If you have a connection to Switzerland
through your family or your partner, and want to make it official
by becoming Swiss yourself, this is how you can go about it. Even if you can't yodel
or play the alphorn or throw a big stone a long way, citizenship may well
be within your reach. But beware, the path
to becoming Swiss takes many twists and turns. So ask yourself, are
you really ready for it? OK then! We'll walk
you through it. There are three ways
of becoming Swiss: By birth, marriage or by living
in the country for a long time. SWISS BY BIRTH Unlike in other countries,
being born in Switzerland doesn't qualify you
for a Swiss passport. There's a rather grand sounding
rule called 'jus sanguinis'. It comes down to your blood. This means you can be
Swiss even if you're born to Swiss parents living
outside of Switzerland. Your mum and dad will have
to register your birth with a Swiss authority abroad or in Switzerland,
before you're 25. If this didn't happen,
you can still request so-called reintegration
before you turn 35. But you'll have to move
back to Switzerland or have close ties to the country
to qualify for a Swiss passport. SWISS BY MARRIAGE Another way to become a Swiss
citizen is to marry one, which opens the door to
fast-tracked naturalisation. If you're living abroad, you need to have been
married for six years. And you'll have to demonstrate
a close connection to Switzerland. How? By speaking
a national language. And having contact with
the Swiss community abroad. You need to have also spent
holidays in Switzerland. If you're moving to
Switzerland, you'll have to wait until you've lived
here for five years, including the year
just before applying. And you'll need to have been
married for three years. Applicants in a registered
partnership with a Swiss can also speed up the procedure. Like married people, you'll need to have lived in Switzerland
for at least five years, including the year
just before applying. You'll need to have lived
with your registered partner for at least three years. Registered partners cannot presently
become Swiss while living abroad. If you're not married to a Swiss and you weren't born
to Swiss parents, you can still get citizenship after living in Switzerland
for at least ten years. Three of these years need to be in the five years prior
to making the application. Foreigners applying in
Switzerland need to show a high level of integration including proficiency in the
language spoken where they live. A baby born in Switzerland
to foreign parents doesn't automatically
get Swiss citizenship. But they can fast
track the procedure if they are
third-generation immigrants. What's that, you ask. Well, you need to have
been born in Switzerland, and hold a 'C' residence permit. You need to have attended
school in Switzerland for at least five years. And you have to apply for
citizenship before you're 25. At least one of your parents
must have lived in Switzerland for at least ten years, been to a Swiss school
for five years and hold a valid
residence permit. Also, at least one
of your grandparents must have been born in
Switzerland or held residency. That was the easy part. Now comes the hard bit. What happens when
you live abroad and have met all the requirements
to apply for a Swiss passport? STEP ONE You need to contact the
competent Swiss representation in your country of residence. They'll send you lots of forms that you'll have to fill out
in a Swiss national language. And you'll need to
submit lots of documents, such as a criminal record
extract and a tax certificate. STEP 2 After gathering all these documents,
you need to submit an application to the competent Swiss representation
in your country of residence. The processing fee
is paid in advance. STEP 3 The Swiss representation will
invite you for a personal interview. If you're applying for
citizenship by marriage, your spouse will
also be called in. They'll want to find out
whether you have close links with Switzerland and meet
the other conditions. The interview will be held
in a Swiss national language, so it's time to polish
up your language skills. STEP 4 If you pass this
first interview, the representation will send
your application and their report to the State Secretariat
of Migration (SEM) in Bern. STEP 5 The SEM issues its
decision on the application. The representation will let
you know if you're in or out. By this point, you might
be asking yourself: Is it really worth it? Spending between
600 and 1150 francs and waiting around 18 months
just to get the Swiss passport? Well, this is what would change
if you become Swiss. Voting: you'll get a say in how
the country you love should be run. Connection to heritage: no
matter how Swiss you feel inside, a passport is proof! It's confirmation
of your connection to the country. And you can move to
Switzerland if you want. If you plan on moving
to the Alpine nation, it will definitely be easier
as a Swiss than as a foreigner. Plus, you get to keep
your first citizenship. Whether a naturalised person
loses their previous citizenship depends upon the other
country in question. Of course, with rights
also come obligations. When turning 18 Swiss
men are called up to undertake military service. Or they can decide to do
civilian service instead, like helping out farmers for example. For women, military
service is voluntary, just like learning to yodel is. Every year, tens of thousands of
people become Swiss. Will you join them?
