Reform of Swiss naturalisation rules is in the work : Parliament has passed the law but it is not yet in force. confusion abounds so here is guide to what has happened and where things stood at 20 April 2015.
On 20 June 2014 the swiss parliament passed new law which changed the number of years of residence required to qualify, the type of residence permit you must have before applying and the age band within which one year of residence counts as two.
The new law harmonises an old 1952 law and its many revisions, some of which are contradictory. It also contains some significant changes and while it has passed through parliament it is not yet in effect. Until it is the old rules apply.
This guide is only for ordinary naturalisation and focused on Vaud and Geneva. There are shorter paths to becoming Swiss for those married to a Swiss, young second generation residents and certain people born in Switzerland. Via the links in this article you can learn about these too.
Please note, that while only information from official federal and cantonal websites has been used to compile this, nothing in this guide is a substitute for official information or legal advice and Le News Sart and its team members accept no responsibility for any error or omission.
The Swiss passport might be Europe's most difficult passport to obtain but it is great for travelling it rank number five on the passport power index.
In addition, unlike Swiss residence permits, which lapse when you leave the country a Swiss passport stays with you. And you get to vote, which in Switzerland will keep you very busy. The following 7-step guide summarises the process for applying for Swiss nationality the precursor to getting a Swiss passport.
1- How long do you need to reside in Switzerland?
Becoming Swiss means joining a country, a canton and a commune. Each layer has its own residence requirements.
At a notional level, the existing rules require 12 years of residence including three of the last five.
In addition, there are separate cantonal residence requirements that vary by location. The canton of Vaud requires 3 years, and Geneva2. Both cantons require that the year prior to the date of application be spent in the canton.
Communes in Vaud also have a separate one to three-year residence requirement that varies by commune. The commune where you apply normally becomes your commune of origin, a concept that dates back to the the middle ages- this article in Le Temps describes the strong attachment some have to this largely redundant Swiss peculiarity.
When the new law comes into force the nationl 12-year residence requirement will be reduced 10 years, still the highest residence requirement in Europe according to swissinfo.ch
2- What type of residence permit do you need to apply?
At present when you apply you need either a residence permit ( autorisation de séjour- e.g.B permit) or a oermanent residence permit (authorisation d'établissement - C permit).
The new rules will only accept applicants who hold a permanent residence permit. known as a C permit. The canton of Vaud expects this restrictive new rule to reduce applicant numbers by 15%
3- Within what age band does one year count as two?
Not all years count equally. Spending more formative years on Swiss soil are assumed to make you more Swiss and count double. Currently the years that are counted twice are from the 10th birthday until the 20th .
Under the new rules any years spent in Switzerland between the 8th and 18th birthdays will count as double.
4- What other requirements are there?
Applicants are examined to decide if they are integrated into the Swiss way of life, are familiar with Swiss customs, comply with Swiss laws, and are not a security risk.
More precisely you need to:
- Pay all you taxes
- Be prepared to do military service
- Not have broken any laws
-Be of good character
- Speak French (or German or Italian)
- Be professionally and socially integrated and attached to Switzerland and its institutions
- Not be supported by the state (applies in Geneva)
5- What is the naturalisation process and how long does it take?
The process has three elements. There are three decision layers, which start with getting a "green light" from the federal authorities. Then you canton and commune of residence must decide whether or not you qualify.
The practical process starts with a trip to you commune office, which passes everything to the canton, which transfers it to the Federal office. Then everything is passed back to the commune via the canton for the final decision.
Unfortunately, this round trip through all the various layers of the Swiss system takes quite some time. The Vaud authorities offer an estimate of two and a half years. In Geneva the canton estimates between one and a half to three years.
6- How much does it cost?
As you might have guessed there are three cost layers: federal, cantonal and communal. In Vaud the total cost run as high as CHF 850 for an individual applicant. with reduced rates for combined family applications and minors. A breakdown is available on the Vaud website.
Geneva is more expensive and complicated . The total cost ranges from CHF 1,055 to CHF 4,385 depending on age and income. Those over 25 pay CHF 920 and those this age pay CHF 500. Then based on your income these fees are doubled (for income over 40,000 p.a), tripled (for income over 80,000 p.a) or quadrupled (for income over 120,000 p.a).
Finally additional charges of up to CHF 705 are added. Detailed information on Geneva's charges can be found on Geneva's website
7- When does the new law come into effect?
It will be while before the new federal law, passed on 20 June 2014, comes into effect.
According to the canton of Vaud it is not expected to come into force before autumn in 2013.
Until the new law is in place the existing one applies.
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