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Dear Swiss Abroad, what difficulties did you encounter when your foreign spouse applied for Swiss nationality?

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Emigration, returning to Switzerland, family, education, pensions, banking, insurance... I care about Swiss people living abroad and inform them about the issues that concern them. Passionate about languages and cultures, my career path took a short turn through marketing and assistant work before crossing the road into journalism, in a job that allows me to converse with people from all over the world.

After several years of marriage, the partners of Swiss citizens living abroad can apply for Swiss nationality.

But to secure a Swiss passport, many different conditions have to be met and documents provided. As a binational couple, did you embark on a naturalisation procedure with a Swiss diplomatic mission or embassy abroad?

Did you encounter any obstacles or did everything go smoothly? Tell us about your experience!

Please note that your comments may be used as input for a SWI online article on this issue.

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Mack-the-Knight
Mack-the-Knight

Correction to my 1/9 post below: my wife is of course a US citizen only, not a swiss citizen!

Mack-the-Knight
Mack-the-Knight

I am Swiss citizen and have recently married an American swiss citizen. I am aware of the rule where she can apply for Swiss citizenship after 6 years (as my wife).

But what if we move to Switzerland in 3 years? How will that affect the waiting period then for her to apply for citizenship? Will she have to wait for yet another 5 years? Or will the 3 years she was married to me abroad be applied to the waiting period, such that she can apply in 3 years after having moved to Switzerland?

UFumeaux
UFumeaux

Hello

I'm Australian/German and married to a Swiss (12 years at the time of application in 2008). We started the application for citizenship process whilst we were in Australia, I already spoke German so was able to do the interview in German, and we had a number of references from Swiss friends, in both Australia and Switzerland. The whole process took only 9 months. The interview process required that I learn about Switzerland, history, politics, culture and geography - not sure why all countries don't require this. In short, in 2008 it was relatively easy.

Raquel
Raquel
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

We are not there yet. I have a Swiss passport and we have been living in Switzerland for 3 years. We have been married for more than 20 years and have 3 children. My husband has to renew his work permit every year, which costs a lot of money. Other nationalities have to renew their work permit every 5 years.

When he has been living here for 5 years, we could apply for Swiss nationality, but with one hand on our heart, I don't know if we will do it. Because in Switzerland 2024, it is more difficult to get a job for a Swiss than for a foreigner.

No hemos llegado a esa instancia aún. Yo tengo pasaporte suizo y vivimos desde hace 3 años en Suiza. Tenemos más de 20 años de casados y 3 hijos. Mi esposo tiene que renovar cada año su permiso de trabajo, con su respectivo costo. Mientras que otras nacionalidades, renuevan su permiso cada 5 años.

Cuando él cumpla los 5 años viviendo aquí, podríamos solicitar su nacionalidad suiza; pero con una mano en el corazón, no se si lo haremos. Ya que en Suiza 2024, es más difícil conseguir trabajo para un suizo que para un extranjero.

galaveda
galaveda
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

Hello. I have been living in Switzerland since 2008, married to a Swiss national. In February 2024, my husband and I submitted all the documents for my simplified naturalisation in Switzerland in the canton of Solothurn. I had to take a test on my written and spoken German and pay all the fees. Without this, our documents would not have been accepted for examination.

At the end of October 2024, I received an invitation to a personal interview from the Oberamt Region Solothurn together with my husband. During this interview, questions about Switzerland's geography, politics and society were also asked.

At the moment, I am completely immersed in all these topics.
To help me prepare, I have been given links to all the necessary materials. I believe that all this information will certainly be very necessary and useful for me. It is even very interesting for me to get to know each other again and to remember what I have already heard from my German teacher and from my husband and his relatives.

Guten Tag. Ich lebe seit 2008 in der Schweiz, verheiratet mit einem Schweizer. Im Februar 2024 haben mein Mann und ich alle Unterlagen für meine vereinfachte Einbürgerung in der Schweiz im Kanton Solothurn eingereicht. Ich musste einen Test über meine Deutschkenntnisse in Wort und Schrift absolvieren und alle Gebühren bezahlen. Ohne dies wären unsere Unterlagen nicht zur Prüfung angenommen worden.

Ende Oktober 2024 erhielt ich vom Oberamt Region Solothurn zusammen mit meinem Mann eine Einladung zu einem persönlichen Gespräch. In diesem Gespräch werden auch Fragen zur Geografie, Politik und Gesellschaft der Schweiz gestellt.

