Citizenship test Nidwalden: two interviews instead of an exam, German at B2 spoken and B1 written, five years in canton and commune

Canton Nidwalden checks your knowledge not with a questionnaire but in two interviews. First the criminal police, on behalf of the Zivilstandsamt und Bürgerrecht, examines the naturalisation requirements, records them in the enquiry report and invites you to an interview for that purpose; then your commune checks in the naturalisation interview whether you are familiar with Swiss living conditions "in sozialer, kultureller, politischer und staatsbürgerlicher Hinsicht" and have basic knowledge of geography and history. The Gemeinderat, or a naturalisation commission of at least five members elected by it, then assures communal citizenship.

7 Lessons
50 Questions

The hurdles before that are higher than in most cantons: German at B2 in speaking, understanding and reading and B1 in writing, five uninterrupted years in the canton and the commune immediately before the application, ten years without an entry in the criminal register, five years without social assistance and without debt enforcement by public creditors. The fees are set in a cantonal tariff: CHF 1,000 to 1,500 for the canton and CHF 1,400 to 1,600 for the commune per adult applying alone. This page summarises what the act, the ordinance, the fee tariff, the fact sheet of 1 January 2026 and the pages of canton and communes said on 6 September 2026; every figure is linked to its source.

The requirements in Canton Nidwalden at a glance

Residence in Switzerland: 10 years in total, under federal law 3 of them in the 5 years before the application; time between ages 8 and 18 counts double for Switzerland and the canton but not for the commune, and you must have actually been present for 6 years. Stays on a B or C permit and on a DFA legitimation card count in full, on an F permit at half value, on an L or N permit not at all. Registered partners of Swiss citizens: 5 years, 1 of them immediately before the application, and 3 years of partnership.[2][4][12]
Permit: A settlement permit C at filing. If it is lost during the procedure, for example by taking up residence abroad, the application is written off at your cost.[2][4]
Residence in canton and commune: 5 years of uninterrupted residence in the canton and in the commune immediately before filing the application (art. 6 kBüG); the double counting of youth years does not apply to the commune. If you move away, canton and commune stay responsible only if the material requirements have already been fully examined; otherwise a new application is needed at the new place of residence.[4][2]
Knowledge test: No written test but two interviews: the enquiry interview of the criminal police for the enquiry report (public security and order, respect for the Federal Constitution, participation in economic life) and the naturalisation interview of the commune on familiarity with Swiss, cantonal and communal living conditions, manners and customs together with basic knowledge of geography and history. The commune also relies on your CV, employers' information and references (§ 6 kBüV).[3][5][4]
Language: German at least at B2 in speaking, comprehension and reading and B1 in writing (§ 3 kBüV), shown with the certificate of a language institution recognised by the Direktion, at your own cost. Exempt are native speakers of German, anyone with at least 6 years of compulsory school, an apprenticeship or a degree in German, and children included in their parents' application. Without proof, or with insufficient proof, the office does not take up the application.[5][4][2]
Social assistance and work: No economic social assistance and no asylum welfare in the 5 years before the application and during the procedure, claims repaid, no indication of foreseeable need; no benefits for self-inflicted unemployment in the same 5 years; living costs and maintenance obligations covered by income, assets and legal entitlements (§ 5 kBüV). For minors from 16 applying on their own the parents are examined; those in education up to 25 may rely on their parents' maintenance.[5][4][2]
Record, taxes, debt enforcement: No entry in the VOSTRA criminal register under adult criminal law in the 10 years before the application, under juvenile law in the 5 years before, and no pending criminal proceedings; otherwise the office does not take up the application, and proceedings opened during the procedure suspend it. In addition a declaration that you have committed nothing abroad that would lead to an entry in Switzerland. Debt register without open loss certificates and enforcement; in the 5 years before the application no bankruptcy, no loss certificates and no concluded enforcement by public bodies or health insurers; no due taxes.[4][5][2]
Cantonal fee: Under the cantonal fee tariff (tariff 1.1.1 of the ordinance on official costs): CHF 1,000 to 1,500 for an adult applying alone, CHF 800 to 1,300 for a minor applying alone, CHF 1,300 to 1,800 for a married couple, CHF 200 to 400 per minor naturalised together with a parent. If the procedure ends early through refusal or withdrawal, an appropriately reduced fee; canton and communes may demand an advance. As of 6 September 2026.[6][4]
Communal and federal fees: The communal fee is in the same cantonal tariff: CHF 1,400 to 1,600 for an adult applying alone, CHF 1,060 to 1,260 for a minor applying alone, CHF 2,100 to 2,300 for a married couple, CHF 340 to 540 per minor included with a parent. Confederation: CHF 100 per adult, 150 for spouses applying together, 50 for minors applying on their own. Plus the language certificate at your own cost.[6][12][4]
Duration: The canton gives no figure and writes that, depending on the case, "mit einer mehrjährigen Verfahrensdauer" is to be expected, that is, several years. The assurance of communal citizenship is valid for two years until the canton decides and can be extended by the Gemeinderat by one year in justified cases (art. 15 kBüG).[1][4]
Decision: The Zivilstandsamt und Bürgerrecht coordinates the procedure and checks the requirements formally and materially with the cantonal police, the public prosecutor, the juvenile prosecutor and the migration office. The Gemeinderat, or a naturalisation commission of at least five members elected by it with one member from the Gemeinderat, assures communal citizenship; the Justiz- und Sicherheitsdirektion assures cantonal citizenship; the SEM issues the federal authorisation; the Regierungsrat grants cantonal citizenship. When that decision becomes final you acquire communal, cantonal and Swiss citizenship. Appeals under the administrative procedure act only against negative decisions.[4][2][9]
Contact: Zivilstandsamt und Bürgerrecht of the Justiz- und Sicherheitsdirektion, Marktgasse 3, PO Box 1244, 6371 Stans, phone 041 618 44 82, buergerrecht@nw.ch; application papers are available in person at the counter or by phone, and the office compiles the list of attachments individually. The interviews are held by the criminal police and by your commune's naturalisation authority, in Stans the Einbürgerungskommission at Stansstaderstrasse 18.[1][2][9]

