Becoming Swiss no longer costs a fortune
People who are naturalised in Switzerland will soon only have to pay the administration costs of becoming a Swiss citizen. All extra charges are to be abolished.
This means that the cost of becoming Swiss will no longer run into the tens of thousands of francs, as has been the case for many people in the past.
The government on Monday decided that a modification of the law on nationality would come into force on January 1, 2006.
Explaining the new procedure, the justice and police ministry said that cantons and municipalities would only be allowed to charge for the real processing costs.
Charges in the thousands of francs would no longer be permitted, it added.
The government said that the law should enter into force in 2006 to give time for the cantons and municipalities to adapt their own legislation.
High prices
Some Swiss authorities demand high prices for the naturalisation process. In Zurich, the bill can go up to SFr100,000 ($87,827). This was also the case in Geneva up to 2000, but the ceiling has now been fixed at SFr2,200, plus a cost of SFr270 for the new Swiss citizen to take the oath.
The revised law will also make it easier for people with Swiss origins to become Swiss citizens. This category concerns mainly illegitimate children whose father is Swiss. Children with Swiss mothers automatically have Swiss citizenship.
In September, Swiss voters rejected parliament-backed proposals to make it easier for young foreigners to become citizens.
Justice minister Christoph Blocher said the government would have to accept the voters’ decision on the issue, adding there were no plans to present new proposals.
His rightwing Swiss People’s Party had campaigned vigorously against the proposed easing of restrictions, and he personally voted against the proposals while he was still a member of parliament.
swissinfo with agencies
In 2003, about 37,000 people were naturalised in Switzerland. About 9,900 were facilitated naturalisations.
In 1991, about 6,000 people wetre naturalised.
Since 1991, the number of facilitated naturalisations has been rising.
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