Is there an official "swearing in" ceremony for people who have received Swiss citizenship?
Yes, at least back in 2005, there used to be an annual celebration for the New Swiss that got naturalized. I haven't found anything recent for you, just the following piece thru google, which mentions this celebration on the side:
Thanks. Maybe they don't do it any more. Let's see.
I've never heard of it, I certainly didn't have a "swearing in" back in '97.
Just got a letter in the mail, that was it.
Tom
Have you just been naturalized?
Yes. Received the letter of confirmation a couple of days ago.
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Yay Congratulations! How does it feel to be Swiss now?
Well not much different. Everything is still there -hands, legs, feet etc
I received my Swiss passport last year and haven't been invited to attend any such event. If you want to feel you are really part of the nation, you could reenact a scene from Die Schweizermacher and have someone shoot an apple off your head.
About two months ago RSI had a documentary about youth life over the years from Yverdon (VD), and one of the protagonist youths about a couple of years ago had with her family this kind of mass swearing in the local Town Hall, yes.
Obviously some cantons do still practise it, however don't know if it's compulsory. I was quite impressed as I had never watched it before.
If you need such a thing. Just go to your communes official 1. August Festive. When the Swiss anthem will be played, sing loudly and proudly the Swiss Psalm . Everybody will know that you are the new guy.
But do you talk funny?
I think the swearing in ceremony is cantonally organized. I know Geneva organizes something, but I lived in Vaud at the time and all I got was a letter from the Military with all sorts of military paperwork. Everything else (including my new AVS number which the military insisted on having by return of post) came several weeks later.
Well no.....not yet!
I'm curious about the new AVS number, so you need a new one after becoming Swiss?
That's a shame if there's no swearing in ceremony I remember in England we had one at the local town hall with the mayor in ceremonial robes. Then at the end we had some tea and cake courtesy of the tax payers' money! It was all very very British, I thought...
I did at the time, but that was still under the old AVS numbers, which was little more than your birthday and place of origin coded up. As your place of origin changed when you became Swiss so did your AVS number. The new AVS number being more arbitrary, that may no longer be the case. Maybe someone who's become Swiss in the last year or two can say whether their number changed?
I did the swearing in in Vaud two years ago, and never had to change my AVS. Maybe because I am a woman and I don't do military service they don't really care? or the rules have changed with the new numbers database ?
For Vaud, it is traditionally organized in Lausanne since a gazillion years. Now it is held at La Riponne library, I think in the earlier years it was at La Place du Chateau.... they organized an apero, with some white wine from the commune's vinyards and of course, flutes au sel.
About a month ago in Zurich they had an apero evening where you could meet people who'd just become Swiss. Not so much a swearing-in ceremony but more of a celebration. Maybe have a scout around on your cantonal or city Integration Office's website...?
How long did it take, from start to finish?