Facts checked on 6 September 2026.

How the naturalisation interviews work in Canton Nidwalden

The basis is article 7 of the cantonal citizenship act in the version in force since 1 January 2026: foreign applicants receive the assurance if they meet the federal requirements and are successfully integrated, in particular by being "mit den schweizerischen, kantonalen und kommunalen Lebensverhältnissen, Sitten und Gebräuchen vertraut", respecting public security and order and being able to express themselves "im Alltag in Wort und Schrift in deutscher Sprache". How this is checked, the fact sheet on the enquiry and naturalisation interview describes as a two-stage procedure. First stage: the Nidwalden criminal police examines the requirements, invites you to an interview and records the result in the enquiry report under article 17 of the federal citizenship ordinance; the focus is on public security and order, respect for the Federal Constitution and participation in economic life. Second stage: the commune checks integration "insbesondere aufgrund eines persönlichen Gesprächs, des Lebenslaufs, der Auskunft aktueller oder früherer Arbeitgeberinnen oder Arbeitgeber und weiterer Referenzauskünfte", for example from teachers (§ 6 kBüV), and establishes whether you are familiar with Swiss living conditions in social, cultural, political and civic terms and have basic knowledge of geography and history.

Nidwalden publishes no question catalogue, but the fact sheet says what to prepare with: the federal brochure "Der Bund kurz erklärt" and the "CH info" app, the questionnaire "Kenntnisse der Schweiz – 100 Fragen und Antworten" of Canton Lucerne with model answers, the canton's portrait on nw.ch, the City of Zurich's brochure on the naturalisation interview and ch.ch. It warns at the same time that these sources do not necessarily cover "die kantons- und gemeindespezifischen Eigenheiten zu Politik, Gesellschaft/Kultur, Geografie und Geschichte" and that you must inform yourself about them on your own, for example with the "Kleine Staatskunde" handed to you. Who hears you is for the commune to arrange: the act leaves the assurance to the Gemeinderat, which may delegate it to a naturalisation commission of at least five members, one of them from the Gemeinderat. In Stans the Einbürgerungskommission at Stansstaderstrasse 18 establishes for the Gemeinderat whether the legal requirements are met; in Hergiswil the naturalisation applications were still put to the vote at the spring communal assembly of 21 May 2024.

