Home / Swiss citizenship / Cantonal requirements
Each canton sets its own residence period and may raise the language level or add a test. This table sets the 26 cantonal rule sets side by side.
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The short answer
Every canton must set a residence period of between two and five years, and many communes add their own. Several cantons require a higher language level than the federal B1 spoken and A2 written, and most check knowledge through a test or an interview.
Evidence: Official source · Machine-readable data · As of 23 October 2026
Cantons
Years required in the canton and in the commune, and the spoken and written language level, as stated in cantonal law or on the official cantonal page. Open a canton for the full rules with their sources.
| Canton | Years in canton | Years in commune | Spoken level | Written level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aargau | 5 | 3 | B1 | A2 |
| Appenzell Ausserrhoden | see canton page | 3 | B1 | B1 |
| Appenzell Innerrhoden | 5 | see canton page | B1 | A2 |
| Basel-Landschaft | 5 | see canton page | B1 | B1 |
| Basel-Stadt | see canton page | 2 | B1 | A2 |
| Bern | see canton page | see canton page | B1 | A2 |
| Fribourg | see canton page | see canton page | B1 | A2 |
| Geneva | 2 | see canton page | B1 | A2 |
| Glarus | see canton page | 3 | B1 | A2 |
| Graubünden | see canton page | 5 | B1 | A2 |
| Jura | see canton page | 2 | B1 | A2 |
| Lucerne | see canton page | see canton page | B1 | A2 |
| Neuchâtel | see canton page | see canton page | B1 | A2 |
| Nidwalden | 5 | 5 | B2 | B1 |
| Obwalden | 5 | 5 | B1 | A2 |
| Schaffhausen | see canton page | 2 | B1 | A2 |
| Schwyz | see canton page | 5 | B2 | B1 |
| Solothurn | see canton page | 2 | B2 | A2 |
| St. Gallen | 5 | 5 | B1 | B1 |
| Thurgau | 5 | 3 | B2 | B1 |
| Ticino | 5 | 3 | B1 | A2 |
| Uri | 5 | 5 | B1 | A2 |
| Valais | see canton page | 3 | B1 | A2 |
| Vaud | 2 | see canton page | B1 | A2 |
| Zug | see canton page | 3 | B2 | B1 |
| Zurich | see canton page | 2 | B1 | A2 |
Where a canton states its rule in words rather than a single figure, or a rule is not yet verified from an official source, the table points to the canton page.
More guides
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 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 guideQuestions
Often yes for the cantonal and communal periods, because they count residence in that canton and commune. The ten federal years are not lost. Check the cantonal rule before you move.
The canton where you live when you apply. The canton and commune examine your integration and grant cantonal and communal citizenship, and the State Secretariat for Migration grants the federal permit.
Yes. Several cantons require more than the federal minimum, for example B2 spoken and B1 written. The table shows each canton's level as stated in its law or on its official page.
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.
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