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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

How many foreign residents become Swiss citizens each year?

New government data reveals how many foreign nationals become Swiss, and who they are.

Published: 22 April 2024 12:31 CEST
How many foreign residents become Swiss citizens each year?
Over 40,000 people became Swiss in 2023. Photo: Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

In 2023, some 41,299 foreign nationals acquired Swiss citizenship, according to new data gathered by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

That reflects a similar number to those who naturalised in recent years meaning the trend is fairly stable.

Just over 17 percent of them were naturalised under the simplified / fast-track process that is reserved for foreign spouses or children of Swiss citizens, as well as third-generation foreigners.

The majority, however, had to go through the lengthier ‘ordinary’ procedure.

READ ALSO: When can I start counting my residency in Switzerland towards citizenship?

Where did these new citizens come from?

Half of those who were naturalised came from Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain.

A third (33 percent) hail from other European nations, while 17 percent originate from third countries.

What else does the data reveal?

Other than the number of Swiss passport recipients, SEM also looked at immigration figures for 2023.

It found that  the course of the year, 181,553  foreign nationals moved to Switzerland — 95 percent from the EU or EFTA states (Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein).

The main reason for the move was employment, followed by family reunification, and education or training.

People from outside EU / EFTA benefitted from 7,480 work permits — 848  were issued to UK nationals and 6,632 to people from other third countries. 

This means that quota available for these people — 12,000 in all, including 3,500 set aside for the Brits — was not fully used.

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SWISS CITIZENSHIP

Can I get Swiss citizenship and then move abroad?

Most people apply for Swiss naturalisation with the intent of remaining in the country. But what happens if you choose to live abroad right after receiving your passport?

Published: 13 May 2024 14:55 CEST
Updated: 13 May 2024 17:34 CEST
Can I get Swiss citizenship and then move abroad?

You may have a variety of reasons why you opt to move out of Switzerland after becoming a citizen.

Your decision may have to do with your work, education, family, or simply a desire to live elsewhere.

But is there a wait period before a newly-minted citizen can leav the country?

No, there isn’t.

There is no distinction between new citizens, those who had been naturalised years ago, or people who are Swiss from birth.

In the eyes of the law, they are all Swiss on equal footing.

This means you can leave the country and then return whenever you want — unless there is some compelling reason why you are not allowed to do so — for instance, if you are under criminal investigation.

In fact, an estimated 800,000 Swiss citizens — roughly 11 percent of the entire population — live abroad.

What’s more, you are not required to offer any explanations to any officials or authorities about why you choose to emigrate so quickly after becoming a Swiss citizen.

What do you have to do to leave the country?

Besides the usual steps you have to take when you relocate — like notifying your landlord and canceling your mail delivery — there are some official administrative procedures you are required to follow as well before you go.

One is de-registering from your commune of residence. 

Once you do so, you can submit the de-registration document to your health insurance company, so you can cancel your policy.

What about tax authorities?

Once you de-register from your commune, the tax office in your canton will be informed automatically of your departure.

While you will no longer be required to pay income tax in Switzerland if you are employed abroad, you will continue to be taxed on your wealth if, for instance, you own property or other assets in Switzerland.

Primary versus secondary

All of the above applies if you leave Switzerland for good.

But some people, like dual nationals for instance, may choose to spend part of the year in their countries of origin, and the other part in Switzerland.

If this is your plan, you should decide whether Switzerland or another country will be your primary legal residence (for tax purposes you can have only one primary residence, with the other counting as your secondary one).

Primary  — or tax residence — means that you live in Switzerland 30 days per year in a row while working, or 90 consecutive days if not employed. 

If you choose another country as your main base, then you don’t have to do much of anything, from the administrative perspective.

However, in case you pick Switzerland as your main residence, you are required to maintain your Swiss health insurance, be registered in a commune where you live and, of course pay income taxes here.

What if you move away from Switzerland completely but want to come back?

Regardless of whether you leave the country immediately after becoming a citizen, and even if you have been living abroad for many years, you can always, at any time, return to Switzerland.

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