Fribourg citizenship test

How the canton of Fribourg checks your knowledge

Fribourg has no written knowledge test. Instead, several bodies get to know you in interviews:

1. Assessment interview at the cantonal civil status and naturalisation office (SENa).
2. Hearing before the municipal naturalisation committee. Questions about where you live come up here too.
3. Possibly a hearing before the naturalisation committee of the Grand Council.

Elementary knowledge of the geography, history and political system of Switzerland, the canton and the municipality is required. There is no scoring scheme; the committees assess the overall picture. Depending on the municipality, the interviews are held in French or German.

What you should know about the canton of Fribourg

• Bilingualism: French and German are official languages, and about two thirds of the population speak French. The Sarine (Saane), which flows through the city of Fribourg, is seen as a symbol of the «Röstigraben» language divide. The University of Fribourg, founded in 1889, is the only bilingual university in Switzerland.
• Districts: Fribourg has seven districts: Sarine, Sense, Gruyère, Lac, Glâne, Broye and Veveyse. Each is headed by a prefect elected by the people. The Sense district with its capital Tafers (Tavel) is the only entirely German-speaking district; Bulle is the capital of Gruyère and Murten (Morat) that of Lac. The canton has 119 municipalities (2026) and about 351,000 inhabitants.
• Authorities: The Grand Council has 110 members and the Council of State seven. Unlike in most cantons, the legislative term lasts five years. The constitution dates from 2004. The judges of the cantonal court are elected by the Grand Council.
• People’s rights: An initiative and a referendum against a law each need 6000 signatures within 90 days. With a popular motion, 300 voters can submit a motion to the Grand Council. Foreign nationals with a C permit and five years of residence in the canton may vote at municipal level.
• Municipalities: The executive is the municipal council (conseil communal), led by the syndic (Ammann in German). Small municipalities without a general council (conseil général) decide at the municipal assembly.
• History: Berthold IV of Zähringen founded the city in 1157. In 1476 the Confederates defeated Charles the Bold at Murten, and in 1481 Fribourg and Solothurn joined the Confederation thanks to the Stans Agreement.
• Culture: Gruyère AOP cheese is named after the Gruyère region, and fondue moitié-moitié mixes Gruyère and Vacherin fribourgeois. In autumn people celebrate the Bénichon, poyas painted with the procession to the alpine pastures hang above barn doors, and the Cailler chocolate factory stands in Broc. St. Nicholas Cathedral dominates the old town, and Gruyères Castle the little town of the same name. Jean Tinguely was born in Fribourg in 1925.

The naturalisation process in the canton of Fribourg

You submit the application to the canton and pay an advance of 200 francs when you do so. The SENa holds the assessment interview, then the municipal naturalisation committee hears you and the municipality grants municipal citizenship. The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) issues the federal permit. Finally the naturalisation committee of the Grand Council reviews the file, and the Grand Council grants naturalisation by decree.

The residence rule is three years in the canton, two of them in the last five years before applying. For language you need A2 written and B1 spoken in French or German. The cantonal amount is usually between 800 and 1500 francs, plus the municipal and federal fees.

How to prepare

Every year the SENa publishes the booklet «Informations civiques de base» (in German «Grundlegende staatsbürgerliche Informationen») with the essentials about the Confederation, the canton and the municipalities. It is not a question catalogue, but it covers exactly the topics discussed in the interviews. The documentation on fr.ch adds to it.

Prepare a little differently for each interview. With the canton the focus is on your life story and your integration; with the municipality it is also on local knowledge: who is the syndic, is there a general council or a municipal assembly, which events shape village life? Practise answering in full sentences, and read the booklet in the language of your interview.

The practice questions and the mock test on this page help you check your knowledge in advance.