Right to stay · Naturalisation
Becoming Swiss — who decides, and when
Naturalisation is not a federal decision alone. Three authorities examine it — the Confederation, the canton and the commune — and the last word is local. This guide shows the routes, the conditions and the clock that really counts.
This guide covers naturalisation under the Citizenship Act (BüG) — it follows the same federal rules for nationals of EU/EFTA and of third countries alike. It generally presupposes the settlement permit (permit C). Recognised refugees, provisionally admitted persons (F) and persons in need of protection (S) follow their own routes.
The routes to citizenship
Ordinary after ten years — or facilitated
No route grants an entitlement to citizenship: you may file the application once the conditions are met. Ordinary naturalisation is the standard route, decided by the canton and the commune; facilitated naturalisation applies to narrowly defined cases and is decided by the Confederation (SEM).
Ordinary
10 years · permit CThe standard route for anyone long settled in Switzerland. Decided by the canton and the commune.
- Hold a settlement permit (permit C) at the time of the application.
- Ten years of residence in Switzerland in total, three of them within the five years before the application.
- Successful integration, familiarity with Swiss living conditions and no threat to internal or external security.
Facilitated · Marriage
5 years · 3 years marriedFor the foreign wife of a Swiss man or the husband of a Swiss woman — a separate, shorter procedure at federal level.
- Living for three years in marital union with the Swiss spouse.
- Five years of residence in Switzerland in total, one year of them immediately before the application.
- Those living abroad may apply after six years of marriage and where there are close ties to Switzerland.
Facilitated · 3rd generation
before turning 25For the Switzerland-born grandchildren of immigrants — a route many do not know.
- Born in Switzerland and holding a settlement permit (permit C).
- One grandparent born in Switzerland or having acquired a right of residence; one parent holding a permit C, with ten years of residence and five years of compulsory school in Switzerland.
- Having attended at least five years of compulsory school in Switzerland; the application must be filed before turning 25.
There is also re-naturalisation for former Swiss citizens (BüG Art. 27) and — for a registered partnership with a Swiss person — ordinary naturalisation with a reduced residence period (BüG Art. 10).
Three authorities, not one
Confederation, canton, commune — the last word is local
The ten years are only the floor. Ordinary naturalisation is decided by three levels in turn — and citizenship is granted only by the canton and the commune.
The Confederation (SEM)
Checks the federal floor — permit C, ten years of residence, integration — and issues the federal naturalisation authorisation. That is an authorisation, not yet citizenship.
BüG Art. 13The canton
Additionally requires its own minimum residence of two to five years and decides on naturalisation within one year of the federal authorisation.
BüG Art. 18The commune
The communal residence period and the procedure are set by cantonal law; in some cantons the application goes to a vote at a communal assembly. A rejection must be reasoned.
BüG Art. 15
Only the final decision of the commune and the canton grants communal, cantonal and Swiss citizenship at once. This three-level route applies to ordinary naturalisation; facilitated naturalisation is decided by the SEM at federal level. Which residence periods and which procedure apply exactly is set by your canton.
The clock that counts
Ten years — but not every year counts the same
Ordinary naturalisation counts ten years of residence; facilitated naturalisation through marriage, five. What matters is which residence is actually credited.
10years
Ordinary — in total, three of them within the five years before the application
5years
Facilitated through marriage — residence, one year of it immediately before the application
Residence under a B or C permit counts in full, and under provisional admission F by half. The years between the 8th and 18th birthday count double — but the actual residence must come to at least six years.
Anyone who deregisters or actually lives abroad for more than six months gives up the credited residence. You must also already hold the settlement permit (permit C) — the ten years do not replace it.
The integration criteria
What “successfully integrated” actually means
The law names five criteria for successful integration. They apply to ordinary and to facilitated naturalisation alike.
Respect for public security and order — for instance no serious or repeated offences and no relevant criminal-record entry.
Respect for the values of the Federal Constitution — including the principles of the rule of law, the equality of women and men, and freedom of belief and of opinion.
Everyday communication, spoken and written, in a national language: at least level B1 spoken and at least A2 written.
Participation in economic life or the acquisition of education. Anyone who drew social assistance in the three years before the application generally does not meet this — unless the assistance is repaid in full.
Encouraging and supporting the integration of the family — the spouse and the minor children.
The language proof (BüV Art. 6) is waived, among others, for native speakers of a national language or those with five years of compulsory school in a national language. For ordinary naturalisation the canton also checks familiarity with Swiss living conditions, sometimes by a test.
When other rules apply
Three cases with their own route
Not every route to citizenship follows the standard procedure. These three lead elsewhere.
Marriage or registered partnership
Marriage to a Swiss person opens facilitated naturalisation — five years of residence and three years of marriage. Registered partnerships go through ordinary naturalisation with a reduced residence period. The details are covered in family reunification.
To family reunificationNo settlement permit C yet
Ordinary naturalisation presupposes a settlement permit (permit C) — the ten years of residence do not replace it. The route to the C permit is covered in its own guide.
To settlement CAsylum, provisional admission (F) or protection status S
Anyone who has fled or been provisionally admitted has their own routes and crediting rules; time under provisional admission F counts only by half. In an emergency, protection comes first.
To crisis help
Provenance & status
Checked against Fedlex (BüG/BüV) on 10.06.2026
General information, not lawyer-reviewed legal advice. Deadlines and conditions vary by canton and individual case; the State Secretariat for Migration and your cantonal authorities are decisive.
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