Ordinary Naturalisation in Switzerland

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
764

Hello and congrats for the newborn :slight_smile: no official info but I do not think that this is a problem, just make sure you have your mail checked regularly in case you receive any invoices for the process and you can settle them accordingly.
Everyone is allow to go on vacation or have a break for a month or two or three, is not that you are leaving the country to permanently establish yourself somewhere else.
You will be registered here and pay rent/health insurance so… enjoy your time off!

765

Did you inform/inquire them when your wife was pregnant too or waited until you had a baby?
I heard that some applicants contacted them during pregnancy about expecting a baby but I dont know if it made any difference

766

Hi @inZug, I am currently in the last step (step 9).

I got the letter from the Gemeinde confirming BĂźrgerrecht (step 8.) mid January 2026.

Based on your experience, would you be able to tell me when I could potentially receive the final notification?

Thank you!

Zug EinbĂźrgerung

8. Entscheid BĂźrgerrat
Der BĂźrgerrat entscheidet Ăźber die Erteilung des GemeindebĂźrgerrechts.

9. Beantragung KantonsbĂźrgerrechts
Wurde das GemeindebĂźrgerrecht erteilt, beantragt der Zivilstands- und BĂźrgerrechtsdienst beim Regierungsrat die Erteilung des KantonsbĂźrgerrechts. Der Entscheid wird Ihnen per Post zugestellt. Mit der Rechtskraft des EinbĂźrgerungsentscheides des Regierungsrates ist Ihre EinbĂźrgerung abgeschlossen und Sie sind Schweizer BĂźrgerin oder Schweizer BĂźrger.

767

Thank you for your wishes and for your response!

768

We contacted them few days after the baby was born.

In my opinion, since they need the birth certificate, contacting them earlier has no benefit.

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769

01 Mar 2024 - Submitted application
01 Jun 2024 - VorprĂźfung
27 Sep 2024 - Status change to Prüfung Gemeinde (I never had a “Vorprüfung” status)
01 Jun 2025 - Passed Grundkentnnisstest
05 Jun 2025 - Received Gemeinde citizenship from the city
02 Aug 2025 - Status update to “Prüfung Kanton”
20 Nov 2025 - Status update to “Prüfung Bund”
13 Feb 2026 - Schluss Prufung

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770

Congratulations. Did you have in-person interview or just Grundkentnnisstest?

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771

Sample timeline if the referendum is passed. Take it with a grain of salt.

  • June 14, 2026: The Referendum date. If it passes, the new article is added to the Constitution immediately, but “implementing legislation” is required.
  • 2026–2028: Legislative Phase. Parliament typically has around 3 years to draft the specific laws to implement the constitutional mandate. Given that most of Parliament is currently against the initiative, expect intense debates on “hard” vs. “soft” implementation (similar to the 2014 Mass Immigration initiative).
  • Trigger Point 1 (9.5 Million): The first restrictions kick in when the population hits 9.5 million (currently ~9.1 million). At current growth rates (approx. 1% per year), this could be reached by 2029–2031.
  • Trigger Point 2 (10 Million): The hard cap. If reached, the government must terminate international treaties driving growth, specifically the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) with the EU.

Impact Breakdown for EU Citizens

The initiative is particularly disruptive for EU citizens because their residency rights are currently guaranteed by the AFMP. If the population hits 10 million, Switzerland would be constitutionally forced to cancel this agreement.

A. EU Citizens with a B Permit (Residence)

  • Renewals: Currently, B permit renewals for EU citizens are almost automatic. Under a population cap, renewals could become subject to quotas or “labor market tests” (checking if a Swiss person can do the job first).
  • Risk: If the AFMP is terminated, your status would change from “privileged EU national” to “third-country national.” This means you would likely need a new work permit for every job change, and your right to stay if you become unemployed could be severely curtailed.
  • Family Reunification: The initiative explicitly targets family reunification as a “first-tier” measure to be restricted once the population hits 9.5 million. It would become significantly harder to bring spouses or children to Switzerland.

