Final results show 64.8% of voters endorsed a decision by the cantonal parliament from last year, based on a proposal by a member of the centrist Christian Democratic Party.
The amendment will bring Aargau in line with two other cantons.
Left-wing and some centrist parties unsuccessfully tried to overturn the parliamentary decision.
Under the law, citizenship requests can only be made by applicants who haven’t received social welfare for the past ten years. The current waiting period is three years – in line with regulations at a national level.
Potential candidates for a Swiss passport would also have to pass a test about basic facts of the country’s politics, society, history and geography.
The political left has denounced the legal amendment as discriminatory and disproportional. Political parties to the right argue stricter regulations are necessary to prevent an increase in welfare beneficiaries.
The citizenship procedure involves federal, cantonal and local authorities and leaves municipalities wide-ranging autonomy.
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How to get Swiss citizenship?
Swiss citizenship laws have undergone dramatic changes in the past 20 years.
Swiss army recruits remain in hospital after gruelling test exercise
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Four potential recruits for the elite Swiss grenadier unit were hospitalised last week after taking part in a gruelling exercise in hot weather. Three remain in hospital with one placed temporarily in an artificial coma.
University of Basel to mark 125th anniversary of Nietzsche’s death
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This month the University of Basel is celebrating the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who was a professor there from 1869 to 1879. August 25th marks the 125th anniversary of his death.
Trump tariffs: Swiss brands struggle to adapt to 39% tariff
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Swiss brands like Victorinox, the manufacturer of the iconic pocket knife, are struggling to adapt to the 39% tariff imposed by the United States on imports of Swiss goods.
Fish and aquatic plants are under ‘severe pressure’ in Swiss rivers and lakes
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Fish, aquatic plants and other animals in Swiss rivers, lakes and streams remain under 'severe pressure', according to the Federal Office for the Environment.
Swatch withdraws ‘slanted eyes’ ad after China uproar
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The Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch has apologised and withdrawn an advertising campaign worldwide following accusations of racism in China. The ad features a model pulling the corners of his eyes.
Police identify bodies of three climbers who died in Swiss Alps
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Police have formally identified the bodies of three climbers who died in the Upper Valais region in early August: they are from Germany, France and Austria.
Bern exhibition reunites Kirchner paintings after 92 years
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The painting Sonntag der Bergbauern (Alpsonntag) [Sunday of the Mountain Farmers (Alp Sunday) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) is being transferred from Berlin to Bern to feature in an upcoming exhibition at Kunstmuseum Bern.
Voters approve extension of Engadine Airport in Switzerland
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Residents in the Upper Engadine region gave the greenlight on Sunday to the expansion of the regional airport at Samedan, one of Europe’s highest airports (1,707 metres) that serves the nearby resorts of St Moritz and Davos.
Private equity group Advent to buy U-Blox for $1.3 billion
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Private equity group Advent International has agreed to take over Switzerland's U-Blox Holding in a cash offer worth CHF1.05 billion ($1.30 billion).
Trump made direct financial demands during call with Swiss president
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During the telephone call between Karin Keller-Sutter and Donald Trump on July 31, Trump demanded direct payments from Switzerland, according to an investigation by SonntagsBlick.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Italian unfairly denied Swiss citizenship after 30-year residence
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The man was rejected for poor social integration and because his geographical and cultural knowledge was deemed insufficient. But the court said that too much emphasis had been placed on these criteria and that some of the questions he was asked were too specific. For example, he did not know that bears and wolves are…
Swiss court backs residency request of welfare recipient
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The Federal Administrative Court has overturned the decision of the State Secretariat for Migration to refuse residence permits to the children of a foreigner who received social assistance while studying in Switzerland.
Ten things you need to know about Swiss citizenship
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How do you become Swiss? Who is entitled to naturalization? swissinfo.ch has collected questions from readers, and ten of them are answered here.
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Foreigners who gain Swiss citizenship generally increase their annual earnings by CHF5,000 compared to those who don't get naturalized.
Swiss revoke mother’s citizenship over suspected Islamic State links
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The Swiss authorities have revoked the citizenship of a French-Swiss women for her suspected links to the Islamic State militant group.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.