Citizenship
Swiss citizenship is acquired through paternal or maternal descent (known as ‘jus sanguinis’ in Latin), regardless of place of birth. People can also acquire Swiss citizenship by submitting a naturalisation application, for example if they are married to a Swiss citizen or if they have lost their Swiss citizenship. Swiss citizens may apply to renounce their Swiss citizenship.
Swiss citizenship can be acquired in three ways:
By maternal or paternal descent
Your mother or father is a Swiss citizen. Please contact the competent civil status authority in your Swiss parent’s place of origin to check whether your birth was registered and entered in the Swiss civil status register in time and whether you hold Swiss citizenship.
For example, a child born abroad to at least one Swiss parent may forfeit his or her Swiss citizenship if the birth was not registered with a Swiss authority in time.
Through adoption by a Swiss parent
You were adopted by a Swiss parent. A foreign minor adopted by a Swiss parent acquires Swiss citizenship provided it is a full adoption, meaning there are no legal ties between the adopted child and their biological parents and they have a parent-child relationship with their adoptive parents.
Please contact the competent civil status authority in your adoptive parent’s place of origin to check whether your adoption was registered and entered in the Swiss civil status register in time and whether you hold Swiss citizenship.
By naturalisation or reinstatement
Swiss citizenship can be acquired through a decision by one of the following authorities:
- the cantonal authority in the place of residence in Switzerland for an ordinary citizenship application;
- the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) for a simplified citizenship or reinstatement application.
Please find below the possible application procedures for people who are resident abroad, as well as information on dual citizenship. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, the responsible representation in your place of residence will be happy to help. Please feel free to contact them.
Naturalisation of foreign spouses and foreign children born to a Swiss parent
Procedure for foreign nationals married to Swiss citizens and for children born to a Swiss parent who were unable to acquire citizenship at birth.
Reinstatement of Swiss citizenship
Procedure for anyone who has lost their Swiss citizenship through forfeiture or renunciation or, for Swiss women, by marrying a foreign national pre-1992.
Loss and renunciation of Swiss citizenship
Loss of citizenship and procedure for renouncing Swiss citizenship.
Dual citizenship
Information about dual citizenship.