Ordinary Naturalisation in Switzerland

we should pin this answer to the top haha :smiley:

All these readings through the posts and replies when I should have only emailed them.

Guys, I got a notification from my post account that I have a registered letter from the gemeinderwervaltung. I never heard of such entity and I dont recall I ever been in troubles - apart from applying to natrulisation.. and even so, do they need to send updates or invites via registered letters?

From other replies usually they send only B Post.
Registered letter comes when you get ID/passport or permit.

Good luck with your process and keep us posted!

I got granted a Gemeinde citizenship.. took less than 2 weeks!!! Very surprising

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Congratulations! Did you need to go to an interview or just the test?

Nothing at all. We live in a small town and we all know/recognise each other

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Sounds like you’ve had an informal background check by your neighbors :slight_smile:

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This is really cute!! Congratulations!!

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Tbh I never liked the idea of curious neighbors.. always felt like a 24/7 cctv.. only today appreciated that :rofl:

In the letter, 30 days wait period is mentioned before pushing it to gemeindeamt. This is for appeals reasons etc, so I’ll make sure during this period to be ultra nice to the neighbors :sweat_smile: just in case.. I suppose I saved 6-8 months in the process, but it can be nullified shall other authorities decided to be slow it down to make up for the 18-24 months period

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We had no delays at commune level. Put in form, paid a fee and waited a couple weeks for interview. As this was with our friends and neighbours there were no surprises. The waits occurred with Lausanne and Berne.

What is Geneinde citizenship? Is that just the Gemeinde approval part of your Swiss citizenship? Or is it a stand alone thing?

From Perlexity:

The Swiss concept of Commune of Origin, known as ā€œHeimatortā€ in German or ā€œlieu d’origineā€ in French, refers to the specific municipality where a Swiss citizen holds inherited municipal citizenship. This is distinct from one’s place of birth or residence, as it traces back through paternal lineage (or maternal if born out of wedlock), often spanning centuries.[swiss-roots +2]
Citizenship Structure
Swiss citizenship operates on a ā€œtripleā€ level: municipal (tied to the Commune of Origin), cantonal, and federal. A person becomes a Swiss citizen by holding citizenship in a commune, which automatically grants cantonal and national status.[dss1798 +1]
Inheritance and Rights
Citizenship passes down through family lines, entitling holders to certain communal rights like voting in local Bürgergemeinde assemblies or access to resources such as forests owned by the commune. Naturalized citizens receive a designated commune within their canton.[wikipedia +1]
Practical Significance
The Commune of Origin appears on Swiss passports and IDs, reflecting jus sanguinis (right of blood) principles rather than birthplace. It preserves historical family ties and clan identities across Switzerland’s communes.

Although in most communes approval is necessary at all three levels before any is actually given. Communal approval is not sufficient to become Swiss.

Yeah, this is why I was confused. I’ve heard of people getting ā€œGemeinde approvalā€ but never ā€œGemeinde citizenshipā€. My Heimatort is Basel Stadt, but I never think of it as a ā€œcitizenshipā€ as such.

Normally the 30 day wait and announcement is after all 3 levels of approval too, which also confused me.

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Hi @Island-Monkey it is gemeinde citizenship (1st one out of 3) and it is explicitly written in the letter: We are pleased to inform you that you have been granted citizenship of the municipality xyz

See attached.

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Hello, thanks for sharing the information. Do you know if civil status registration process is done in parallel to the naturalization process? I got married outside CH and heard the registration can take a long time. Thanks

No, you cant proceed before having a civil status record. Non EU citizens take long time, EU is quick

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Status change to Vorprüfung after 3 and a half months, feels good to se some progress :slightly_smiling_face:

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Any idea how long it takes on average for EU citizens?

Depends how effective your home country is. My country sent me the marriage certificate of another couple and a birth certificate with errata on my father’s name… Once they manage to send the right papers it took 2 months.

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