Language Certificates for Naturalisation: What Counts
Levels required
For ordinary naturalisation the Confederation requires a national language at level B1 spoken and A2 written (Common European Framework of Reference, CEFR). B1 means you can express yourself clearly in familiar situations and follow the main points of clear conversation. A2 means you can read and write short, simple texts.
Cantons may ask for higher levels. In the canton of Zurich, the page on ordinary naturalisation gives B1 spoken and A2 written. Check the rules of your own canton.
Which proofs count
According to the SEM, one of these is enough:
- the language is your mother tongue,
- you completed five years of compulsory school in that language,
- you completed upper-secondary or tertiary education in that language,
- you hold a certificate on the SEM list.
Course attendance confirmations and online self-tests are not enough. If you have a serious disability, illness or learning difficulty, you can submit a medical confirmation. The authority then decides how to proceed.
The SEM list
The SEM keeps a list of recognised language certificates and updates it continuously. When we checked, the list was dated 1 October 2026. It applies to naturalisation and to procedures under foreign-nationals law. The list includes, among others, certificates from Goethe, telc and ÖSD, and the fide language passport. The canton of Zurich also names telc, Goethe, ÖSD and fide on its page. Check the current list for the level and the exam parts that your certificate covers.
The canton of Zurich also offers the Cantonal German Test. It has an oral part and a written part with listening, reading and writing. The canton’s page has a model test to practise with.
The fide language passport
fide is a system developed on behalf of the Confederation. The fide test checks German at levels A1 to B1 with everyday situations in Switzerland.
- The test has an oral part (speaking and understanding, 40 minutes) and a written part (reading and writing, 60 minutes). You can take both parts together or separately.
- There is no pass or fail. The language passport shows one level for oral and one for written.
- You receive the passport by post about four weeks after the test.
- The written part requires Swiss standard German, not dialect.
- If you already have B1 or better, you can use the fide dossier from age 16: you submit documents and have a meeting. The passport then records B1.
The pages we read do not say how long a language passport stays valid. Ask your commune whether an older proof is still accepted.
Where and how to take the exam
You take the fide test at an accredited exam institution. fide lists them by canton and city, with exam dates. Register at least 15 days before the date. A preparation course is not compulsory. fide’s page has a free model test to practise.
Typical prices
The whole fide test costs CHF 250, the oral part alone CHF 170, the written part alone CHF 120. For other certificates and for the Cantonal German Test in Zurich, the pages give no fixed price. It depends on the provider and the commune. Ask.
Exemptions in the canton of Zurich
You do not need the Cantonal German Test if German is your mother tongue, if you are under 12, if you completed five years of compulsory school in German, or if you hold an upper-secondary or tertiary qualification taught in German. You are also exempt if you already have a certificate showing B1 spoken and A2 written. The full list is on the canton’s page.
Next step
If you are preparing for the knowledge test in Zurich, the free questions also help you practise your German.