Why there is an interview
Many people think the naturalisation test is the final hurdle. It is not. In most municipalities, the naturalisation interview follows afterwards. Some call it an interview, others a hearing or a questioning. It always means the same thing: the municipality wants to get to know you.
Not every canton handles this the same way. In Zurich you sit before a naturalisation commission made up of several people. In small municipalities it is sometimes a relaxed conversation with the municipal clerk. In some French-speaking cantons there is no interview at all — the test is enough.
How the interview works
Duration: usually 30 to 60 minutes. Sometimes shorter, rarely longer. You receive an invitation by post with date, time and place. Being on time is compulsory, obviously.
The atmosphere is generally friendly. It is not an interrogation. The people on the other side want to see whether you have settled in Switzerland. Whether you know your way around, whether you have got involved, whether you know how everyday life works here.
A common misunderstanding: the interview is not a second exam. It is not about reciting dates. It is about showing that you live here, not just that you reside here.
Typical questions
The questions almost always revolve around three themes: your life in Switzerland, your integration, and basic knowledge about your municipality and canton.
About you and your life
The classic question. Answer honestly. "Because I have built my life here" is enough. No memorised speeches.
Work, family, leisure. Just tell it naturally. They want to hear that you lead a normal life.
Football club, parents' council, fire brigade, neighbourhood association — it all counts. If the answer is no, that is fine too, but give a reason.
About your municipality
You should know this. Check your municipality's website beforehand.
Be specific. "The lake", "the Saturday market", "the library". Not "everything is great".
Sounds trivial. But it genuinely comes up. Know your collection points.
Basic knowledge of Switzerland
Be able to explain the popular initiative and the referendum. Not perfectly, but in principle.
AHV (old-age pension), IV (disability insurance), unemployment insurance. That AHV contributions start at age 20.
What the commission really wants to hear
In short: that you are rooted here. Not that you are a walking encyclopaedia.
The people on the commission notice immediately whether someone has memorised answers or genuinely knows what they are talking about. If you have lived in Winterthur for eight years and do not know that the Eulach river runs through the town, that seems odd. But if you can instead tell them you shop at the market every Saturday, that is worth far more.
The best advice I ever heard: "Talk about what you actually do. Not about what you think they want to hear."
Clothing and demeanour
No suit required. But no tracksuit either. Clean, tidy everyday clothing is entirely sufficient. After all, you are not going to a job interview at a bank, but to a conversation with your municipality.
What happens afterwards?
The commission writes a report. In some municipalities the municipal assembly then votes on your naturalisation; in others, the municipal council decides. Depending on the municipality, this takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
If everything checks out — and in the vast majority of cases it does — you receive the municipal right of citizenship (Gemeindebürgerrecht). After that come the cantonal and federal approvals. But these are normally a pure formality.
You will find every step towards naturalisation in our free guide.
First pass the test
Prepare for the written naturalisation test before the interview comes around.
Practise now →