I have been doing a Family Tree and waiting on my new US Passport to arrive.
Is it possible to Reinstate my Swiss Citizenship from my Great Grandparents?
My last name is Burgy, Im still trying to run back how it got changed from (Burki).
My Swiss line starts from my Second Great Grandfather Johannes Ignatius Burki Jr and so far goes all the way back to 1650. Almost all of them were from Worb, Bern, Switzerland. A few from Canton Luzern and some other areas around Bern.
I really would like to have my Swiss Passport and EC ID. Not just because of my Swiss roots. But other reasons as well.
I am also engaged to be Married to my girlfriend Jessica. That EC Citizenship would really come in handy because she lives in UK. Her Majesty's Customs are real sticklers unless your an EC Citizen.
Basically, no. I believe it might be possible if your mother or father have Swiss nationality and that they forgot to register your birth with the Swiss embassy. Also you have to prove you have close ties with Switzerland. Just having Swiss great grandparents doesn’t even come close to meeting the necessary criteria.
It doesn’t matter how far back it goes, it’s the immediate ties that matter. However if you have uncles and aunts, then the relationship must be closer than great grandparents. Only parents can provide you with those.
Good luck though. Be patient. This is decided at federal, cantonal and communal level so can take years.
Oh and Shorrick Mk2 is right. Switzerland isn’t part of the EU.
It is true that Switzerland is de jure not part of the EU. There is a robust argument however that it is a de facto EU member state as Swiss-EU bilateral accords oblige the country to comply with the overwhelming majority of EU laws and conventions as any EU member would.
Also, Switzerland's CHF/EUR peg policy is very analogous Denmark's, Lithuania's and Latvia's currency policies in regards to the EUR, essentially making Switzerland a de facto non-Eurozone ERM II participant.
Of course, the only difference is that Switzerland has a very clear path towards terminating this association with the EU in its bilateral accords (Guillotine Clause). De jure EU members don't have a clear path on this.
You should definitely have a try (nothing to lose) by contacting the embassy, but be prepared for a no.. Swiss citizenship works on a "use it or lose it" basis. Just to give you an example, children born abroad by Swiss parents must declare before the age of 22 that they intend to keep the Swiss nationality, otherwise they automatically lose it. Now you are talking about great-grandparents etc.. However, do try as there are exceptions, but almost all of them need strong ties with the country, basically, living in Switzlerland. (OR if Jessica were Swiss then that would make things a lot easier!)
This info may help, but it is the *current* law, not what applied at the time of your parents-grandparents birth.
OP, obviously you don't want to share your entire life story here, and that makes sense. Still, make sure you do your research.
I think you're wanting to apply for facilitated naturalization. This page gives a good summary of those that may be eligible. It looks like you need to have a parent that is Swiss, not just a great-grandparent or aunt/uncle. For sure you'll need "close ties" to Switzerland, and that's a very subjective thing from what I understand.
Also, here is just a snippet of the many threads created by others that went through the process. Some stories might be similar to yours. Just search for facilitated naturalization right here on EF and you'll have plenty of reading material.
I think I’ve read of someone who is at least trying via their grandparents, but I’ve never heard that you’re likely to get it with great grandparents. I think it’ll depend very much on where the various births in your immediate family (greats, grands and parents) were registered, i.e. with the Swiss commune of your family, a Swiss embassy, etc. If they weren’t then I doubt you’ll be successful despite have other relatives here. If you can check on the various laws that were applicable at the time that may give you a better idea of where you stand.
From a quick read of a couple of the threads, it looks like you may also need to speak one of Switzerland’s 4 official languages so I’d get on with learning one asap. But that is for people living here so may not be so vital when applying from abroad. You should check with the consulate though.
Be prepared for the "show the family lines" part to be very costly and time-consuming. I had to provide certified copies (long-forms, where applicable) of all marriages, births, name changes, etc., establishing an unbroken link between myself and my last registered Swiss relative. This involves contacting the various respective local (county) authorities and paying their fees for all the official documentation.
Current law actually dictates one's options today (and is actually more liberal than what was in place just a few years ago).
I was living abroad when I applied, and the language requirement was definitely not waived.
...except the time and expense involved in collecting all that certified documentation.
Sound advice. OP will almost certainly need to figure out how the name went from Burki to Burgy and prove with legal documentation that it's the same family.
OP - Be thorough and detailed with your information, and patient with the authorities.
Did the first American Burgy happen to come through Ellis Island?
I ask because our family name was changed by a 'helpful' bureaucrat when my grandfather arrived at Ellis Island. Apparently many immigrants' names were registered by mono-lingual officials who chose a more 'American' spelling .
If you think that might be the case, check the ship documents if available; likely you'll find the original family name/original spelling was given on the passenger manifest.
It was my 3rd Grandfather Johannes Ignatius Burki (Burgy) who immigrated threw New York in 1868. There was only room for 2 names. And on it they have him listed as "Ignatius Burke". By the way he was Born in 1794 Mett,Bern .
So you can see where my confusion is....
But that has to be him. There also has to be some type of document between his son Rudolph (Ruda) Burgy and him. But there is also his son John Burgy who was also born in Luzern. And they have his name in all records as Burgy. Which could very well be where the complete name change takes place.