Switzerland has a long list of requirements for people wishing to become naturalised — including the right permit (C), the length of residency, language proficiency, and integration, among others. 

And everyone will have to pass some kind of exam (written, oral, or both), though those applying under the fast-track rules will likely have an easier time of it than candidates for ordinary naturalisation.

These tests are created and administered by individual cantons, and usually cover such topics as knowledge of (yes) history, customs, and traditions — mostly local, but questions could pertain to matters of national importance as well.

So how well must you know Swiss and / or your canton’s history?

On a national level, you should be familiar with basic facts.

In the very least, you should know not only that August 1st is National Day, but also why.

READ ALSO: Why does Switzerland celebrate its national day on August 1st? 

You should also be able to answer questions about Switzerland’s political system, including its unique system of direct democracy, neutrality, and how its government works.

The Local is a great resource on all these topics:

• Direct democracy: How do Switzerland’s referendums actually work? 
• EXPLAINED: Why is Switzerland always neutral? 
• Ten things you need to know about the Swiss political system 

All that will certainly come in handy, but it is equally important to be up-to-date about the history (and other general information) of your canton and community.

Local knowledge

Since each canton devises its own naturalisation exams, questions will pertain specifically to its own history.

As an example, in addition to questions related to Swiss history, Geneva’s multiple-answer exam features questions about the city’s Reformation movement; the name of the boat built in 1904 to transport merchandise on Lake Geneva; as well as the role Henri Dunant played in the city’s history.

You can see all the other questions here. 

Other cantons’ exams follow the same vein, including Zurich’s. 

Needless to say, all citizenship exams are in the canton’s official language.

What about knowledge of your local community?

Yes, this is very, very important.

If your application meets the cantonal requirements, it will be forwarded for approval to the competent federal authority, which is the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).

Your application will then make its way back to the canton, which will leave the final decision on whether you can become Swiss up to the authorities in a village or town where you live.

Depending on whether you live in a city or a small community, this means either a municipal committee or a panel composed of local residents, will ultimately decide whether you are worthy of being Swiss.

It is believed the local residents are in a better position to ‘judge’ whether foreigners living in their midst are integrated in community well enough to become Swiss — something that neither the cantonal nor federal authorities can ascertain.

So even if a person meets all the requirements set on cantonal and federal levels, each municipality autonomously decides on the naturalisation applications.

READ ALSO: Why your commune plays such an important role in your bid to become Swiss? 

At this level, committees are most interested in how well integrated you in your local community, and how well you know your town and its surroundings (more about this below).

However, it is possible that you will be asked about local history as well — the main milestones in your town or village’s past.

These questions can go beyond the usual ones about when the community was established and what major events took place there.

In one case, for instance, a candidate was asked about a landslide that happened in the region in 1806 — and answered it correctly. 

So a good advice is to do your homework not only about Switzerland’s history in general, but also about your canton and community’s in particular.

And speaking about local naturalisation committees…

Many a times, these panels have been accused of denying naturalisation to eligible candidates based on purely arbitrary and subjective reasons.

Examples include (but are not limited to) foreigners who walked around town in sweatpants, and a man who mowed his lawn on Sundays and public holidays. 

More such cases are included here:

READ ALSO: The bizarre reasons applicants have been denied Swiss citizenship