The cantonal governments of Basel-Stadt and Bern have fired the latest salvo in Switzerland’s “war for talent” by announcing steep cuts to their ordinary naturalisation fees—effective 1 January 2026 but confirmed on 15 December. Basel will drop its fee from CHF 980 to CHF 600, while Bern reduces from CHF 880 to CHF 520, nearly 40 percent in both cases.
Under Switzerland’s three-tier citizenship model the Confederation levies only CHF 100, but cantons and communes can set their own tariffs. A 2024 price-comparison showed charges ranging from CHF 350 in Zug to more than CHF 1,400 in Ticino, leading the federal price watchdog to brand the system a “postcode lottery”.
![Basel and Bern Slash Citizenship Fees to Attract Skilled Foreign Talent]()
For those still at the visa or residence-permit stage, online service VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers a convenient way to manage Swiss entry and stay paperwork. The platform walks applicants through required documents, schedules embassy or biometrics appointments, and provides real-time customer support—valuable assistance that can smooth the administrative path toward long-term residence and, eventually, eligibility for naturalisation.
Both cantons credit fully digital case-management systems for the savings; Bern also links the move to its “Skilled Workers 2030” agenda targeting chronic labour shortages. Local industry group Swissmem welcomed the cuts, calling them a competitiveness issue as Germany and the Netherlands streamline their own paths to citizenship for STEM workers.
For employers that subsidise naturalisation costs, the reductions can stretch mobility budgets: a family of four applying in Basel will save roughly CHF 1,500 versus 2025 rates. Relocation consultants anticipate that talent may increasingly choose residence in lower-fee cantons, prompting Zurich and high-tariff Ticino to review their own fee structures.
Under Switzerland’s three-tier citizenship model the Confederation levies only CHF 100, but cantons and communes can set their own tariffs. A 2024 price-comparison showed charges ranging from CHF 350 in Zug to more than CHF 1,400 in Ticino, leading the federal price watchdog to brand the system a “postcode lottery”.
For those still at the visa or residence-permit stage, online service VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers a convenient way to manage Swiss entry and stay paperwork. The platform walks applicants through required documents, schedules embassy or biometrics appointments, and provides real-time customer support—valuable assistance that can smooth the administrative path toward long-term residence and, eventually, eligibility for naturalisation.
Both cantons credit fully digital case-management systems for the savings; Bern also links the move to its “Skilled Workers 2030” agenda targeting chronic labour shortages. Local industry group Swissmem welcomed the cuts, calling them a competitiveness issue as Germany and the Netherlands streamline their own paths to citizenship for STEM workers.
For employers that subsidise naturalisation costs, the reductions can stretch mobility budgets: a family of four applying in Basel will save roughly CHF 1,500 versus 2025 rates. Relocation consultants anticipate that talent may increasingly choose residence in lower-fee cantons, prompting Zurich and high-tariff Ticino to review their own fee structures.
