The canton of Fribourg is tightening one of its naturalisation requirements; new Swiss biometric ID card will be issued in 2026; and more news in our Thursday roundup.
Fribourg is tightening a condition for naturalisation
To obtain Swiss citizenship in Fribourg, foreigners will have to be off social assistance benefits for five years, compared to three years previously.
Fribourg will now be the only French-speaking canton to adopt a three-year rule.
Nationally, 16 cantons currently require foreigners to be off social assistance for three-years before applying for citizenship, while six apply a five-year period, and four apply a ten-year period.
READ ALSO: Can I still get Swiss citizenship after claiming social benefits?
The new biometric identity card will be optional
Available by the end of 2026, this new ‘chipped’ card will allow for continued travel within the European Union in the future. It will, however, be optional.
On June 30th, 2025, Switzerland’s federal police (Fedpol) announced plans to develop a biometric identity card. It will be equipped with a chip containing two fingerprints and a facial image, offering even more effective protection against misuse.
For security reasons, EU countries now only issue biometric identity cards. The new version will guarantee that Swiss citizens will be able to continue moving freely within the EU in the future.
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Dual Swiss-French citizens will no longer be able to avoid military service in Switzerland
A decades-old agreement between Bern and Paris gives dual Swiss-French nationals a ‘way out’ of military service in Switzerland.
Until now, the Defence and Citizenship Day in France (La Journée défense et citoyenneté) – a simple information session rather than actual army stint – replaced military service in Switzerland.
However, the parliament wants to close this legal loophole and thus boost recruitment within the Swiss the army.
According to Geneva State Councillor Mauro Poggia, each year more than 700 young dual nationals living in Switzerland skip military service by attending the Defence Day in France.
“This situation constitutes blatant inequality of treatment compared to young Swiss citizens, who are required to complete their military service,” he said.
READ ALSO: Switzerland to crack down on dual-nationals who skip military service
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Thousands of Swiss are imprisoned because they couldn’t pay their fines
Swiss prisons are filled not only with hardened criminals: those who can’t afford to pay their fines for minor offences also end up in jail.
Last year, 9,030 people were imprisoned in Switzerland.
Of these, more than half – 4,985 – were incarcerated because they could not afford to pay a fine.
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