Im Moment bin ich völlig in die Beschäftigung mit all diesen Themen vertieft.
Um mir die Vorbereitung zu erleichtern, wurden mir Links zu allen notwendigen Materialien gegeben. Ich glaube, dass all diese Informationen für mich sicherlich sehr notwendig und nützlich sein werden. Für mich ist es sogar sehr interessant, einander noch einmal kennenzulernen und mich an das zu erinnern, was ich bereits von meinem Deutschlehrer und von meinem Mann und seinen Verwandten gehört habe.

Izabel
Izabel
The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.

I'm Brazilian and I've been living with a Brazilian for 8 years. I have an 11-year-old daughter and I want to leave Brazil. It's too violent here. We don't have any money and we don't speak any languages. How can I fulfil my dream of living in another country?

Sou brasileira e moro há 8 anos com um brasileiro. Tenho uma filha de 11 anos e quero ir embora do Brasil. Aqui é muito violento. Não temos dinheiro e nem sabemos falar nenhum idioma. Como realizar o sonho de viver em outro pais?

rossat.jf
rossat.jf
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Some things are incomprehensible
For years, when a Swiss man married a foreign woman, she left the town hall with her Swiss passport. There was no need to take a test on language skills or knowledge of Switzerland. It never caused any problems - that's a fact!
Then the feminist movements intervened and, in my opinion, badly. In fact, the aforementioned provision was quite simply deleted out of some idiotic and unfounded concern for equality, or could it be out of a concern for the so-called eugenics of the noble Swiss race?
In view of all that foreigners have contributed to Switzerland, and out of respect for our old laws, let's go back to the old system and give the Swiss passport to all foreigners, men and women, who marry a Swiss citizen.
Nyon refused citizenship to a candidate who didn't know which way the fish was pointing on the municipal coat of arms ..................
Where have we got to?

Certaines choses sont incompréhensibles
Pendant des années, lorsqu'un suisse épousait une étrangère, cette dernière sortait de la mairie avec son passeport suisse. Aucun examen sur les connaissances d'une langue nationale ou sur la Suisse n'était nécessaire. Cela n'a jamais entraîné de problème.C'est un fait !
Puis les mouvements féministes sont intervenus et,, ce, mal à mon avis. En effet, cette disposition précitée a tout simplement été supprimée. par un souci idiot et sans fondement d' égalité ou serait ce par souci de soi disant eugénisme de la noble race suisse
Lorsqu'on voit tout ce que les étrangers et étrangères ont apporté à la Suisse, ainsi que par souci de respect de nos anciennes lois revenons au système antérieur et donnons le passeport suisse à tous les étrangers , hommes et femmes, qui ´épousent un ou une citoyen (une) suisse.
Lorsqu'on sait que Nyon a refusé la nationalité à un candidat qui ne savait pas de quel côté pointait son nez le poisson sur les armoiries communales ..................
Oû en sommes nous arrivés ?

LynxVegas
LynxVegas

Why just ask the Swiss Abroad? There are many difficulties for foreigners who married a Swiss, then chose to live in Switzerland. It's faster, and easier, to get Swiss citizenship than for a single foreigner, provided you manage to stay married for 5 years, and not move to another area during that time. There is not one set of concrete rules for the whole country. It seems each canton, each town, each village, each local council makes up its own rules. I've even heard of people being turned down for wearing pajamas outside, complaining about noisy cow bells or even not knowing what Rösti is.

Bellarivaca@aol.com
Bellarivaca@aol.com
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

My now deceased husband wanted to become a Swiss citizen in 2016 as we were planning to retire back to Switzerland. He was Austrian and worked in Switzerland for 5 years in the sixties doing assembly work for a Swiss company. Then he emigrated to Canada. He was the "better" Swiss like me, knew a lot about the geography and also about the history. He was asked the following question at the embassy in Vancouver: Where is the Roesti Graben located in Switzerland? He had no idea and had never heard of a Rösti Graben. He failed this question and was advised to travel to Vancouver from the centre of Canada for a second time to take the "exam" a second time. As a Swiss woman, I asked ALL of our Swiss acquaintances the same question. Not one person knew the answer. Such questions are arbitrary. In Canada & the USA there are about 100 specific questions about the geography and political make-up of the country and you should know them to pass a citizenship exam. Arbitrary questions such as Rösti Graben and how many pubs a village has have no place there. How small-minded does a country have to be not to ask all future citizens the same relevant questions?

