Applied online: Aug 2023
First call about the process: Feb 2024
Submitted documents: Apr 2024
Gemeinde Int: Sep 2024
Kanton Int: Nov 2024
Sem conf: Jan 2025
Gemeinde conf: Apr 2025
Kanton Conf: May 2025
Congrats KKR007!!! Appreciate the timeline as here in Zug we donât have so many data points on the forum.
For me, the interesting part is that it took so long from application online to first call about the process. Also, given you have submitted a few months later too, that slows down.
BUT, from docs submitted to final kanton confirmation roughly a year is pretty good!
Do you know if your references were contacted? By whom? Geminde? Kanton? SEM? I keep reading that for Zurich people SEM contacts them⊠curious on your experience.
Thanks for sharing, and congratulations, cant wait to share mine!
Howdy! wow, thatâs a timeline that looks like quickstep⊠quick quick, slow, slow, quick quick, slow, slow⊠(quick from your side, slow from theirsâ). I started mine in November 2024⊠still nowhere. Literally could you give a hint (PM also OK) on which type of questions you got on the Gemeinde and Kanton interviews? I am soooo ultra bad with numbers, I cannot even remember my own card pins, let alone the years of wars and alliances⊠:-(. Thanks!
04/2024: Invitation from the commune for an interview in late May to complete the rapport dâenquĂȘte; they also asked for additional documents â sent everything the same week by post
05/2024: Interview with commune for the rapport dâenquĂȘte â nothing difficult, just general questions about my life in Switzerland, my job, etc.
07/2024: Received avis de clĂŽture from the commune â free to move anywhere in Switzerland without affecting the process
08/2024: Letter from the canton stating that the procedure is paused until Iâm officially registered in the civil status register of the canton of Vaud â by far the most time-consuming and exhausting part so far
06/2025: Letter from the canton informing about the next steps â they estimate it could take up to 8 more months
So, in total, itâs been 22 months, with nearly half of that time spent just on the civil status registration ! If you can somehow manage to get that part done before starting the naturalisation procedure, it could potentially speed things up a lot!
Now just waiting for the SEM bill. Fingers crossed it all wraps up this year!
25 months and counting for me in VD.
SEM told me 3-4 months it will take them to treat the file after the bill being paid. Canton sent my file to SEM 4 months after their letter. Usually it is faster.
From what I have heard the interviews have gotten much more stringent so probably worth checking with someone who has done it more recently. Good luck!
Jan 25 (end of) cantonal approval, 3-4 months after gemeinde approval (no online status change from gemeinde to canton, but received one when canton approved.
June 25 (start of) online status switched to schlussprĂŒfung, just shy of 4 months after SEM bill paid.
15.01.2024 â First meeting (BeratungsgesprĂ€ch), received the list of required documents.
15.02.2024 â Submitted the application for ordinary naturalization (Gesuch um ordentliche EinbĂŒrgerung).
11.04.2024 â Received a letter requesting additional documents (pay slips, confirmation from the employer).
16.07.2024 â Commune interview (GemeindegespĂ€ch) (400 CHF paid).
30.09.2024 â Confirmation of Bern city citizenship (Zusicherung des BĂŒrgerrechts der Stadt Bern) and received the invoice for the Canton of Bern fee (1,150 CHF paid).
24.10.2024 - Documents received by Canton, processing started (now they are processing the documents received at the beginning of October (asked by email on 14.01.25 and received a reply in 2 days.
18.02.2025 - Naturalization approval process started by the federal government (EinbĂŒrgerungsbewilligung des Bundes) (100 CHF paid)
02.06.2025 - Completion of the naturalization process (Abschluss EinbĂŒrgerungsverfahren)
09.06.2025 - Appointment scheduled online via schweizerpass.ch to issue my new Swiss ID and passport (earliest available slot was the next day).
10.06.2025 - Biometric photo and fingerprints collected; Swiss ID and passport will be delivered within approximately 10 days.
Congratulations! Interestingly, they skipped the âSchlussprĂŒfungâ in your case, saving you at least three more months of waiting before the âAbschlussâ!
Congratulations @swisstobe! Did the whole process take more than 21 months for you? I mean did you submit in early September 2023?
It seems that, in the City of Zurich, the total period has increased from about 19 months (a few months ago) to more than 21 months according to the latest comments here.
Also the final approval by the canton that used to be 1-2 months a few years ago, now itâs mostly at least 3 months.
@megapixel I received the letter yesterday (June 18th, letter dated June 16th), and it says I should wait three weeks before scheduling an appointment for my ID and passport. Iâll try to call next week to see if they have already entered the required data into the civil status register so I can hopefully apply earlier.
@Silvano Thank you! Yes, it took exactly 21 and a half months (from early September 2023 until mid-June 2025). It seems the final phaseâfrom paying the SEM bill until getting the completion letter (Abschluss)âhas the most variance. I know people who finished that phase in about 3 months, while others waited 8-9 months. In my case, it took 7 months.
Congrats all of you, this place is definitely a very good source of information for all of us, I still have a year and few months before my application but I am kinda already well informed about the process
@swisstobe
Thank you for your contributions to this topic.
My status changed to âSchlussprĂŒfungâ on 13th March and it has yet to change to the next stage. I have phoned the Kanton today and they said mine said has not yet been checked.
Could you please share with me:
@Schwerzi I am applying in Kanton (and city of) ZĂŒrich.
I received and paid the SEM bill on November 19th, 2024, the online status changed to âSchlussprĂŒfungâ on March 7th, 2025, and then to âAbschlussâ on June 16th 2025.