no distinction between new citizens, those who had been naturalised years ago, or people who are Swiss from birth.

In the eyes of the law, they are all Swiss on equal footing.

This means you can leave the country and then return whenever you want — unless there is some compelling reason why you are not allowed to do so — for instance, if you are under criminal investigation.

In fact, an estimated 800,000 Swiss citizens — roughly 11 percent of the entire population — live abroad.

What’s more, you are not required to offer any explanations to any officials or authorities about why you choose to emigrate so quickly after becoming a Swiss citizen.

What do you have to do to leave the country?

Besides the usual steps you have to take when you relocate — like notifying your landlord and canceling your mail delivery — there are some official administrative procedures you are required to follow as well before you go.

One is de-registering from your commune of residence. 

Once you do so, you can submit the de-registration document to your health insurance company, so you can cancel your policy.

What about tax authorities?

Once you de-register from your commune, the tax office in your canton will be informed automatically of your departure.

While you will no longer be required to pay income tax in Switzerland if you are employed abroad, you will continue to be taxed on your wealth if, for instance, you own property or other assets in Switzerland.

Primary versus secondary

All of the above applies if you leave Switzerland for good.

But some people, like dual nationals for instance, may choose to spend part of the year in their countries of origin, and the other part in Switzerland.

If this is your plan, you should decide whether Switzerland or another country will be your primary legal residence (for tax purposes you can have only one primary residence, with the other counting as your secondary one).

Primary  — or tax residence — means that you live in Switzerland 30 days per year in a row while working, or 90 consecutive days if not employed. 

If you choose another country as your main base, then you don’t have to do much of anything, from the administrative perspective.

However, in case you pick Switzerland as your main residence, you are required to maintain your Swiss health insurance, be registered in a commune where you live and, of course pay income taxes here.

What if you move away from Switzerland completely but want to come back?

Regardless of whether you leave the country immediately after becoming a citizen, and even if you have been living abroad for many years, you can always, at any time, return to Switzerland.

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