Before both interviews comes a preliminary check that is stricter than in most cantons. The Zivilstandsamt und Bürgerrecht does not take up an application at all if the VOSTRA criminal register shows judgments, subsequent decisions or pending proceedings under adult criminal law in the ten years before filing (five years under juvenile law), if the formal requirements are missing, or if the language proof is missing or insufficient. Required are B2 in speaking, comprehension and reading and B1 in writing, shown with the certificate of a recognised language institution at your own cost; you are exempt as a native speaker of German, after six years of compulsory school, an apprenticeship or a degree in German, and so are included children. Illiterate applicants complete a literacy course and give oral proof. Add the five-year rule on social assistance, bankruptcies, loss certificates and debt enforcement by public bodies and health insurers. If criminal proceedings are opened during the procedure, naturalisation is suspended; if they end with an entry, it is excluded.

Our 50 questions on Canton Nidwalden cover the cantonal part of what the communes want to hear: Unterwalden as a founding member of 1291 and the separation from Obwalden in the Act of Mediation of 1803, Morgarten in 1315 and Sempach in 1386 with Winkelried, the Sonderbund of 1847, the abolition of the Landsgemeinde in 1996 and the move to the ballot box, the Landrat with 60 and the Regierungsrat with 7 members, the capital Stans, the eleven communes on 276 square kilometres, Lake Lucerne, the Stanserhorn and Pilatus as aircraft maker. Add the lessons on Swiss politics, history and geography for the federal part and read "Der Bund kurz erklärt", as the fact sheet recommends.

Ordinary naturalisation in Canton Nidwalden in seven steps

The canton's fact sheet draws the path: application to the Zivilstandsamt und Bürgerrecht, formal and material examination with the cantonal police, the public prosecutor, the juvenile prosecutor and the migration office, naturalisation interview and assurance by the commune, assurance by the Justiz- und Sicherheitsdirektion, federal authorisation, decision of the Regierungsrat.