B. EU Citizens with a C Permit (Settlement)

  • Status Security: The C permit (Permanent Residence) is the most secure status short of citizenship. Historically, Swiss law respects “acquired rights,” meaning those who already hold a C permit are usually “grandfathered” into their status.
  • The “10 Million” Inclusion: However, the initiative counts all residents (Swiss and Foreigners) toward the cap. If the population hits the limit, even C permit holders might face new restrictions on leaving and re-entering the country, or stricter requirements for maintaining their permit (e.g., higher bars for integration or financial independence).
  • Travel Rights: If the AFMP is canceled, the “Guillotine Clause” might also affect Schengen access, potentially complicating the ease of travel that C permit holders currently enjoy.

C. Those in the Process of Naturalization

  • Increased Difficulty: The initiative explicitly mentions naturalization as a lever to control population. If the 9.5 million trigger is hit, the government may be required to pause or slow down the granting of citizenship to keep the “permanent resident” count under the cap.
  • Higher Bars: You can expect a “quality over quantity” approach. Language requirements, integration “tests,” and financial history audits would likely become much stricter to discourage applications.
  • Wait Times: Even if you qualify, the administrative process—which already takes 18–24 months—could be intentionally slowed down by quotas on how many people can be naturalized per year.
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772

It was both interview followed by passing the exam…

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773

Are you a non - EU passport holder?

774

Cool. Would be nice if you could brief us on how long the intervie lasted and what questions were asked during the interview?

775

yes

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776

roughly 30 min, usual ones nothing out of ordinary, our hobbies, why naturalization, likes on Swiss system/constitution, involvement in social clubs, both my partner and I graduated from ETH, so there were some questions on time we spent there etc…that’s about it…If prepare for the regular questions you will be mostly sorted…

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777

Was this generated by ChatGPT or some LLM? Language seems like so. Let’s not think so long about the future, think about tomorrow or next week or maybe a few months down the line.

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778

Of course it’s LLM, in this case Gemini. That’s why I mentioned take it with a grain of salt.

779

Hi everyone,

I will use the same timeline format to add another point to Zug:

Applied online: May 2024
First call about the process: June 2024
Submitted documents: December 2024
Gemeinde Int: May 2025
Kanton Int: August 2025
Sem conf: October 2025
Gemeinde conf: December 2025
Kanton Conf: February 2026

Good luck!

3 Likes
780

A quick update on current processing times in the Canton of ZĂźrich (commune on the Gold Coast):

  • applied online in the second half of Oct 2024
  • 19 Dec 2024: application status changed to “VorprĂźfung”
  • 4 Mar 2025: application status changed to “PrĂźfung Gemeinde”
  • May 2025: interview with the commune
  • 15 May 2025: application status changed to “PrĂźfung Kanton”
  • 20 Aug 2025: application status changed to “PrĂźfung Bund”
  • 9 Oct 2025: application status changed to “SchlĂźssprĂźfung”
  • 28 Jan 2026: letter with the statement that process has been successfully completed
  • ca. 20 Feb 2026: letter from the commune stating that it is now possible to order passport itself
  • 25 Feb 2026: appointment with PassbĂźro
  • 27 Feb 2026: passport arrives by post

ca. 16 months in total.

Good luck!

4 Likes
781

does anyone know how important is the doc “Teilnahme am sozialen und kulturellen Leben der Gesellschaft”? What did you write in it?

782

In your own words just explain how you and your family have integrated into Swiss society. How yo interact with your neighbours and local businesses and how you keep abreast of communal and cantonal politics, which local journals, or websites that you regularly consult. Any local officials you might have met could be mentioned.

I think this is key to becoming Swiss.

Good luck.

3 Likes
783

Is it not enough to write about the local fests you attend, museums/events etc you regularly visit, membership of a verein, Swiss friend/friends you regularly meet and the outdoor activities you do (in summer) with your friends in your canton etc?