Facilitated naturalisation through marriage: requirements, procedure and special cases

Why marriage opens a separate route

If you are married to a Swiss citizen, you do not have to wait ten years for a Swiss passport. Simplified naturalisation (erleichterte Einbürgerung, also called facilitated naturalisation) through marriage is a procedure run by the Confederation. It has shorter waiting periods and involves fewer authorities than ordinary naturalisation (ordentliche Einbürgerung).

The difference is fundamental. In ordinary naturalisation, the main procedure runs on three levels: municipality, canton and Confederation. In simplified naturalisation through marriage, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) makes the decision. The municipality and the canton are consulted, but the Confederation decides.

For you as an applicant this means: faster, cheaper and with a clearer legal framework than ordinary naturalisation.

The two main requirements: residence and length of marriage

To apply for simplified naturalisation, you must meet two basic conditions at the same time: enough years of residence in Switzerland and enough years of marriage to a Swiss citizen.

If you live in Switzerland

Under the Swiss Citizenship Act (Bürgerrechtsgesetz), you need a total of five years of residence in Switzerland, including the year immediately before you submit the application. You must also have lived in marital union with your Swiss spouse for three years. The three years of marital union and the five years of residence may overlap.

For example: you moved to Switzerland seven years ago and married your Swiss partner four years ago. You then meet both requirements (seven years > five, four years of marriage > three) and can submit the application.

If you live abroad

There is also a route for couples who do not live in Switzerland. In this case, you must have lived in marital union for six years and have close ties to Switzerland. This situation arises when the Swiss partner is posted abroad for work or the couple has made their home there.

In practice, close ties means: regular visits to Switzerland, contacts with family or friends in Switzerland, basic knowledge of a national language and interest in Swiss affairs. The requirement is stricter than for couples living in Switzerland, because you spend less of your everyday life here.

What else is required

The two basic conditions alone are not enough. You must also:

Be integrated in Switzerland. That means: a solid language level (typically B1 spoken, A2 written), basic knowledge about Switzerland and taking part in life where you live.

Respect Swiss law. Entries in the criminal record, open debt enforcement proceedings (Betreibungen) or pending criminal proceedings count as risk factors.

Not endanger the internal or external security of Switzerland. This is a formal clause. In practice it is rarely an obstacle, but it can lead to rejection if there are security concerns.

Prove an actual marital union. A marriage entered into only to obtain naturalisation will be detected and leads to rejection. The authorities interview both partners separately, examine your living situation and can reject the application if it looks like a sham marriage.

Language proof: what exactly you need

You prove your language skills with a recognised certificate or documented schooling in Switzerland.

Recognised certificates include the fide test (designed specifically for Switzerland), the Goethe-⁠Zertifikat, telc and ÖSD for German, and DELF for French. Depending on the canton, other certificates may also be accepted.

If you attended compulsory school in Switzerland or completed training in a national language, in many cases you can submit that as language proof and do not need to buy an additional certificate. Practice varies from canton to canton.

Native speakers who did not go to school in Switzerland should ask the responsible authority in advance which proof it accepts. Some cantons waive the certificate if your native language is clearly documented, others insist on a formal document.

The procedure in detail

Here is how the procedure for simplified naturalisation through marriage works:

Step 1: Submit the application to the SEM

You submit the application directly to the State Secretariat for Migration. The application form can be downloaded from the SEM website. Both spouses fill it in and sign it together.

The application typically includes: copies of both partners’ identity documents, the marriage certificate, proof of the years of residence in Switzerland, a language certificate, criminal record extracts from Switzerland and the country of origin, an extract from the debt enforcement register (Betreibungsregisterauszug) and proof of integration such as club memberships or references from employers. The SEM sends you the exact list after your first contact.

Step 2: The canton and the municipality are consulted

The Confederation consults the canton and your municipality of residence. They can comment on your integration. This is usually done in writing, not in person. Some cantons may hold an informal interview.

The canton and the municipality cannot veto the application. They only give an opinion. Only the Confederation decides. This is the biggest advantage over ordinary naturalisation.

Step 3: Federal decision

The SEM examines all documents and opinions and makes the decision. If the decision is positive, you receive the naturalisation ruling.

Step 4: Naturalisation certificate and passport

With the positive ruling you receive the cantonal and municipal citizenship of your Swiss spouse, which means the same place of origin (Heimatort) (BüG Art. 21 para. 4). After that you can apply for the Swiss passport and the identity card.

Duration and costs

Simplified naturalisation is usually faster than ordinary naturalisation. It typically takes twelve to eighteen months, sometimes a little longer in complicated cases.

The costs are lower than for ordinary naturalisation. The SEM charges a fee of CHF 500 and collects at most CHF 400 for the investigation report of your canton of residence, so up to CHF 900 per person (BüV Art. 25). The SEM charges no fee for minor children included in the naturalisation.

On top of this come the language certificate (the fide test costs CHF 250), the documents and any translations.

What happens with children

Children under 18 who live with the parent being naturalised are usually included in the naturalisation. From the age of 12, their integration and knowledge are assessed separately (BüG Art. 30). Children you have with your Swiss spouse are usually Swiss from birth, because the Swiss parent passes on citizenship.

If only the non-Swiss parent is being naturalised and the children are not yet Swiss, they are included in the same procedure, provided they live with the married couple.

What happens in the event of divorce

A frequent question. The answer is nuanced:

Before the positive decision: if the marriage ends while the procedure is still running, you lose the basis for your application. Simplified naturalisation requires a marital union, and it must still exist when the decision is made.

After the positive decision: if you are already naturalised and then divorce, you remain Swiss. Citizenship is not automatically revoked.

If it later emerges that the naturalisation was obtained through a sham marriage or false statements, the Confederation can revoke the naturalisation. This does happen in practice. However, revocation is subject to time limits and formal requirements.

Dual citizenship is possible

If you become Swiss through simplified naturalisation, you may keep your current citizenship. Switzerland does not require you to give it up. Whether your country of origin also accepts this depends on its laws. Germans have kept their citizenship automatically since the reform of June 2024. For other countries, their own national law still applies.

Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common pitfalls in practice:

Underestimating language proof. Many people assume that being in a relationship with a Swiss partner counts as informal proof of language skills. It does not. You need a formal certificate, unless you attended compulsory school in Switzerland or completed training in a national language.

Counting residence years too optimistically. Time spent as a tourist, on a cross-border commuter permit or on short stays does not count as residence for naturalisation. You need real residence in Switzerland with the right permit.

Treating the marriage as a mere formality. The SEM checks whether the marital union actually exists. A shared household, joint finances and a shared life are signs of this. Separate addresses because of work are accepted if you can explain them. A marriage without a real shared life will be detected.

Proving too little integration outside the marriage. The fact that you are married to a Swiss citizen does not replace the proof of your own integration. You should be able to show that you have contacts beyond your partner, that you function in everyday life and that you are familiar with Switzerland.

When ordinary naturalisation makes more sense

Simplified naturalisation is not always the better route. Ordinary naturalisation can make more sense in these cases:

If you have not yet been married for three years, but have already lived in Switzerland for ten years or more. Then the ordinary route is open to you and you do not have to wait until you have been married long enough.

If your municipality handles naturalisations very quickly. Some small municipalities are faster with the ordinary procedure than the Confederation is with the simplified one.

If the marital union cannot be clearly proven for professional or health reasons. Then ordinary naturalisation is the safer procedure.