1
Requirements and language certificate
Check the periods: 10 years in Switzerland, the last 5 of them uninterrupted in the canton and in the same commune, plus the C permit. If German is not your mother tongue and you have completed neither 6 years of compulsory school nor an apprenticeship or degree in German, you need the certificate of a language institution recognised by the Justiz- und Sicherheitsdirektion for B2 in speaking, comprehension and reading and B1 in writing, at your own cost. Also check that criminal register, debt register, taxes and social assistance of the last 5 or 10 years meet the rules, because otherwise the office does not take up the application.
2
Application to the Zivilstandsamt und Bürgerrecht
You get the papers at the counter at Marktgasse 3 in Stans or by phone on 041 618 44 82; the office compiles the list of attachments according to your situation. Always required under § 1 kBüV are the settlement permit, the civil-status documents for you and the included children, the residence certificate, the debt-enforcement office's certificate on seizures, loss certificates and enforcement in the last 5 years, the CV and the language proof, plus the declaration on offences abroad. You file the official form complete, dated and signed; canton and commune may demand an advance on costs.
3
Formal and material examination by the office
The Zivilstandsamt und Bürgerrecht examines the application formally and materially, drawing on the cantonal police, the public prosecutor, the juvenile prosecutor and the migration office. Incomplete or invalidly signed applications go back for correction; if formal requirements are missing, if there are criminal-record entries or pending proceedings, or if the language proof is missing, a decision not to take up the case follows. The criminal police draws up the enquiry report under art. 17 BüV and invites you to the enquiry interview for that purpose.
4
Naturalisation interview and assurance by the commune
Your commune invites you to the naturalisation interview and checks integration on the basis of the interview, your CV, information from employers and further references: familiarity with Swiss, cantonal and communal living conditions, manners and customs as well as basic knowledge of geography and history. The Gemeinderat or the naturalisation commission elected by it assures communal citizenship or refuses it; the assurance is valid for two years and can be extended by one. Decisions must be sent to the office within 20 days. The communal fee follows the cantonal tariff, CHF 1,400 to 1,600 for an adult applying alone.
5
Assurance of cantonal citizenship
Once the commune's assurance is in, the Justiz- und Sicherheitsdirektion decides on the assurance of cantonal citizenship (art. 13 kBüG). The cantonal fee is CHF 1,000 to 1,500 for an adult applying alone, CHF 1,300 to 1,800 for a married couple, CHF 200 to 400 for a child naturalised with a parent. Throughout the procedure you report to the office without delay any change of civil or family status, name or address as well as debt enforcement, social assistance or criminal proceedings.
6
Federal naturalisation authorisation
With both assurances the application goes to the State Secretariat for Migration, which checks the federal requirements and issues the federal naturalisation authorisation or rejects the application. The federal fee is CHF 100 per adult, 150 for spouses applying together and 50 for minors applying on their own. Children born during the procedure are included and the authorisations adjusted.
7
Decision of the Regierungsrat
As soon as the federal authorisation is in, the Regierungsrat grants cantonal citizenship. When its decision becomes final you acquire the citizenship of the commune, the canton and Switzerland at the same time; separately is not possible (art. 10 and 11 kBüG). The office notifies the change to the civil registry. Appeals under the administrative procedure act are open against negative decisions, not against positive ones. The canton reckons, depending on the case, with a procedure lasting several years.

Four sample questions from our Nidwalden lessons

This is what the practice questions in our lessons look like. The correct answer is marked and the explanation gives the background.

What are the key geographic statistics of Canton Nidwalden?

500 square kilometers, 100,000 residents, 20 municipalities
276 square kilometers, 45,000 residents, 11 municipalitiesCorrect answer
400 square kilometers, 80,000 residents, 15 municipalities
150 square kilometers, 25,000 residents, 5 municipalities

Nidwalden is one of Switzerland's smallest cantons at 276 square kilometres, with around 45,200 residents (canton portrait, nw.ch) across 11 political municipalities. The land rises from the surface of Lake Lucerne at 434 m to the Rotstöckli at 2,901 m, so lakeshore, valley and high Alpine terrain are packed into a very small area. Its neighbours are Lucerne, Obwalden, Uri, Schwyz and Bern.

In what year did Nidwalden abolish its Landsgemeinde (open-air assembly)?

1848
1798
1971
1996Correct answer

Nidwalden abolished its Landsgemeinde in 1996, becoming one of the last Swiss cantons to end this direct democracy institution. The last assembly met on 28 April 1996, and on 1 December 1996 citizens voted at the ballot box, by about 70 percent, to replace voting by show of hands with secret ballots in a modern parliamentary system. Appenzell Ausserrhoden followed in 1997 and Obwalden in 1998.

What is the structure of Nidwalden's modern government?

Single body serving as both legislature and executive
60-member Landrat (parliament) and 7-member Regierungsrat (executive council)Correct answer
30-member parliament and 5-member executive council
100-member parliament and 10-member executive council

Today, Nidwalden is governed by a unicameral Landrat (parliament) of 60 members elected every four years, and a Regierungsrat (executive council) of 7 members. The Landrat is elected by proportional representation — since 2014 by the double-proportional 'Pukelsheim' method — while the Regierungsrat is elected by majority vote. The system replaced the Landsgemeinde in 1996 while maintaining democratic principles.

How does Nidwalden's half-canton status affect its representation in the Council of States?

