Naturalization in Basel-Stadt After SEM Authorization – Every Step Explained

Basel-Stadt has a unique naturalization process among Swiss cantons. The canton has only three municipalities — Basel, Riehen, and Bettingen — and the municipal citizenship step happens after the SEM grants federal authorization, not before.

The full order is: Migrationsamt (cantonal) → SEM authorization → Bürgergemeinde interview → Regierungsrat decree → Swiss citizenship.

At the municipal level, the Bürgerrat of each municipality's Bürgergemeinde (civic municipality) decides on municipal citizenship. In Basel city, the Einbürgerungskommission first conducts an interview and makes a recommendation to the Bürgerrat. In Riehen and Bettingen, the Bürgerrat handles interviews and decisions directly.

There is no parliamentary vote or Gemeindeversammlung involved — the Bürgerrat decides. After the Bürgergemeinde grants municipal citizenship, the Regierungsrat (cantonal Government Council) issues a formal decree granting cantonal citizenship, making it legally effective.

Once the SEM grants your federal naturalization authorization, the file returns to Basel-Stadt and the most important step begins: the Bürgergemeinde interview.

In Basel city, the Einbürgerungskommission invites you for an interview (which is recorded). They assess your knowledge of Swiss and local conditions — geography, history, politics, and social life at federal, cantonal, and municipal level. Based on the interview, the commission submits one of three recommendations to the Bürgerrat: admission, rejection, or deferral. The Bürgerrat then makes the final municipal decision.

In Riehen and Bettingen, the Bürgerrat conducts the interview and decides directly — there is no separate commission.

After the Bürgergemeinde grants municipal citizenship, the Regierungsrat issues a formal decree granting cantonal citizenship. This makes your naturalization legally effective. You receive a Bürgerbrief (citizenship letter) and are invited to a small celebration by the Bürgergemeinde. You can then apply for your Swiss passport and ID card.

The total naturalization process in Basel-Stadt takes approximately 1.5 to 2 years from application to citizenship — somewhat faster than many other cantons.

• Migrationsamt review (cantonal, including Erhebungsgespräch): 3–6 months
• SEM federal authorization: 4–8 months
• Bürgergemeinde interview + Bürgerrat decision: several weeks to a few months
• Regierungsrat decree: a few weeks

Important: The SEM federal authorization is valid for 3 years. If you don't complete the remaining steps within that period, it expires and you would need to reapply.

The relatively compact canton (only 3 municipalities) and the streamlined Bürgerrat decision process — without a parliamentary vote — contribute to Basel-Stadt's faster processing times compared to cantons with Gemeindeversammlungen or cantonal parliament involvement.

Here's the complete naturalization process in Canton Basel-Stadt, step by step:

1. Check requirements — residency, C permit, language, integration
2. Obtain German language certificate — B1 oral / A2 written (fide test can be taken at Bürgergemeinde Basel)
3. Submit application to the Migrationsamt Basel-Stadt with all documents
4. Erhebungsgespräch — the Migrationsamt conducts a fact-finding interview and prepares an investigation report
5. Migrationsamt forwards file to SEM — for federal review
6. SEM federal authorization — security checks and federal approval
7. Bürgergemeinde interview — in Basel: Einbürgerungskommission interviews you (recorded), recommends to Bürgerrat. In Riehen/Bettingen: Bürgerrat interviews directly
8. Bürgerrat decision — grants or denies municipal citizenship
9. Regierungsrat decree — formal cantonal citizenship decision
10. You are Swiss — receive Bürgerbrief, attend celebration, apply for passport and ID

Note: Steps 7–9 happen after SEM authorization. This is specific to Basel-Stadt — in many other cantons, the municipal decision comes before the SEM step.

Residency:

• 10 years in Switzerland (years between age 8–18 count double, minimum 6 years total)
• At least 3 of those years in the last 5 years before application
• 2 years continuous in your municipality within Basel-Stadt (relatively short)
• Time on L, N, G, S permits does not count; F permit time counts at 50%

Permit: Valid C permit (Niederlassungsbewilligung) required.

Language: German proficiency — B1 oral, A2 written. Accepted proof: native German speaker, 5+ years of Swiss compulsory schooling in German, Swiss Sekundarstufe II / tertiary diploma in German, or certificate from telc, Goethe-Institut, ÖSD, or fide. The fide test can be taken directly at the Bürgergemeinde Basel. Note: course attendance certificates are not accepted.

Integration: Knowledge of Swiss and local conditions tested during the Bürgergemeinde interview — geography, history, politics, social life. No social assistance debts, no outstanding taxes, clean criminal record.

Naturalization costs in Basel-Stadt depend on your municipality and when you apply.

Current fees (applications before July 1, 2026):

• Federal (SEM): CHF 100 per person (CHF 150 for couples)
• Cantonal: CHF 850 (25+), CHF 600 (under 25)
• Municipal (Basel city): CHF 1,700 (25+), CHF 1,000 (under 25)
• Municipal (Riehen): CHF 1,400 (25+), CHF 950 (under 25)
• Municipal (Bettingen): CHF 1,400 (25+)

Total for an adult 25+ in Basel city: approximately CHF 2,650.

New reduced fees (applications from July 1, 2026): The Grosser Rat decided in December 2025 to significantly reduce fees. Cantonal fees are eliminated entirely. Under-25s pay only CHF 100 total. Adults 25+ in Basel city pay approximately CHF 900 total. Social assistance recipients pay only the CHF 100 federal fee.

All fees are non-refundable, even if the application is denied.

Cantonal Naturalization Authority: Migrationsamt, Bevölkerungsdienste und Migration (BDM) Justiz- und Sicherheitsdepartement, Kanton Basel-Stadt Spiegelgasse 12, 4001 Basel Phone: +41 61 267 70 70 Email: einbuergerungen@bs.ch

Bürgergemeinde Basel (city): Stadthausgasse 13, Basel Phone: +41 61 269 96 10

Bürgergemeinde Riehen: Phone: +41 61 641 71 24 Office hours: Mon 14:30–17:00, Thu 08:30–11:00

Your first step is contacting the Migrationsamt — they handle the initial application and guide you through the cantonal phase before forwarding your file to the SEM.