Mein nun verstorbener Mann wollte im Jahre 2016 die Schweizer Bürgerschaft annehmen da wir planten in Pension zurueck in die Schweiz zu gehen. Er war Österreicher und arbeitete fuer 5 Jahre in den sechziger Jahren in der Schweiz auf Montage fuer ein Schweizer Unternehmen. Dann wanderte er nach Canada aus. Er war der "bessere" Schweizer wie ich, wusste viel ueber die Geographie und auch ueber die Geschichte. In der Botschaft in Vancouver wurde ihm folgende Frage gestellt: Wo befindet sich der Roesti Graben in der Schweiz? Er hatte keine Ahnung, hatte noch nie von einem Rösti Graben gehört. Er ist an dieser Frage gescheitert und es wurde ihm nahe gelegt zu einer zweiten Zeit nach Vancouver von der Mitte von Canada zu reisen um an dem "Examen" ein zweites Mal teil zu nehmen. Ich als Schweizerin habe ALLE unser Schweizer Bekannten dieselbe Frage gefragt. Nicht eine Person wusste die Antwort. Solche Fragen sind willkürlich. In Canada & der USA gibt es zirka 100 bestimmte Fragen ueber die Geographie und die politische Zusammensetzung des Landes und die sollte man wissen um ein Bürgerschaft Examen zu bestehen. Willkürliche Fragen wie Rösti Graben und wieviele Beizen ein Dorf hat, haben da keinen Platz. Wie klein denkend muss ein Land sein nicht alle zukünftigen Bürger die gleichen relevanten Fragen zu fragen?

CF7
CF7
@Bellarivaca@aol.com

Wow. I agree. That' is extremely small-minded. Some of these people are mentally stuck in the dark ages.

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Bellarivaca@aol.com

Thank you for your interesting contribution! Did your husband finally obtain Swiss nationality? Have you stayed in Canada on your own or are you back in Switzerland? Yours sincerely, Emilie

Merci pour votre intéressante contribution ! Votre mari a-t-il finalement obtenu la nationalité suisse? Êtes-vous, seule, restée au Canada ou êtes-vous de nouveau en Suisse? Cordialement, Emilie

lucyberthoud@hotmail.com
lucyberthoud@hotmail.com

Why is it that only women who marry Swiss nationals become Swiss? Why are men not allowed to automatically become Swiss when marrying a Swiss woman.
The children of a Swiss parent (woman or man) automatically become Swiss at birth????

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@lucyberthoud@hotmail.com

Hello,
The spouses of Swiss citizens can also apply for facilitated naturalisation if they meet the conditions set out by the State Secretariat for Migration here: https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/integration-einbuergerung/schweizer-werden/verheiratet.html
The children of a Swiss parent (man or woman) automatically obtain Swiss nationality (in accordance with Swiss blood law).

Bonjour,
Les époux de citoyennes (ou citoyens) suisses peuvent également prétendre à une naturalisation facilitée s'ils remplissent les conditions mentionnées par le Secrétariat d'Etat aux migrations ici: https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/integration-einbuergerung/schweizer-werden/verheiratet.html
Les enfants d'un parent suisse (homme ou femme) obtiennent effectivement automatiquement la nationalité suisse (selon le droit du sang en vigueur en Suisse).

Olivier
Olivier
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Could you please tell me what documents I need to provide?

Pouvez vous me renseigner s’il vous plaît quelle est la liste de documents à fournir ?

Olivier
Olivier
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

I am interested in applying to the Swiss embassy for nationality for my wife.

Je suis intéressé de faire la demande auprès de l’ambassade suisse pour la nationalité pour ma femme

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Olivier

Hello,
Which country do you live in?
You can find all the information you need here: https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/integration-einbuergerung/schweizer-werden/verheiratet.html (in the section entitled "Procedure for living abroad").

Bonjour,
Dans quel pays vivez-vous?
Vous trouverez tous les renseignements nécessaires ici: https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/integration-einbuergerung/schweizer-werden/verheiratet.html (au paragraphe intitulé: "Procédure en cas de domicile à l’étranger").

Djilali kheira
Djilali kheira
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Good evening, my mother has Swiss nationality and I am 34 years old and live in Algeria. I would like to acquire Swiss nationality as my mother has Swiss nationality.

Bonsoir, ma mère a obtenue la nationalité suisse et moi j’ai 34 ans et j’habite en Algérie et je souhaite acquérir la nationalité suisse vu que ma mère a été naturaliser suisse est ce que c’est possible !?

