Naturalization in Vaud After SEM Authorization – Every Step

If you are going through ordinary naturalisation in Canton Vaud, here is the sequence the canton follows, as laid down in the Loi sur le droit de cité vaudois (LDCV) of 19 December 2017.

The order in Vaud is: Canton (SPOP) → Commune → Canton (Conseil d'Etat) → Confederation (SEM) → Solemn promise → Decision of the Conseil d'Etat.

A distinctive feature of Vaud is that the application is sent by post to the SPOP (Service de la population), the cantonal authority, not to the commune. The SPOP checks the formal conditions, opens the investigation report and passes the file to your commune, which runs the knowledge test and assesses your integration.

After the commune has given its positive opinion and the Conseil d'Etat (the cantonal government) has issued its own, the file goes to the SEM for the federal authorisation.

Once the SEM has granted it, the canton summons you to the prestation de serment, the solemn promise before the Conseil d'Etat or a delegation. It is a condition of the final decision: once you have made it, the Conseil d'Etat's naturalisation decision is notified to you, and that decision brings the acquisition of the bourgeoisie (communal citizenship), the cantonal droit de cité and Swiss nationality at the same time.

Good to know: at CHF 450 of cantonal fee for an adult, Vaud sits well below Geneva, where the canton charges CHF 1,250 for an adult over 25.

Once the SEM has granted the federal authorisation, the procedure in Canton Vaud enters its final phase. Here is what happens, following articles 36 to 40 of the LDCV:

Step 1: The SEM sends the authorisation to the canton Receipt of the federal authorisation by the SPOP opens the final phase. At this point commune, canton and Confederation have all approved your naturalisation.

Step 2: Final checks The SPOP consults the VOSTRA criminal register again and, where relevant, checks that you still meet the condition of participation in economic life or training. If something has changed, you get 30 days to respond before the Conseil d'Etat decides.

Step 3: Summons to the solemn promise The SPOP then summons you to the prestation de serment before the Conseil d'Etat or a delegation of it. You make this promise: «You promise to be faithful to the Federal Constitution and to the Constitution of the Canton of Vaud. You promise to uphold and defend at all times and with all your power the rights, liberties and independence of your new homeland, to procure and advance its honour and benefit, and to avoid anything that could cause it loss or damage.» Children under twelve and people with good cause are exempt.

Step 4: Decision and acquisition of citizenship Once every condition is met, the SPOP notifies you of the Conseil d'Etat's naturalisation decision. That decision brings the acquisition of Swiss nationality, the cantonal droit de cité and the bourgeoisie of your commune. The civil register, the commune and the federal statistics office are informed.

Critical deadline: you must make the solemn promise within 6 months of receiving the summons. If you do not, your application counts as withdrawn.

The canton publishes no overall duration for naturalisation in Vaud, so any total you read is an estimate. What the law does fix are deadlines for the cantonal and communal phases:

SPOP preliminary check The SPOP checks the formal conditions, opens the investigation report and verifies the criminal register, social assistance, language and identity. If a formal condition is missing you have 30 days to respond before a decision not to consider the file.

Communal phase: 12 months for the closing notice The commune must inform you within ten days of receiving the file, hold the knowledge test within six months (summoning you at least three months ahead) and issue its closing notice (avis de clôture) within 12 months. Its decision follows within three months of that notice.

18 months from filing to the communal decision Article 21 LDCV caps the whole path from filing to the communal decision at 18 months, unless a major obstacle attributable to you delays it.

Cantonal opinion and federal phase The Conseil d'Etat issues its opinion and forwards the file to the SEM. Neither Vaud law nor the federal Citizenship Act sets a deadline for the SEM's federal authorisation; count on several months.

Final phase: the promise within 6 months After the authorisation the SPOP runs its final checks and summons you to the solemn promise, which you must make within 6 months of the summons.

Key deadlines to remember: 12 months for the commune's closing notice, 18 months at most from filing to the communal decision, 6 months to make the solemn promise after the summons. Realistically the whole path takes well over 18 months.

For context, here is the complete naturalization process from start to finish:

1. Application to the SPOP – You download the naturalization form from the canton's website, complete and sign it, and send it to the SPOP (Service de la population) – Secteur des naturalisations with the required documents. Unlike most cantons, the application goes to the cantonal authority, not the municipality.

1. SPOP initial review – The SPOP verifies whether the formal and material naturalization conditions are met and prepares an opinion included in the investigation report.

