There used to be some really useful threads on the former englishforum.ch regarding those of us who are either pursuing or have successfully completed the facilitated naturalization from outside Switzerland (based on marriage to a Swiss citizen). I think it would be nice to revive that thread to help those going through the very long, thorough and at times confusing process.
Anyone going through it now or has gone through it recently? Post your story including the country of origin, timelines and experience. Iâll share mine too when I get to a more advanced stage. Happy sharing!
I am very interested in recent experiences of facilitated naturalization for marriage to a Swiss citizen (born and) when living abroad (USA). We will apply in nyc. We have been married for nearly 30 yrs, and for the last 4 years are in Switzerland for the summer. Before that we took our kids to Switzerland for 2-3 week summer vacations. Our biggest problem are the Swiss references (we have two but are basically tourists) and participation in our local Swiss club (we did participate when the children were little but havenât recently). I read the 2009 thread and would love to hear from folks with recent experience.
My experience is recent, so sharing some information.
With 30 years of marriage, full summers in Switzerland and frequent trips there, I imagine you will meet several of the requirements (which is great). Local Swiss Club membership is a nice to have, not a must have, so consider rejoining the club in advance of you sending the application. Iâm assuming you speak a Swiss language to at least A2/B1 level? That will also be key since the consulate staff will give you forms and/or communicate with you only in German, French and Italian.
The main issue will be the references, who must be currently domiciled in CH. The forms have space for up to 5, and you must enter the names and local Swiss addresses of at least 3 otherwise you may be deemed ineligible and may be rejected at the consular review stage (they may not even invite you for an interview at all if you send the application in with less than 3).
Assuming you have 3 references and pass the consular interview stage, the SEM will send verification letters to the addresses you share. In those letters, the SEM will ask them for some pieces of information:
Can you confirm their trips to CH?
Can you confirm how many times they visited you personally during those trips or otherwise?
Do you have any general comments on their application and connection with CH?
If you donât have 3 solid references and the SEM sees that you did not visit your references personally (i.e. know them well), you may be rejected at this stage before the final SEM review and decision. They are very âby the bookâ (classic Swiss), so it is unlikely that there will be any flexibility. It is also important to be truthful about references (or otherwise) since there is also a clause in the application that says âif the SEM discovers any false information shared in the application even after decision, the citizenship may be revoked for up to 8 years after a successful applicationâ.
Long story short: you must have 3 solid references, domiciled in CH, who are able to provide the SEM with the requisite information. Consider delaying applying until you have met the requirements, or dig deeper into your rolodex to find references who can provide the relevant information.
Iâm confused by this post. You say âwe will applyâ as if more than one person is applying; but surely your spouse is already Swiss, and therefore the children are also Swiss??
If your spouse was born Swiss, do they not have family and friends who can be references?
I personally think your biggest question, if youâve been married 30 years and never applied, will be - why now?
Thank you for your reply! I say we as my husband is involved! But yes I am applying. Why now? To be honest, I didnât realize I had the option to apply with a simplified route, and now our youngest is living there so we want to be together. We are a very small family with no extended relatives living on either side. This adds some challenges for us!
Island-Monkey raised a good point about âwhy nowâ. Child living there and the desire to be together is good rationale, though the place you may face push back is âbut why do you want to be a Swiss citizen?â Technically, you can be granted the right to live in CH using the family reunification visa/permit route using your spouse. Citizenship is not required to live there, although it certainly reduces barriers. Just be prepared to share more directly why you want citizenship.
Sidebar: thereâs a really interesting (albeit outdated) video I saw on YouTube where officials in suisse romande are sharing their povs on citizenship. Also, a documentary on RTS showing naturalization journeys across the country. Less relevant for facilitated naturalisation from abroad, but still interesting to see and hear directly what officials value when evaluating new citizens.