Absolutely crazy! Did you forget a 1000CHF note in your application envelope??

Congrats!

Congrats!! Golden letters have been a bit thin on the ground so far this year.

P.S. Totally totally jealous.

Update from my side.

Feb 2020: Submitted application
May 2020: Letter from Kanton that documents forwarded to Gemeinde
Sep 2020: Received invitation for interview
Oct 2020: Interview
Nov 2020: Approval and invoice from Gemeinde
Dec 2020: Letter from Kanton that documents received back from Gemeinde
Feb 2021: Approval from Kanton Zürich and stating Kanton and SEM bills to follow
Feb 2021: Invoice from Kanton Zürich (1 week after approval letter)
Mar 2021: SEM Bill (2 weeks after approval letter)
End April 2021 : Letter from Kanton stating they received approval from SEM and may take 4 months for them to process
Mid June 2021: Received the Golden Letter and we are officially Swiss now

Many thanks all for you very helpful posts in this forum.
And wishing everyone who are in this process all the very best.

Congrats to you and catdog, you can be very proud.



It does make me wonder though what and how the checks are made at the SEM that can lead to such extreme duration differences for this last hurdle.

Congratulations! Not a bad timeline at all.

I'm starting to think it's not a hourglass but a dartboard.

Maybe, but I am also seeing a correlation between single applications (quick) and those with kids (slower). My 3yo could end up a sociopath, so there is some merit to their caution

My teenage daughter wasn't stopped, so this doesn't seem to bother them

My teenage kids (11 and 14 yo) are now eligible in terms of years spent in CH to apply for a passport. Can they do so without parents? Is the process longer or quicker for kids alone?

In principle minors can do it without parents, but the exact requirements depend on the canton. You need to look at your cantonal information.
For example, in BS minors can apply without parents from the age of 12 if they fulfill other requirements.
As to whether it is faster, I really don't know. My daughter (13) is in the middle of this process and so far is no faster than the expected times for adults/families.

Yes, we did this with our older child, the only real difference is that you pay more than getting the family package.

To me everything SEM-related is still a black hole.
I got the cantonal pre-approval almost 1 month ago, with the mention that my file is to be passed onto SEM, and it may take 4-7 months to get their answer.
To date I haven't even received the SEM bill.
After a slight rise in hopes along the cantonal pre-approval, I am now back in disappointment mode and look gloomy into getting the Golden letter next year only ��

It took me about 2.5 months from the pre-approval until the SEM bill, which I got 5 months ago. It's a marathon, not a sprint ...

Yes, I also feel that applications with kids take longer. Just anecdotal. The timing is probably more due to the case handler - some are more efficient than others ;-)

Does anyone know if after the ‘Golden Letter’ , do the authorities(Kanton Zurich) send a separate ‘einbürgerungsurkunde’ ( naturalization certificate) by post?
Or is the golden letter the final communication in this process ?
Many thanks!

Yes, we received Einbürgerungsurkunde from our Gemeinde, 1-2 weeks after the golden letter. That would also be a good time to apply for your passport as by that time all relevant authorities have been informed of your citizenship.

AFAIK, our Gemeinde also hosts a "Fest" to welcome new citizens... but maybe it could be cancelled due to Covid.

How did you get to know about that welcome Fest? Was it communicated at the Golden letter or otherwise?

Nothing in the golden letter... just word of mouth from those who got their citizenship before covid.

I was naturalized 2 years back but yet to receive my ‘einbürgerungsurkunde’.
Reason - it's normally handed over in the Communal Ceremony which was cancelled/postponed due to Covid.
Has it stopped me from receiving Passport or Voting on stuff - No.
As I understand ‘einbürgerungsurkunde’ is just a souvenir document.

I think you get the certificate and then once you hand in your worthless permit, you get a Meldebestätigung. You then use this to cover your car paper and driving licence to have your Heimatort listed and are proper Bünzli then

I received my Meldebestätigung yesterday, and einbürgerungsurkunde arrived today.