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Every route to a Swiss passport, from ordinary naturalisation to the facilitated routes for spouses and the third generation, with the federal and cantonal rules cited to their source.
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The short answer
Most people naturalise by the ordinary route: ten years of residence in Switzerland, a C permit when applying, proven integration and language skills of at least B1 spoken and A2 written. Spouses of Swiss citizens and the third generation have facilitated routes. There is no route by investment.
Evidence: Official source · Machine-readable data · As of 23 October 2026
Routes
Ten years of residence, a C permit, integration and language: the standard route.
Read the guideThree years of marriage and five years of residence, or six years of marriage from abroad.
Read the guideGrandchildren of immigrants, children of naturalised parents, reintegration and more.
Read the guideB1 spoken, A2 written, accepted certificates, exemptions and the integration criteria.
Read the guideResidence periods and language levels in all 26 cantons.
Read the guideFederal fees, totals for facilitated routes and how long each stage takes.
Read the guideNaturalisations per year and per canton, from the official federal statistics.
Read the guideRequirements
Questions
Ordinary naturalisation requires ten years of residence, with years between the ages of 8 and 18 counting double. The State Secretariat for Migration then decides on the federal permit as a rule within eight months of a complete file, and the cantonal and communal stages add their own time.
No. The Swiss Citizenship Act provides no investment route. Wealthy foreigners can obtain residence, for example under lump-sum taxation, but citizenship then follows the same ordinary rules as for everyone else.
Switzerland has accepted dual nationality without restriction since 1 January 1992, so Swiss law does not require you to give up your current citizenship. Check the law of your other country, which may remove it.
Yes. Federal law sets the minimum, but each canton sets its own residence period of two to five years and may require higher language levels, a knowledge test or an interview. Communes may add their own requirements.
Information, not legal advice. Naturalisation decisions are taken by the canton, the commune and the State Secretariat for Migration, and cantonal and communal practice varies. For an appeal or a complex case, consult a lawyer.
We check your residence, cantonal rules and documents, so your application is complete the first time.
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