1. Transmission to the municipality – The SPOP transmits the dossier to your municipality for examination.

1. Municipal investigation – The municipality conducts its own assessment of your integration. This may include a hearing conducted by a naturalization commission appointed by the municipality. The municipality has 12 months to complete this phase.

1. Knowledge test – You take the cantonal knowledge test: a written test with 48 multiple-choice questions covering four themes – history, geography, political institutions, and society – at Swiss, cantonal, and local levels.

1. Municipal opinion – The municipality completes part 2 of the investigation report and sends the complete report with all annexes to the SPOP.

1. Cantonal decision – The Conseil d'État (cantonal executive government) reviews the file. If all conditions are met, it provides a positive opinion for granting cantonal citizenship.

1. Forwarding to SEM – The file is transmitted to the SEM for federal authorization. Neither Vaud law nor the federal Citizenship Act sets a deadline for this review.

1. SEM review and federal authorization – The SEM verifies federal requirements, conducts security checks, and grants the federal naturalization authorization.

1. Oath ceremony – You are convoked to the prestation de serment before the Conseil d'État or its delegation. By taking the oath, you acquire the bourgeoisie, cantonal citizenship, and Swiss nationality simultaneously.

1. Passport and ID – You can now apply for a Swiss passport and identity card.

Canton Vaud has the following requirements for ordinary naturalization:

• Cantonal residency: At least 2 years of residence in Canton Vaud, including the year immediately preceding the application

• Continuous presence: You must reside effectively in Switzerland during the entire procedure and in Canton Vaud until the end of the municipal phase

• Permit: A valid C permit (permis d'établissement) is required

• Language: French at B1 level for speaking and listening, A2 for reading and writing. Proof through a fide language passport or equivalent certification

• Knowledge test: A written test with 48 multiple-choice questions covering four themes: history, geography, political institutions, and society – at Swiss, cantonal, and local levels. The complete list of possible questions is published on the canton's website for preparation

• Social assistance: You must not have received any social assistance in the last 3 years preceding the application

• Criminal record: No unfavorable police records or criminal registry entries

• Integration: You must be well-integrated into Swiss society and familiar with Swiss living conditions

• Oath ceremony: The prestation de serment before the Conseil d'État is mandatory. You must attend within 6 months of convocation, or the application is considered withdrawn

• Constitutional values: Respect for the federal and cantonal constitutional values

Here is what naturalisation costs in Canton Vaud, according to the cantonal regulation (RLDCV, article 32), the SPOP's information page and the City of Lausanne.

• Federal fee (SEM): CHF 100 per adult, CHF 50 per minor, CHF 150 for couples or families
• Cantonal fee (SPOP): CHF 450 for an individual application, CHF 550 for a family application; CHF 200 if the SPOP decides not to consider the file
• Communal fee: CHF 100 to 400 for an individual, CHF 200 to 500 for a family, set by each commune within that range; Lausanne charges CHF 250 and lists a further CHF 75 for the civil-status identity check
• Language proof: the fide exam or dossier is paid separately if you have no accepted certificate
• Documents: residence certificates, translations and extracts vary

A single adult therefore pays between CHF 650 and 950 in official fees; in Lausanne the total is CHF 875. A married couple pays between CHF 900 and 1,200. The fee remains due if you withdraw the application or if it is refused (article 66 LDCV).

Good to know: the whole procedure runs in French, and the commune may charge only within the range the cantonal regulation allows.

For questions about the naturalisation procedure in Canton Vaud, contact the cantonal authority directly:

• Service de la population (SPOP), Division communes et nationalité, Secteur des naturalisations, Centre de numérisation, Case postale, 1014 Lausanne
• Phone: 021 316 45 91
• Website and contact form: www.vd.ch/naturalisation

For the communal phase in Lausanne, the Bureau communal des naturalisations:

• Address: Place de la Riponne 10, 1st floor, 1001 Lausanne
• Phone: +41 21 315 22 31
• Email: naturalisations@lausanne.ch
• Hours: Tuesday and Friday, 10:00 to 12:00

For the federal requirements, see the SEM (State Secretariat for Migration) at www.sem.admin.ch, and for the official question bank, the canton's A-Vaud-Test platform.

If you want to start preparing for the knowledge test, our app covers the topics you will need, Swiss and Vaud politics, history, geography and society, with practice questions in French.