The Valais parliament granted Swiss citizenship to 423 foreign nationals on May 6th. Why and who are they all?
The newly minted Swiss citizens of Valais hail from 39 countries.
More than a quarter (27 percent / 114 individuals) were French — the largest national group among those naturalised.
Other European Union nationals — Portuguese (79), Italians (41), and Germans (39) — rounded up the top four.
The fifth in terms of the number of naturalisations, were UK citizens — 17 Brits became Swiss — the biggest group among the non-EU candidates.
People from North Macedonia (14), Kosovo (13), and Serbia (11) represented the highest number of non-EU nationals who obtained their Swiss citizenship on May 6th.
An interesting thing about naturalisations in Valais is that they are done in two batches each year: one in May and one in October, with no citizenships granted in between.
What are the conditions for becoming Swiss in the canton?
As everywhere else in Switzerland, candidates must have a C permit and live in Switzerland for at least 10 years
They must also reside in Valais for at least five years and in their current municipality for one year.
Additionally — also in line with other cantons — they must have at least a B1 oral and A2 written proficiency in the national language of the canton, which is predominantly French, with German spoken in some regions.
These levels mean the ability to communicate effectively in everyday situations and understand basic written materials.
They must also be sufficiently integrated, which involves, among other requirements, being involved in, and familiar with, their community’s affairs.
READ ALSO: When do the Swiss think a foreigner is successfully integrated?
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Why Valais?
While it may not be as ‘international’ as Geneva, Zurich or Vaud in terms of immigration, 25 percent of Valais’ population consists of foreign population, which corresponds roughly to the national average.
That’s because this canton, like other regions of Switzerland, needs labour, particularly in the agricultural as well as hotel and tourism sectors, which attract foreign workers.
But not only.
Some big companies are headquartered in Valais as well — such as a large pharmaceutical firm Lonza, as well as Syngenta, a global agricultural technology company.
And more businesses and moving to the canton as well.
Recent figures from CRIF credit risk management company, show that in 2024, 88 companies relocated to Valais — the highest number among the cantons.
This means that as more jobs are being created in the canton, more people from abroad will move there.
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Still behind other cantons
But even though many regions in Switzerland are experiencing immigration-fuelled population growth, it is comparably less pronounced in Valais than in cantons like Zurich, Zug or Geneva.
One of the reasons are high wages that foreign workers can earn there.
However, while Valais is growing its international business base, overall it is still behind other cantons in terms of salaries.
In fact, while households in Zurich have an average income of 80,000 francs, in Valais this amount is 55,000 francs (based on the 2023 figures).
That’s because in Valais (along with Jura), higher wage industries are underrepresented and economic sectors with lower incomes are relatively strong.
In Valais, for instance, almost 10 percent of employees work in the hospitality industry, while the Swiss average is just 4.5 percent.
Read more about this here:
READ ALSO: The Swiss cantons with the highest (and lowest) job salaries
