Yeah, I posted earlier in the topic why I asked them to consider my case for a fast track but I honestly didn’t expect them to be much receptive (fast-tracking me doesn’t have any upside for Switzerland or the canton, and not fast-tracking me wouldn’t impact my life materially except that I’d be immensely sad if my relative died before I could see her one last time), let alone with this degree of urgency ( it’d be a pretty good outcome to cut the processing time in half, but 4 months down from 18-24 is just… wow).
I hope it doesn’t get stuck in Schlussprüfung for long now.
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, technically what remains for them is to look for one last time into the ZEMIS to see that my C permit is still valid and into VOSTRA to see that my criminal record is still empty, should be nothing more but a few button clicks.
Then maybe I have to wait till end of February because technically the cantonal citizenship decision hasn’t entered into force yet. There are 30 days during which it may be contested (which is a bit silly because the only party eligible to contest it is me and obviously I wouldn’t contest a positive decision :).
Online status has moved to Abschluss now. This should mean that I became Swiss today though I won’t believe it till I have it on paper (which surely won’t arrive before Monday since they send it via B-Post. I’m so impatient!).
Complete timeline:
27.10.2024 Pressed the submit button in eEinbürgerung
28.10.2024 Got an Empfangsbestätigung by paper mail from Gemeindeamt ZH (28.10 is the date on the letter, the letter itself was sent by B-Post and came a few days later).
07.11.2024 Got a paper letter from Stadthaus Zürich reminding me that I’ve become eligible for citizenship and that I should apply (thanks Stadthaus :))
14.11.2024 Got a paper letter from Gemeindeamt saying that my file has been sent to my Wohngemeinde for processing the municipal citizenship.
18.11.2024 Got a paper letter from Stadtkanzlei Zürich with an invitation for the Grundkenntnistest on 20.12.2024.
20.12.2024 Did the Grundkenntnistest on a tablet in Stadthaus Zürich, informed that it should be 8-9 months until the final decision from now.
15.01.2025 Application status changed to “Prüfung Kanton”.
21.01.2025 Application status changed to “Prüfung Bund”.
31.01.2025 Got the SEM 100 CHF invoice for Einbürgerungsbewilligung des Bundes, entered it for payment immediately (paid on 3.02.2025)
17.02.2025 Application status changed to “Schlussprüfung”.
20.02.2025 Application status changed to “Abschluss”.
Which is 116 days, or 3 months, 24 days according to some random online date calculator.
Still don’t believe it…
You have both received the cantonal approval in the end of October. Did you have any update on the federal approval so far? It has been almost 4 months since then.
What is your current online status? According to your last messages, I understand that it never changed from Prüfung Kanton to Prüfung Bund. Has it recently changed to Schlussprüfung? If so, with or without receiving notification?
Hi @Silvano, no updates on my side my online status has been stuck at Prüfung Kanton since July 2024, and I haven’t received any updates since paying the SEM bill in November 2024.
Wow…that was lightning fast. Congratulations
Btw did you do your zivilstand registration before or applying for the citizenship? Also which language test certificate you used for your application?
Wow! Super fast! Congrats
I also got the news finally on the 12.02.25 that my status had changed to Schlussprüfung. I was hoping after the long wait with the SEM, I might be one of the lucky ones where the last part goes faster but let’s see.
Did you get a notification that the status had moved to Abschluss? Hopefully you have received the letter by now and can officially celebrate
My timeline so far is as follows:
27 Jul 23 - submitted online application
22 Feb 24 - Confirmation from Gemeinde and date set for interview
15 May 24 - Interview with the Stadtrat
7 Aug 24 - application was sent to SEM for approval
22 Aug 24 - SEM Bill paid
12 Feb 25 - Status change to Schlussprüfung
Each time a status has changed I have received an email or SMS. The SEM confirmed beginning of Feb they had a back log of applications and to be patient and the Kanton warned the final check can take up to 3 months so its still a waiting game for me, but I am one step closer to that little red book!
Thanks to everyone who has shared their story. Its nice to know you are not alone in this long process!
Thanks! Still waiting for my golden letter (bloody B-Post!)…
I was registered at Zivilstandsamt since 2018 (when I was preparing to get married here), and I have a Goethe C1 certificate from 2020.
Just a comment because so many people say “if you change or lose your job - if they don’t ask you about it, it’s no problem and you get your passport and it’s fine.”
This is NOT true.
I recommend people read AS 2016 2577 Verordnung über das Schweizer Bürgerrecht (Bürgerrechtsverordnung, BüV). Use your favorite search engine to find it, I cannot paste links for some reason.
Specifically Art. 21 b. If a change happens that can affect the eligibility of your naturalization, you have an obligation to inform them of it.
If you don’t do that, and they later find out about the change and deem it would have prevented you from being naturalized, they can revoke your citizenship in the 8 years after you are naturalized. Only if they don’t find out or don’t do anything for 8 years can it no longer be revoked.
In particular - if being unemployed means the city/canton would not have naturalized you, or a new lesser paying job would have had the same impact, you must inform them, otherwise you risk having your citizenship revoked later if they find out. If you are unsure if a change has an effect or not - better inform them so you are in the clear and don’t violate Art. 21.
I agree that thing with a job is somewhat in uncertainty area what will happen if you will be without one during the process, i also read in SEM proceeding, that after granting their Bewilligung it should be insured that in case a person has no income that he/she has sufficient funds to live for further time it takes for canton to finish with the process.
Die zuständige kantonale Behörde prüft zusätzlich erneut die Teilnahme am Wirtschaftsleben oder am Erwerb von Bildung, wenn nach Erteilung der Einbürgerungsbewilligung des Bundes die Einbürgerung nicht innerhalb von sechs Monaten erfolgen kann
(Art. 13 Abs. 2 BüV). Insbesondere ist die finanzielle Situation der einbürgerungswilligen Person zu prüfen und sicherzustellen, dass sie keine Sozialhilfe bezieht.
You need to be careful of misinformation… I lost my job towards the end of the process and am now on the RAV and was granted my citizenship recently, as well as others I know.
The RAV is considered income so they will not refuse citizenship in this case. If you lost your job and had no access to income and needed to use Sozialhilfe, then this would be deemed a reason to refuse your application. What you have written can be misinterpreted and create unnecessary panic. They do also know if you are on RAV as it’s on the system…
A side note of “what they know”, i was surprised actually how little in fact they know from any systems…establishing any basic fact they make requests to responsible amts or they ask you to provide documentation, there is no single magic system where they can look and say “yes indeed this holds true”, every department/even sub-department doesn’t have access outside their direct duties, i was finding it during phone calls with different amten, that’s why there is emphasis on if some false info was provided and then revealed by some chance, citizenship can be revoked. So i would highly doubt they know who is on rav or not and that’s why they send paper to ask/sign “if some changes in life situation” basically putting you responsible for what you say, and yes being on RAV constitutes “participating in economic life”, but for those who are not and leave some months off savings, would be interesting to know what happens…
I have lost my job, but my contract runs until May 2025. After that, I will be on disability insurance until the end of the year. For naturalization purposes, is it better to be with RAV or on disability insurance?
my online status has been stuck at Prüfung Kanton since July 2024, and I haven’t received any updates since paying the SEM bill in November 2024.