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Djilali kheira

Hello,
If your mother became Swiss by ordinary naturalisation after you were born, I don't think you can claim Swiss nationality. But to be sure, I would advise you to contact the relevant authorities and apply here: https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/kontakt/contact-buergerrecht.html

Bonjour,
Si votre mère est devenue suisse par naturalisation ordinaire après votre naissance, je ne pense pas que vous puissiez prétendre à la nationalité suisse. Mais pour en être sûr je vous conseille de vous renseigner auprès des autorités compétentes en formulant une demande ici : https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/sem/kontakt/contact-buergerrecht.html

Beatriz Gerber
Beatriz Gerber
The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.
@Djilali kheira

It had to be until I was 18 and the lineage was paternal and my father would have to have citizenship, he being the son of a Swiss from Bern Emmenthal, I don't know if there has been a change, another thing, I went to look for my ancestors and he is to be congratulated but the female lineage stopped when the lady got married, she took her husband's name so I could only meet my father's first cousin male relatives. We received them in Brazil, they were similar, it was very nice, that's walking without saying goodbye to a glorious past, because everyone is. So two sisters have passports and two don't and I said at the time, I stayed in Switzerland: Don't split up our sisters but a rule is a rule, we can be sad but they exist,

Tinha que ser até os 18 anos e a linhagem era paterna e meu pai teria que ter a cidadania, ele sendo filho de um Suíço de Bern Emmenthal, não sei se houve mudança , outra coisa, fui procurar meus antepassados e ele estão de parabéns mas a linhagem feminina parava quando a senhora se casava, ela pegava o nome do marido então só pude conhecer os parentes masculinos primos de primeiro grau do meu pai. Os recebemos no Brasil, eram parecidos, foi muito bom, isso é caminhar sem dar adeus a um passado glorioso, pois todos são. Assim duas irmãs tem o passaporte e duas não o tem e falei na época , eu fiquei morando na Suíça: Não dividam as nossas irmãs mas regra é regra, podemos ficar triste mas elas existem,

HKWuersch
HKWuersch

Hi Emilie
An interesting subject. When I enquired last time, there was the need that one must live with his spouse in Switzerland for about 10 years and the spouse must speak one of the four national languages. Did that changed?
Thank you.

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@HKWuersch

Hello,
The conditions differ depending on where you live and whether or not you are married.
=The following may apply for facilitated naturalisation
- the wives and husbands of Swiss citizens. They must have lived in Switzerland for a total of five years, including the year preceding the application, and have been living in a conjugal union with their Swiss spouse for three years.
- Wives and husbands of Swiss citizens living abroad. They must have been living in a conjugal union with their Swiss spouse for six years and have close ties with Switzerland.
If you are not married, the conditions are different.
For further details, please consult the website of the State Secretariat for Migration.

Bonjour,
Les conditions diffèrent en fonction de l'endroit où vous vivez et de si vous êtes marié-e ou pas.
=> Peuvent former une demande de naturalisation facilitée:
- les épouses et les époux de citoyens suisses. La personne doit avoir résidé en Suisse pendant cinq ans en tout, dont l’année précédant le dépôt de la demande, et vivre en union conjugale depuis trois ans avec son conjoint suisse.
- les épouses et les époux de citoyens suisses de l’étranger. La personne doit vivre en union conjugale depuis six ans avec son conjoint suisse et avoir des liens étroits avec la Suisse.
Si vous n'êtes pas marié-e les conditions sont différentes.
Pour de plus amples détails vous pouvez consulter le site du Secrétariat d'Etat aux migrations.

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
@Emilie Ridard

https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/integration-einbuergerung/schweizer-werden.html

Rafiq Tschannen
Rafiq Tschannen
@HKWuersch

Please enquire through official sources. No, there is no need to live in Switzerland for 10 years (although it would help).

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Rafiq Tschannen

If you are not married to a Swiss citizen, you must have lived in Switzerland for at least 10 years in order to apply for ordinary naturalisation (among other conditions).

Si vous n'êtes pas marié-e à un-e Suisse, il faut bel et bien résider depuis au moins 10 ans en Suisse pour demander la naturalisation ordinaire (entre autres conditions).

Joggo
Joggo
The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.

Hello,
I've been living in Switzerland for 30 years, I've always worked and I speak German. The problem we're facing here is that Switzerland has lumped all immigrants together and that's very unfair to those who have been here for decades, like me. Do we have the right to a passport or not? Is it our right or not? And stop taking language courses or demanding 3,400 francs for your passport. Either we have the right or we don't.

Olá,
Sou residente na Suiça há 30 anos, sempre tenho trabalhado e falo Alemão. O problema que nos deparamos aqui é o seguinte, a Suiça meteu todos os imigrantes no mesmo saco e isso é muito injusto para os que já cá estão como eu á algumas décadas. Ou temos direito ao passaporte ou não? É um direito que temos ou não? E deixem se de cursos de línguas ou de exigir 3,4 mil francos pelo passaporte. Ou temos direito ou não.

