Just to show that the system can deliver, this British subject is now the happy possessor of a clean shiny new Swiss passport (and a Swiss ID card). Just to prove that things are really in place, papers for the upcoming vote arrived a few days later so I'll be trundling down to the Gemeinde to see how that all works at the end of September.
I qualified for the so-called "Accelerated procedure", which actually took about 18 months and cost SFr 750. I qualified for this since I've been married to a Swiss for at least 3 years and have been in Switzerland for a total of 5 years, with the last 12 months actually in Switzerland.
I could keep my British nationality and am therefore a dual-citizen, and no, I didn't have to appear at a Gemiendesammlung, have my application voted on or take any funny secret hanshake tests!
I'm happy to answer reasonable questions from others about my experiences with the usual caveat: Your mileage may vary!
Congratulations as well. It is really great to have the chance to vote on the different issues that come up. You start to read the newspapers in a new way.
A couple of other "administrative" matters. You will need to change your drivers license and your registration papers for the car (if it is your name). Both of them (if it is the same thing as we have in Vaud) will have the fact that your are from the UK. Have a quick look at both items.
If you have a police control, they don't like the fact that that you are Swiss but some of your papers are still showing UK.
Did you have to do any tests or interviews, or was it all just paperwork? I'm interested in what they look for in regard to your level of German (or other national language).
I have a question which I have searched for and asked but was never answered and my wife is going to ring to find out anyway, however
Was any of the 5 years qualification time spent on an L permit?
If so, I also qualify, and my reason for getting one is not because it is red and shiny but my wife is Swiss, my children are Swiss/UK, 90% of the family is here so I wouldn't want any possible future hassle should something ever happen to my wife, perish the thought
I'm a few months into the waiting process (they notified me of their receipt of my application on May 30th of this year). I was really hoping it wouldn't take the full 18 months, but I'm still hopeful on that front.
You may want to pay attention to the following initiative from the SVP who want to strip you of your dual nationality rights. Problem is the SVP hasn't fully thought this one through. If this passes it's also going to affect several hundred thousand Swiss with dual nationality who live abroad and want to retain their Swiss citizenship.
And it's also another Swiss for the Swiss tactic from the SVP. It won't get through. Sounds more like another SVP provocation. It wouldn't bring anything positive, most people I know wouldn't give up there birth nationality.