Nootteess ffrroom tthhee FFeeddeerraal l Paalalaccee My spouse has just given birth to our child. Can the baby lose their Swiss nationality? If you fail to notify the Swiss representation of the birth of your child, your child will lose his or her Swiss nationality by forfeiture on his or her 25th birthday. You are therefore advised to announce the birth quickly by submitting the original version of the child’s birth certificate. Once the birth has been entered in the Swiss Civil Register, you may order a Swiss passport for the child. I’ve lost my Swiss nationality. May I apply for reinstatement? Anyone who has lost their Swiss nationality may apply to have it restored within ten years of having lost nationality. This application is subject to having close ties with Switzerland and meeting other conditions. Once those ten years have elapsed, the person must reside in Switzerland for three years before requesting reinstatement. What qualifies as having close ties to Switzerland? Maintaining close ties to Switzerland means: having stayed in Switzerland at least three times over the six years preceding the application, for a minimum of five consecutive days; ■ being able to engage in everyday conversation in one of Switzerland’s national languages; ■ having basic knowledge of Switzerland (geography, history, politics, society); ■ being in contact with Swiss people; ■ being able to nominate referees residing in Switzerland who can confirm your stays in the country and your contacts. What other criteria and conditions do I have to meet? You must not pose a security or public order risk, or a threat to Switzerland’s internal or external security, you must respect the values of the Federal Constitution, contribute to the economy or be undergoing training/education and you must encourage and support the integration of your family members. May I retain my original nationality if I gain Swiss citizenship? Switzerland does allow multiple nationalities. However, it is possible that acquiring Swiss citizenship will mean losing your original nationality if the legislation in your country of origin stipulates the automatic loss of citizenship in the event that you voluntarily acquire the citizenship of another country. The authorities in your country of origin will provide the information you need. How much does a naturalisation or reinstatement application cost? The Swiss representation requires an advance payment to cover processing costs. You can find more useful information here How to become Swiss (SEM): revue.link/nationality FAQ – Swiss nationality (SEM): revue.link/faq Law on Swiss nationality (in English): revue.link/en141 Ordinance on Swiss nationality (in German): revue.link/buev Questions? Go to the internet page of your representation or contact the representation if you can’t find the appropriate answers on the website: revue.link/swissrep This advance payment covers the costs of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) and the cantonal authorities (CHF 600 per adult and CHF 350 per child not included in the application by one of the parents) as well as the representation fees for services rendered, for example advice, case file review, interview, processing civil status documents, clarification and research (CHF 75 per half-hour). Then there are extra costs incurred, such as the review of civil status documents by third parties or Swiss civil status authorities. These fees are not repayable in the event of a negative decision by the SEM or a withdrawal of the application during the process. Payment by instalments is not allowed. Where can I obtain the information and documentation I need to submit a naturalisation application? You can find some very useful information, particularly on the conditions, processes and documents required, on the Swiss representation’s website under ‘Services’ then ‘Citizenship’. On request, the Swiss representation can provide you with the necessary documentation to submit a naturalisation application so that you can prepare your file. On receipt of your file, the representation will organise a date with you for a personal interview, which will normally be held in one of Switzerland’s national languages. How long does the process last? The Swiss representation generally issues its investigation report to the SEM within 12 months of receiving the full application file. The SEM normally makes a ruling on the simplified naturalisation or reinstatement application within 12 months of receipt of the file with the investigation report issued by the competent Swiss representation. Any change of address or civil status (marriage, separation, divorce, birth, death, adoption, etc.) during this time must be communicated to the competent Swiss representation. FDFA, CONSULAR DIVISION “In 2022, there were over 500 applications reviewed by Swiss representations abroad. Most of the applications were from neighbouring countries.” 27 Swiss Review / January 2024 / No.1
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