Hello again,

Some Swiss people I know who will "sponsor" me during my application have all asked the same question: why do you want to get the Swiss citizenship? I would assume they are trying to assess whether my evil intentions are to immigrate into the country and start sucking out at the government's... er... breast. Although I have no such intentions, I do see benefits for me and my family in eventually getting the nationality: possibilities for my kids (who are 5 and 2 today) to study there, maybe health care beyond what is available where I live, who knows. So the thing is, although I will answer truthfully that question ("no, I don't want to move to Switzerland, I only do it because I feel I am connecting with my historical roots"), I also wanted to hear comments and opinions on how others feel about this and what their position is in this regard. So, for those who are planning to apply for naturalization: why do want to do so?

Thanks and best regards.

If you have to apply for Swiss citizenship I assume your Swiss roots are a few generations back so you don't get it automatically? I think you have to live in the country for 10 years if you want the Swiss citizenship. I don't think they will let you do it from outside the country.

Yes, it was my great grandfather who was born in Switzerland and emigrated to Chile. But I am allowed to apply (the embassy has said so) to facilitated naturalization under article 31b of the Nationality Act.

Thanks and regards.

Does this mean you have to give up your Chilean nationality or can you have both? Personally, I would never ever give up my nationality in order to get another one, it just doesn't feel right. My nationality is the only link to the country I grew up in, where my childhood friends live, and where most family members are. I love Switzerland and intend on staying here for a very long time, but I am not Swiss, and will never be. Having the passport won't change that.

From the Swiss end double citizenship is no problem, no idea about Chilean rules.

If you can shoot straight, look the enemy in the eye and promise not to use your Sturmgewehr outside of military controlled areas, of course we want you to bolster our ranks and join the army!

Seriously though, citizenship of Switzerland is useful for many reasons, not just for crossing international frontiers. With working permits, educational grants and alike your kids would be better catered for if they were nationals rather than given "foreigner status" in Switzerland. I picked up Swiss citizenship back in 1980 whenever it was that Swiss mothers were able to pass on their nationality to their kids rather than just the fathers as I believe it was earlier. If you can obtain citizenship I would go for it - what do you have to lose?

There is a lot of misinformation in this regard floating around. At first look, it would seem Chile forbids dual citizenship. However, I was able to find a link to the official law in this regard, at http://www.extranjeria.gob.cl/perdida_nacionalid.html where it says (my translation from Spanish):

Chileans "of origin" (born in Chile) do not loose their Chilean nationality by becoming citizens of a foreign country, unless they renounce to it willingly with the competent authority.

So no, I don't have to renounce to my Chilean citizenship. This is also the practical reality I know; I have many friends who are Chilean and one other nationality (German, Spanish, Italian and Swiss) simultaneously.

Best regards.

I agree, these are all good reasons for wanting to become a national. But I get the feeling, when "real" Swiss ask me why I want to become one, what they really want to know is if I want to take advantage of all of this, and I feel that, at the bottom of their Swiss hearts, they highly disapprove of it.

The reality for me is that, obviously, I am aware of all these benefits; I don't discard 100% that some day, if I had the citizenship, I might want to go and live / retire in Switzerland; I believe my kids would greatly benefit if they wanted to study there. But I don't have specific plans as of now. So, when they ask me whether I want to live in Switzerland, the true and honest answer is "no", which leaves me with pretty naive reasons for wanting the nationality ("because it connects me with my roots"; "because I love the color red"; "because William Tell rules"; etc.). That is the point in me asking what are people's other reasons for wanting to get the citizenship.

Best regards.

Nah, not me. I've already got two nationalities - no need to get greedy.

So if I get it right, you want to find a credible lie to feed to the naturalisation commission instead of the naive reason?

If they ask, don't answer, just play this record for them

Heh. I guess I will just go with the truth, however naive it sounds.

Regards.