Becoming Swiss, part six: 'the citizenship interview'

It's the big moment in the Swiss citizenship process: finally you will meet someone face-to-face who will decide whether all the paperwork you have collected, all the forms you have filled out and all the studying you have done is enough to make you a viable candidate for becoming Swiss.

My moment finally came when I was invited to the office that handles citizenship applications in Bern. I've read so many reports in the media about the difficult questions posed at these interviews and heard numerous horror stories about people being grilled on matters of Swiss society and history, or being asked highly personal questions. What actually happened was something quite different.

Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland

In this episode, I'll answer all your questions about the Swiss citizenship interview in Bern, including:

• What the interview was like
• How long it lasted
• What kind of questions were asked
• What you need to do to prepare
• How long you have to wait for the result

'Becoming Swiss' is a Swiss and Chips mini-series: follow my progress in our previous episodes!

Part One: Before it begins
Part Two: Getting the right information
Part Three: Starting the application progress
Part Four: The Swiss citizenship test
Part Five: One form to rule them all

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