Nidwalden sends one representative with full voting rights in the Council of StatesCorrect answer
Nidwalden has no representation in the Council of States due to its small size
Nidwalden shares a single representative with Obwalden and they alternate voting
Nidwalden sends two representatives but each has only half a vote

As a half-canton, Nidwalden sends one representative to the Council of States (Switzerland's upper house) with full voting rights—not a half-vote as the term 'half-canton' might suggest. This ensures that small cantons like Nidwalden maintain their voice in federal decisions and aren't overwhelmed by larger cantons like Zürich or Bern.

Lessons

Frequently asked questions about the citizenship test in Canton Nidwalden

Is there a citizenship test in Canton Nidwalden?

No written test. The criminal police checks the requirements for the enquiry report in an interview, and your commune checks in the naturalisation interview whether you are familiar with Swiss, cantonal and communal living conditions and have basic knowledge of geography and history. The canton publishes no question catalogue, but a fact sheet with preparation sources.

How do I prepare for the interview?

The canton's fact sheet recommends "Der Bund kurz erklärt" and the "CH info" app, Lucerne's questionnaire "Kenntnisse der Schweiz – 100 Fragen und Antworten", the canton's portrait on nw.ch, Zurich's brochure on the naturalisation interview and ch.ch, and warns that you must read up on the Nidwalden and communal particularities yourself, for example in the "Kleine Staatskunde" handed to you. Our questions on the canton cover history, institutions and geography.

Which level of German do I need?

B2 in speaking, comprehension and reading and B1 in writing, with the certificate of a recognised language institution at your own cost; that is more than the federal B1/A2. Exempt are native speakers, anyone who completed 6 years of compulsory school, an apprenticeship or a degree in German, and included children. Without valid proof the office does not take up the application.

How long must I live in Nidwalden?

10 years in Switzerland under federal law and 5 uninterrupted years in the canton and in the same commune immediately before the application; for the commune the youth years do not count double. A move before the material examination is complete removes the responsibility, and you then have to file anew at the new place of residence.

How much does naturalisation cost in Nidwalden?

Under the cantonal tariff, per adult applying alone CHF 1,400 to 1,600 for the commune and CHF 1,000 to 1,500 for the canton, for a married couple CHF 2,100 to 2,300 and 1,300 to 1,800, per child included with a parent CHF 340 to 540 and 200 to 400. Confederation: CHF 100, 150 for married couples, 50 for minors. On refusal or withdrawal the fee is appropriately reduced. Plus the language certificate. As of 6 September 2026.

How long does naturalisation take in Nidwalden?

The canton gives no figure and speaks of a procedure lasting several years depending on the case. The commune's assurance is valid for two years until the cantonal decision and can be extended by one year. Criminal proceedings suspend the naturalisation procedure until they are finally concluded.

Who decides on my application?

The Gemeinderat or its naturalisation commission of at least five members on the assurance of communal citizenship, the Justiz- und Sicherheitsdirektion on the assurance of cantonal citizenship, the SEM on the federal authorisation and the Regierungsrat on granting cantonal citizenship, with which you acquire all three citizenships at once. Appeal is possible only against negative decisions.

What about children and couples?

Minor children are as a rule included if they live with you and are exempt from the language proof; every included person must meet the requirements for their age, otherwise they are separated out and the others continue. From 16, minors may apply on their own, in which case finances and obligations are examined with the parents; up to 25 in education the parents' maintenance counts. Married couples pay the commune CHF 2,100 to 2,300 and the canton 1,300 to 1,800, the Confederation 150.

Sources

Start Canton Quiz View all cantons

Also as a book

The Nidwalden Handbook 2026

The full federal course plus Nidwalden in depth — lessons, canton-specific questions and key procedural facts. PDF + EPUB, CHF 19.90.

View the Nidwalden edition →

Deep dive

The citizenship test in Nidwalden, in detail

Procedure, topics and preparation for Nidwalden: our full guide goes beyond this overview.

Read the Nidwalden guide →

Neighboring cantons

View federal chapters

Your interview is closer than you think.

Start today. One payment. Pass the first time.

See pricing