As I can see, it's different from canton to canton and city to city.

I wrote now to Gemeinde and the secretary answered that it takes 1-2 months until I get the Swiss passport (the lady from Einbürgerungen will receive the decision from Bund and she will inform me when she has it).

Congrats and good luck.

Expect an answer from Bund in Dec 2019.

Many thanks Ankurm.

Congrats, Ela, and thank you for listing all those phases you went through. I knew from someone else it is a lengthy process but had no idea it takes that long. I think that, in your case, what was more complicated/difficut it's already done.

Dübendorf is a special city before January 2018 (when they introduced 10 years instead of 12), they asked for 15 years living in Switzerland, in order to get the citizenship
But they told me that it takes almost 2 years to get it, so I was prepared.

Vernier (GE)
Italian Citizen

30 Jan 2019 - Eligible
30 Mar 2019 - Submitted All Documents
15 Apr 2019 - Submitted final civil registry doc from Commune
01 May 2019 - Interview with Canton
5 June 2019 - Interview with Commune
1 Oct 2019 - Commune grants citizenship and sends to Canton for Approval

I am a little upset because the lady in the commune said that mine was going to be approved in June. Apparently she did not do her job and my file was delayed to the communal meeting in October thus delaying my process by around 3 months. Sucks for me as I was told in my interview in GE that I would probably be naturalized end November or December because there are many fewer applicants in Geneva this year.

This is not a bad timeline at all, it's only been 10 months. That's pretty good for regular naturalization. I realize you want things to be done quickly and maybe a mistake was made, but things are moving along and you've passed the biggest hurdle at the commune level.

I got a lot of help from this forum so I'll post my timeline here.
Application in Canton Geneva, a small commune (3000 people)
January: went to OCPM to get the documents
End of January 2019: multiple choice exam at the OCPM
Early February: gave OCPM my application
End of February: received cantonal bill
End of March: cantonal interview
End of May: received letter from commune saying they accepted my application
Mid June: OCPM sent application to Bern
End of June: received 100.- bill from Bern
Mid September: OCPM received federal authorization
End of September: OCPM sent application to Conseil d'Etat
Early October 2019: Conseil d'Etat reviewed my application

Now waiting for the ceremony as it is the last step.

Hope this helps.

Wow, citizenship in under 12 months would almost be a record!

@3Wishes, that is a really good thing to hear. Because of my family situation this has been pretty stressful for the last 10 years and this then comes at a huge relief. By my nature, I won't be satisfied of course until I get a letter from Bern but if you're saying the communal level is the hardest part, then I think I should perhaps open at least a half bottle of Deutz.

Actually, this is how I had my expectations set by my case officer in Geneva. He said that he would fast track my application. The issue really became the commune; had I not moved to Vernier and chosen Ville de Genève, then I could have skipped the communal interview altogether.

He told me during the interview that the Constitution of GE takes all the power away from the communes to make a decision on the fate of an applicant. In fact, if they were to have a problem - and he said last year there were only 2 - that the application would be remanded back to him. At that point, the decision then is totally up to him and not the commune. In other words, these naturalisation committees in geneva are just a way to employ people and have no real purpose or power.

Just thought I'd share that little tidbit.

I do believe there is a trend towards Cantons diminishing the autonomy of the towns in regards to citizenship applications. I read in our local town magazine they were teaming up with other towns to push back on such a move in Zurich.

Well already in Canton Geneva when you apply, you're applying at the cantonal level first and not the commune, like in the most of other cantons. The communes in Geneva are quite limited but not useless.

Dübendorf is a special city, they decide for citizenship (with 2 interviews, the vote after you have passed the interviews and the test done before - about Switzerland and canton Zurich; plus the German certificate or the German test). But I don't find it as a bad thing, so they can sort the people.

I understood that in Zurich city is simple to get the citizenship.

Dietikon (Kanton ZH), so far my timeline is as below:

- Feb2018 : sent my application to Gemeindeamt ZH
- May 2018: Gemeindeamt ZH sent my file to Gemeinde Dietikon
- End of June 2019: Received the invitation for interview at the Gemeinde
- End of July 2019: Had the interview- received the feedback that all is good right after the interview.
- Nov 2019: received the official letter from Gemeinde about the interview result together with an invoice of 1500 CHF and it is stated that my file has been sent to Gemeindeamt ZH.

In total 20 months passed so far, but anyways I hope that it speeds up a bit now.

After a few months had a freindly interview by one guy from State police. A month later I was Swiss

Just an update that I got my letter and bill from SEM. Hopefully they process it quickly before Xmas and all the holidays. Let's see but now I feel like it won't be forever til the end.

You are too optimistic

you have to pay the bill before they start looking at your files and start their process. Might take 3 months - yes that's a realistic timeline, so sometime Jan/Feb 2020

Hello All

On Friday I wrote to Gemeinde Dübendorf and I asked if they have news for me. The lady in charge answered today morning (on Fr she was off) that she received the letter with the confirmation of my citizenship and that I'll receive the same letter from Gemeindeamt Zürich today or tomorrow.

So they were right, after you pay the invoice from Bund, it takes 1-2 months until you receive the citizenship.

I already asked for an appointment at Passbüro in Kt.ZH

I have benefited quite a bit from discussions on this thread and thought of sharing my timeline as a way of giving back.

I am an Indian national living in Commune de Chavannes-pres-Renens, VD. I could include my 18-month old daughter in my application.

Aug 2018 - Submitted all documents to the Canton
Feb 2019 - Heard back from the Canton with a bill for 550 CHF
Feb 2019 - Heard from the Commune with a request for additional documents (no dues from tax office, attestation de poursuites, employment contract and police report (rapport d'enquête)) + bill for 400 CHF
May 2019 - Verified and validated a synopsis of the rapport d'enquête together with the Police Ouest Lausannois
May 2019 - Passed written exam at the Commune
July 2019 - Received an “avis de cloture” from the Commune that said I have completed all formalities and should hear back within 90 days on a final decision
Aug 2019 - Received a letter from the Canton that the direction d’etat civil is processing my file
Aug 2019 - Heard from the commune of the “l'octroi de bourgeoisie” and that it needs to be validated by the canton
Nov 2019 - Still waiting to hear from the canton

Anyone in a similar limbo?