[13] The 2014 Total Revision of the Federal Law Concerning the Acquisition and Loss of Swiss Nationality entered into force on 1 January 2018.
[14] The federal nationality law of 2014 imposes two formal conditions which an applicant for naturalisation must satisfy: In addition to the aforementioned formal conditions, the federal nationality law of 2014 also imposes material conditions which an applicant for naturalisation must meet:[20] Cantons can impose further requirements which are complementary to the federal requirements.
Foreigners in the following categories may apply for simplified naturalisation: A person married to a Swiss citizen may apply for Swiss citizenship by facilitated naturalisation after living in Switzerland for five years and having been married for at least three years.
[citation needed] The federal constitution declares that the Confederation will facilitate the naturalisation of third generation immigrants (Art.
Legislation has yet to be introduced describing the precise requirements for an application for facilitated naturalisation under article 38 §3 part a.
This is especially prevalent in Switzerland, since a relatively high proportion of the population holds a foreign passport (up to 54% in Geneva and 20% nationally).
However, the Federal Office for Migration specially notes that this has not resulted in any significant practical problems.
Military service, the most likely problem to arise, is usually done in the country where the applicant resides at the time of conscription.
In particular, during the referendum held in September 2004, Swiss voters rejected proposals[66] to give some long-resident Swiss-born persons aged between 14 and 24 the right to apply for facilitated naturalisation (which bypasses cantonal and municipal requirements) and grant automatic Swiss citizenship to persons born in Switzerland with a parent also born in Switzerland.
Some municipalities had previously had no procedure for allowing naturalisations, effectively rendering it impossible, such as in La Chaux in the Canton of Vaud.
[67] In 1999, the municipality of Emmen and the canton of Lucerne began using referendums to decide the outcome of naturalisation requests.
The QNI considers, in addition, to travel freedom on internal factors such as peace & stability, economic strength, and human development as well.