Settled status and citizenship: the long view
Overview
What to keep from year one.
The question you never knew to ask“What should I be keeping and doing from year one if I might naturalise?”
Why it matters
Settled status and naturalisation depend on your permit, nationality, canton and commune.
Does this apply to me?
Your circumstances: Canton Bern, B permit, mixed nationalities, family with children, moving with a partner, arriving soon
Because you might apply for citizenship one day.
When?
Long-term. Check the official page.
What do I need?
Nothing to prepare beyond your own notes.
What do I do next?
- Read the official pages on settlement and naturalisation.
- Keep proof of every address and every move, from year one.
- Check which language certificates are recognised, and at which level.
- Start a folder for the documents they mention.
Official guidance
Read official guidance from the Swiss authorities' joint information site (federal, cantonal and communal):
ch.ch: naturalisationRead official guidance from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM):
SEM: language requirements for permits and naturalisationRead official guidance from the federal language-certification programme, fide:
fide: recognised language certificatesRead official guidance from the Swiss authorities' joint information site (federal, cantonal and communal):
ch.ch: residence permits, application and renewal