@Schwerzi I am applying in Kanton (and city of) Zürich.
I received and paid the SEM bill on November 19th, 2024, the online status changed to “Schlussprüfung” on March 7th, 2025, and then to “Abschluss” on June 16th 2025.
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OK, good news. I got word that my status was just updated to Schlussprüfung. With any luck, I should finish the process by the end of September. This is an arduous wait but I’m glad I have this forum to keep me sane. In case anyone is interested, here is my current timeline.
29/11/2023 - Application submitted
14/02/2024 - Status switched to Vorprüfung (Pre-Check)
24/04/2024 - Application sent to Gemeinde
03/08/2024 - Invitation to Grundkenntnisstest received.
13/09/2024 - Grundkenttnisstest passed (49/50). No interview needed.
25/09/2024 - Gemeinde approval granted.
27/09/2024 - Notification of gemeinde approval received.
20/01/2025 - Notification by email of status change from “Prüfung Gemeinde” to “Prüfung Bund”.
23/01/2025 - Notification of cantonal approval received along with invoice for Gemeinde and Cantonal approvals.
06/02/2025 - Invoice from SEM received and paid immediately.
20/06/2025 - Status changed to Schlussprüfung.
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My Timeline So Far – Einbürgerung in Stadt Zürich (Kanton Zürich)
• January 2024: Online application submitted
• March 2024: Status changed to Vorprüfung
• June 2024: Status changed to Prüfung Gemeinde
• October 2024: Received invitation for Grundkenntnistest and interview
• November 2024:
• First half: Completed Grundkenntnistest and interview
• Second half: Received written notification of Aufnahme in das Gemeindebürgerrecht
• End of December 2024: Online status changed to Prüfung Kanton (no update for 3 months)
• End of March 2025: Received invoice: CHF 250 (Gemeinde) + CHF 500 (Kanton)
• End of March 2025: Status updated again to Prüfung Kanton
• April 2025: Received SEM invoice: CHF 100
• Current Status (since April 1st, 2025): Prüfung Bund
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Update – Swiss Naturalization (Stadt Zürich, Kanton Zürich)
After 2.5 months in Prüfung Bund, my status has now changed to Schlussprüfung as of June 24, 2025.
My Timeline So Far – Einbürgerung in Stadt Zürich:
• January 2024: Online application submitted
• March 2024: Status changed to Vorprüfung
• June 2024: Status changed to Prüfung Gemeinde
• October 2024: Invitation received for Grundkenntnistest and interview
• November 2024:
• First half: Completed test and interview
• Second half: Received written confirmation of Aufnahme in das Gemeindebürgerrecht
• End of December 2024: Status changed to Prüfung Kanton (no updates for 3 months)
• End of March 2025: Invoice received – CHF 250 (Gemeinde) + CHF 500 (Kanton)
• End of March 2025: Status confirmed again as Prüfung Kanton
• April 1st 2025: SEM invoice received – CHF 100
• April 1st – June 23rd 2025: Prüfung Bund
• June 24th 2025: Status changed to Schlussprüfung
Now waiting for the final confirmation and official approval to become a Swiss citizen. 
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@imranabcde two quick questions:
- On April 6, you wrote that you paid SEM bill in mid-March, which usually implies that the Canton approved about 2-3 weeks earlier than the day you received the SEM bill, i.e., end of February or beginning of March. But in your full timeline you wrote that you received the Gemeinde and Kanton bills in the end of March. These dates contradict each other. Is there something indeed wrong with the reported timeline or I am missing something?
- Are you a special case and the fee for the Gemeinde in the City of Zurich is only CHF 250?
Thank you and good luck wth the last step!
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Hi @Silvano
Thanks for pointing that out – you’re right, there was a mistake in what I wrote earlier.
Just to clarify: in mid-March 2025, my file was sent to the SEM, and I received the SEM bill on April 1st. My status changed from Prüfung Kanton to Prüfung Bund on March 16th. As for the Gemeinde and Kanton bills, I received them in early March 2025, but I don’t remember the exact date anymore.
Regarding the fee: yes, if you live in the City of Zurich and gets support from sva prämienverbilligung, you only pay CHF 250 instead of CHF 500 for the Gemeinde fee.
Thanks again, and best of luck to you as well with the final steps!
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@swisstobe Do you have any news regarding the passport? Had they already entered the required data in the system?
Yes, and I got the passport + ID by mail on Friday 
The collective wisdom, shared timelines, and words of encouragement on this thread have been invaluable. Knowing that others were going through the same steps and facing similar waits was incredibly reassuring. Thank you all for building such a supportive and informative community.
I’m posting my complete timeline below in the hope that it may be of some help to those who are still on this path.
| Date | Event / Status Change | Wait Since Last Update |
|---|---|---|
| Early Sept 2023 | Application submitted | - |
| Early Dec 2023 | Status Changed to Vorprüfung |
~3 months |
| Late Feb 2024 | Status Changed to Prüfung Gemeinde |
~2.5 months |
| Mid-May 2024 | Invitation for Grundkenntnisse & interview | ~2.5 months |
| First Half of June 2024 | Grundkenntnisse & interview | ~1 month |
| Late June 2024 | Aufnahme in das Gemeindebürgerrecht | ~10 days |
| Late July 2024 | Status changed to Prüfung Kanton |
~1 month |
| Late Oct 2024 | Gemeinde + Kanton Invoices received & paid | ~3 months |
| Late Nov 2024 | SEM invoice received & paid | ~1 month |
| March 7, 2025 | Status changed to Schlussprüfung (note that there was no change to Prüfung Bund in between in my case) |
~3.5 months |
| June 16, 2025 | Status changed to Abschluss |
~3.5 months |
It goes fast at the end!
June 24, 2025: Booked biometrics appointment online for the very next day.
June 25, 2025: Attended biometrics appointment for passport and ID.
June 27, 2025: Passport and ID card received by registered mail!
Total Duration: Approximately 1 year and 10 months.
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