What do you mean by immediate reduction? Does it mean we still can get some money back for the insurance for 2024, which we already paid?
Yes exactly, at least my experience with two insurance companies 1.5 years ago. Walk in their office, they update on the spot/print something to sign, and reduce the price from that day onwards (no backdating) till the end of the year. It is similar to moving address/canton, premiums get adjusted as a result.
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Did you get reduction only for the car insurance or for some other as well?
Just received my new CH DL, quite a fancy new design! 
But is has my âHeimatsortâ on it even, not just CH.
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Congrats! Pics or it didnât happen!
Hi all and thank you Phil_MCR for initiating this EF forum! Was such a shock to see the previous EF gone almost over night.
I have been following the naturalization thread previously and I would very much appreciate an informal advise or if someone was in a similar situation.
We started the application in December 2023 as a married couple (no kids) and after being registered in Zivilstandsregister. The canton asked to submit additional info online via e-einbĂźrgerung on previous addresses, motivation letter, etc, which we are still in the process of completing. We will do the telc German test in June as we do not to wait for the canton test.
Meanwhile, my partner and I have unfortunately agreed to split and we are heading towards an amicable divorce. We are looking at living separately as well, but we would have to get apartments outside our current Gemeinde as there are hardly any available here.
I was advised by a Swiss friend to not be shy and ask the relevant contact person in my Gemeinde what would be the implication of our divorce and moving addresses outside the Gemeinde on the process and success of our application for naturalization. However, I am reluctant to do so (yet) and I would like to ask if anyone was in a similar situation or can share an insight. Basically, what I would like to know is :
- Should we file for separation in the next month or so, would we have to re-start from zero the whole application process individually?
- If answer to 1 is yes, then I would assume that a new address obtained outside the Gemeinde and before a new application would be submitted would not position us for success in our applicationâŚ
- If answer to 1 is no, and we can continue with our application but individually, would a new address outside the Gemeinde work against the person who lives at the new address?
Thanks so much for sharing, if anyone would knowđ
I donât know the answers to all of your questions, but you cannot move outside of your Gemeinde until after quite late in the process (I believe, until after your Gemeinde has accepted you but before the SEM has). This holds whether youâre single or married, or a child - you cannot move, as you get citizenship of your Gemeinde first. Depending on your new Gemeinde, you might have to wait 2-5 years to restart the process from scratch.
Thank you for your answer LiquidPaper. So moving outside the Gemeinde does not seem an option for now. I am wondering -and maybe someone would know - what would happen if we file for separation in the next month while both of us still living in the same Gemeinde. Would we have to re-start from zero the whole application process individually?
I donât know the exact details, but I do remember so US friends of mine started the process and then got separated. They attempted to hide it but they did get found out, but managed somehow talk their way out of trouble.
This is a question you need to be asking the authorities directly. There is a golden rule in this process: Be honest and up-front. Gaming the system is risky, as if they discover you havenât been honest somewhere in the process, you may endanger your naturalisation all together. Better a delay than a ban.
If both of you fulfill the requirements - and you should, as this is ordinary and not facilitated naturalization - I donât see why it would be a problem. As long as you are honest with the authorities (in fact, our application form tells us we need to let them know of change in circumstances). The worst that can happen is you each go through the process separately from this point on and maybe each have to pay a bit more as two single applicants rather than a couple applying together., but it shouldnât affect the criteria or the outcome.
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If you announce a separation, then at least one has to change address, as far as I know this is compulsory in CH, by definition of separation.
If you move within the Gemeinde, you will probably be able to convert your application to two individual ones.
If you move to a different Gemeinde the application for the person leaving will be cancelled, as the town is not competent to process it any longer (not rejected, just withdrawn, they will stop processing it). You will have to reapply to the new town (subject to any waiting time - required residence in the new town- that your canton has set, some have none).
Usually (in some cantons) you are formally told by letter - this happens just before the application goes to SEM - that from now on you are allowed to change town/canton without automatically canceling the naturalization, but that is around 12-13months into the procedure. You are nowhere near that.
The new town will be aware of your previous application (I think there is a question even if you applied before elsewhere), this information will not affect the application badly, but may require that you justify more explicitly your âtiesâ to the new Gemeinde⌠if it is a nearby town to where you lived before fine.
In any case, if separation is inevitable it makes sense to separate the naturalization process as early as possible. Remember for a family application, there are many steps done jointly, from tests, interviews, even the end âfinal letterâ (necessary to apply for a passport) in some cantons is issued âone document per familyâ.
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Be aware that when you move gemeindes you might reset the clock for naturalization requirements. Normally, you have a minimum time required in Switzerland, a minimum time required in the canton and a minimum time required in the gemeinde.
These vary between canton and gemeindes. As someone who has moved many times in Switzerland, Iâve had my âclockâ reset multiple times.
If you change gemeindes, unless you are in a gemeinde which has no a minimum time required that gemeinde to apply, then you will end up having to wait until you meet the requirements of the new gemeinde.
Therefore, if a swift naturalization is important to you, you should stay in the current gemeinde when you move.
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In Zurich towns, the waiting time used to vary up to 5 years, but in 2015 (or possibly 2018) they standardised it to 2 years. Not sure about other Kantons.
As Phil said, it pretty much depends on how quick you want to complete the process. If you donât mind waiting, then go ahead and change towns. Otherwise youâll need to stay in your town.
I canât say it enough: Be upfront and honest with the authorities, trying to game the system will only end in tears.
Thank you all! Since we are at a crossroad it is helpful to know a bit more of what may lay ahead depending which way we go. We have been in CH for 17 years and really appreciate how things work, even if it takes time.
Hi
Can someone share the current expected naturalization cycle time for Stadt Zurich ONLINE process
Thanks the clarification.
I am 11 months in the process and my application was recently forwarded to SEM. I am in Kanton Zurich but not the city of Zurich.
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Can someone please share current timelines of the einburgerung prozess in Zug (Gemeinde)? Thanks much.
I heard 9-18 months recently. FMZ has very good and up to date info re all aspects - worth contacting to make an appointment if youâre considering it.
Does anyone have SEM timelines that could be shared? I remember reading in the old forum that there were different departments/people (?) depending on the canton where the application was submitted, so for some cantons it would be fast and for some others would be slow.
I received the cantonal approval about half a month ago, indicating that my application is sent to SEM. They said that regularly, it can take up to 8 months, and that only after I receive the SEM bill will the review be possible. Of course, I have not received anything yetâŚ
EDIT: This last statement, I have to take back. I just checked the mailbox and the bill just arrived, about half a month after my file being transferred to SEM.
For some reason my SEM took unusually long, about 6 months. During that time onthe old forum, others got their SEM bill a month after me but their golden letter well before me.
Thing is, if you donât hear from the SEM it is a good thing, even if it takes close to the 8 months. A refusal or challenge by the SEM comes very quickly.