Pia Maria
Pia Maria

The only problem is that my husband doesn’t speak any of the Swiss languages - so it seems he can’t get a Swiss passport. He is a very successful
Businessman, speaks and writes fluent English, Arabic and Chinese, but is dyslexic and has no time to learn a language that he wont use. He pays tax in Switzerland, has been married to me for 36 years, all his children and grandchildren have Swiss passports… he often teaches Swiss professionals with advanced postgraduate training - all in
English… but since Brexit he gets stopped at tge border and questioned…. Help please… is there a solution to this?

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Pia Maria

Hello,
Thank you for your message.
If you are married - which seems to be the case - your husband can apply for facilitated naturalisation.
He or she must have lived in Switzerland for a total of 5 years, including the year before submitting the application, and have been living in a conjugal union with his or her Swiss spouse for 3 years.
Facilitated naturalisation is granted on condition of successful integration. Successful integration is evidenced in particular by the ability to communicate on a daily basis in a national language, both orally and in writing, among other conditions.
This information can be found on the website of the State Secretariat for Migration.
To be sure that your husband is not eligible, I would advise you to check with your canton of residence.
https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/integration-einbuergerung/schweizer-werden/verheiratet.html

Bonjour,
Merci pour votre message.
Si vous êtes mariée - ce qui semble être le cas - votre mari peut prétendre à une naturalisation facilitée.
La personne doit avoir résidé en Suisse pendant 5 ans en tout, dont l’année précédant le dépôt de la demande, et vivre en union conjugale depuis 3 ans avec son conjoint suisse.
La naturalisation facilitée est accordée à condition que l’intégration soit réussie. Une intégration réussie se manifeste en particulier par l’aptitude à communiquer au quotidien dans une langue nationale, à l’oral et à l’écrit, entre autres conditions.
Ce sont les informations que l'on peut trouver sur le site du Secrétariat d'Etat aux migrations.
Pour être sûr que votre mari n'est pas éligible, je vous conseillerais toutefois de vous renseigner auprès de votre canton de domicile.
https://www.sem.admin.ch/sem/fr/home/integration-einbuergerung/schweizer-werden/verheiratet.html

marc.tasse777@gmail.com
marc.tasse777@gmail.com
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Hello,

For me, the naturalization process took about 8 months, without a hitch.
From the collection of documents to obtain for the official application as well as the documents to fill in, the sending of the documents, the interview at the Montreal consulate and the reception of the reply, nothing to say that everyone involved was really helpful and very kind.
I think the most important thing is the accuracy with which we fill in the documents. My mother tongue is French and I also speak English with some notions of German. And that's it!

Thank you

Bonjour,

Pour ma part, le processus de naturalisation a été d'environ 8 mois, sans aucun embuche.
De la collection de document a obtenir pour la demande officiel ainsi que les documents à remplir, l'envoie des documents, l'entrevue au consulat de Montréal et la reception de la réponse, rien à dire que tous les intervenants on été vraiment aidant et très gentils.
Je crois que le plus important est la précision à laquelle nous accordons au documents à fournir. Ma langue maternelle est le français et je parle aussi l'anglais avec quelques notions d'allemand. Voilà!

Merci

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@marc.tasse777@gmail.com

Hello,
Thank you for your reply! If I understand correctly, you are Canadian, are married to a Swiss woman and have obtained Swiss nationality after taking the necessary steps at the Swiss consulate in Montreal.
Am I right?)

Bonjour,
Merci pour votre réponse ! Si je comprends bien vous êtes Canadien, êtes marié à une Suissesse et avec obtenu la nationalité suisse après des démarches effectués au consulat suisse de Montréal.
Ai-je tout juste? :)

Marcelo B
Marcelo B
The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.

I got Swiss citizenship after five years of marriage and there were no problems

Consegui a cidadania suissa após cinco anos de casamento e não houve problemas

Anonymous
Anonymous
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

We had no problems

wir hatten keine Probleme

Emilie Ridard
Emilie Ridard SWI SWISSINFO.CH
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.
@Anonymous

Hello,
Could you please give me some details? Where do you live? When did you apply? How long did it take?
Thank you very much,
Emilie

Bonjour,
Pourriez-vous svp me donner quelques détails? Où vivez-vous? Quand avez-vous fait votre demande? Combien de temps cela a-t-il pris?
Merci, cordialement,
Emilie

Rafiq Tschannen
Rafiq Tschannen

My Turkish son in law did not have any problems. He speaks fluently German, graduated from ETH. He has several friends in Switzerland. All it took was a 15 minutes interview at the Swiss consulate.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR