Print page

Relief of Swiss citizenship

At their request, any Swiss citizen may be relieved of their Swiss citizenship (Article 37 of the Swiss Citizenship Act, SCA)

  • if they reside abroad and

  • if they hold or have been assured of another citizenship. 

Relief of Swiss citizenship is granted by the authority in the canton of origin. 

A Swiss citizen who holds citizenship of several cantons may submit their application in the canton of origin of their choice.

Relief of citizenship is granted by the authority in the canton of origin. Notification of relief of citizenship results in the loss of Swiss citizenship and cantonal and communal citizenship rights.

Minor children included in the relief of citizenship

Relief of citizenship also includes minor children if

  • they are under the parental care of the applicants;

  • they reside abroad;

  • they hold or have been assured of another citizenship;

  • they give their written consent after reaching the age of 16 years.

  1. The applicant submits a written application of relief of Swiss citizenship with the necessary documents to the competent Swiss representation in the country of residence abroad;

  2. the representation sends, via the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), the application for relief of citizenship to the competent cantonal authority of the place of origin;

  3. the canton of origin reviews the application and issues, if approved, a certificate of relief of citizenship;

  4. the SEM notifies the applicant of the decision or the certificate of relief of citizenship via the Swiss representation abroad.

  • a written application, stating reasons for applying, to the cantonal authority responsible for the place of origin;
  • proof of residence abroad;
  • original existing Swiss identity documents (passport and ID card);
  • a copy of the foreign passport and/or an official certificate assuring a foreign nationality;
  • if available, copy of the Swiss civil status certificate or, in the case of a married couple, copy of the Swiss family certificate.

The competent cantonal authority may request additional documents.

If necessary, Swiss civil status documents (e.g. Swiss family certificate) can be ordered from the competent civil status authority in Switzerland. You will find the addresses of the competent civil registry authorities on the website of the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ): www.bj.admin.ch > Gesellschaft > Zivilstandswesen > Zuständigkeiten und Behörden / www.ofj.admin.ch > Société > Etat civil > Compétences et autorités / www.ufg.admin.ch > Società > Stato civile > Competenze e autorità.

You can also order Swiss civil status documents via your local representation. Costs must be paid in advance.

The duration of the procedure depends on the canton of origin. If you need further information, please contact the cantonal authorities directly. 

The competent Swiss representation must be notified of any change of address during this period.

The cantons may charge a fee to cover the costs of examining an application for relief of citizenship. The amount of the fee may vary from one canton to another. If you need further information, please contact the cantonal authorities directly. 

In principle, the SEM and the Swiss representation abroad do not charge a fee for an application for relief of citizenship.

Links

SEM: How do I become a Swiss citizen

SEM: Swiss citizenship manual (de, fr, it)

Swiss Citizenship Act (SCA; CC 141.0)

Ordinance on Swiss Citizenship (SCO; CC 141.01) (de, fr, it)

List of civil registry offices and supervisory authorities in Switzerland (de, fr, it)

Canton of Aargau (de)

Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden (de)

Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (de)

Canton of Bern (de, fr)

Canton of Basel Landschaft (de)

Canton of Basel Stadt (de)

Canton of Fribourg (fr, de)

Canton of Geneva (fr)

Canton of Glarus (de)

Canton of Graubünden (de, it, rm)

Canton of Jura (fr)

Canton of Lucerne (de)

Canton of Neuchâtel (fr)

Canton of Nidwalden (de)

Canton of Obwalden (de)

Canton of Schaffhausen (de)

Canton of Solothurn (de)

Canton of St Gallen (de)

Canton of Schwyz (de)

Canton of Ticino (it)

Canton of Thurgau (de)

Canton of Uri (de)

Canton of Vaud (fr)

Canton of Valais (fr, de)

Canton of Zug (de)

Canton of Zurich (de)

Start of page
Last update 24.08.2023