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Naturalization in Fribourg: complete guide

Fribourg is the only officially bilingual canton in French-speaking Switzerland, with a French-speaking majority (70%) and a well-established German-speaking community (30%). Naturalization in Fribourg has a few specificities worth knowing.

Naturalization requirements in Fribourg

The canton of Fribourg requires 2 years of cantonal residence and 1 year of municipal residence, in addition to the 10 federal years. A permit C is the general rule.

Fribourg is one of the cantons most rigorous in verifying integration.

The civics exam

The civics exam is compulsory in Fribourg. It covers Swiss and Fribuorgian institutions, history, geography and civic life.

Notably, the exam can be taken in French or German depending on your place of residence.

Procedure and timelines

The application is filed at your municipality. After local review, the file goes to the Population and Migration Service (SPoMi).

Timelines in Fribourg are around the Swiss average: 12 to 18 months.

Costs

Fribourg fees are around the national average:

Municipal: CHF 150–500 Cantonal: CHF 200–400 Federal: CHF 100 (non-EU/EFTA)