hello all, i'm new here and have been going through your site for the past month, i'v found it very helpfull. i come from somalia and i'v been living and working in switzerland for 12 years, i have the C permit and i want to apply for the swiss pass, my questions are, how much does it cost and what kind of questions will they ask me in the interview, and how should i prepare for this interview, what kinds of books should i read, and basically which kind of information should i be upto date with when it comes to this interview, and thanks to you guys for such a help site in english.

factor to pay about what you pay for one year of tax and for the process to take two years.

you should know about Swiss history, geography and current affairs

thanks lob rockstor, and if anyone has some helpfull pointers pls do post them

I am afraid that is not quite so. Per the new federal Ordinance pertaining to naturalisations (nov. 2005, effective as of Jan 1 06) the fees have vastly been brought down. Definitely not one year of tax.

The federal naturalisation authorisation will be invoiced 100CHF. The feds will further perceive on behalf of your canton a sum not exceeding 300 francs for their "investigative work" - mostly certifying your domiciliation periods and addresses.

THe part about history, geography and current affairs might vary - in Geneva they aren't really bothered.

However, each canton will have minimum domiciliation prescription - i.e. a minimum number of years that you have to live in the canton before being allowed to apply for naturalisation. This varies from a minimum of one to quite a few years.

thanks guys for the replies, i'm a bit worried about the interview, i do speak german and know swiss history and geography and follow up on current affairs but i'm still worried about this interview/test they will take, i wish there was some concrete way i could prepare for it.

I am a total novice on this so perhaps I should stay out of it. However, in the UK and the US if you want important naturalization information, you go to a lawyer who is expert on the matter. This may help you. You can pay for say an hour or two of their time and they cut out all the false advice you can get when asking around.

And, as a thought, do you have to go through all of that incredible preparation if you are an EU citizen?

From reading a few of the posts here, it appears moving to Ch is not truly as welcoming as I had originally hoped for. Am I correct in this perception?

getting a lawyer seems to be a good idea, but i was hopping to meeting people who went through the this process to get some pointers from them

For a different perspective on this, I thought I'd mention that I know of many expats who naturalised in the UK with absolutely no assistance from an attorney. And in the US I grew up around a free community-based program that taught English as a second language, as well as citizenship classes (to prepare the students for the test they would take), and none of the students ever needed to consult an attorney in order to apply for naturalisation. I just thought I'd chime in on that because I'd hate someone to think that (in the UK or the US) an attorney was essential or necessary to the naturalisation process. Usually it's just a matter of knowing what form to fill out, where to take the appropriate tests, and waiting the process out.

-->>> off now to figure out my own status/eligibility for CH naturalisation

my friend paid twice
1. 6xx
2. 8xx
Ticino, Lugano

then she got her passport in 7 months

well done in bringing this six-month old thread up. I would assume your friend did the facilitated process rather than chalking up the years and doing the tests. It's not a question by the way.