Schaffhausen citizenship test

How Schaffhausen checks your knowledge

In Schaffhausen, basic knowledge is checked in the naturalisation interview. It is the responsibility of your municipality’s naturalisation authority. In the city of Schaffhausen the Stadtrat holds the interview and decides on municipal citizenship. No canton-wide written test is known, and no pass mark is published.

The cantonal Citizenship Act requires basic knowledge of the geographical, historical, political and social conditions of Switzerland, the canton and the municipality, as well as knowledge of the rights and duties that come with citizenship. Local questions also come up in the interview, for example about the authorities, sights or media of your municipality.

There is a simplified procedure for people with eight years of compulsory schooling in Switzerland.

What you should know about the canton of Schaffhausen

• Location: Schaffhausen is the northernmost canton and lies mostly north of the Rhine. It borders Zurich and Thurgau and is almost entirely surrounded by Germany. The German municipality of Büsingen is an exclave in the middle of Swiss territory. At Stein am Rhein the Rhine leaves the Untersee.
• Municipalities and population: The canton has 26 municipalities and about 90,000 inhabitants. The capital is Schaffhausen, the second largest municipality Neuhausen am Rheinfall. District administrations were abolished in 1999.
• Compulsory voting: Schaffhausen is the only canton with compulsory voting. Anyone who fails to vote without an excuse pays a fine of 6 francs.
• Authorities: The Kantonsrat has 60 members and meets in the town hall in the old town; the Regierungsrat has five. The highest court is the Obergericht. The constitution has applied since 2003. In the city, the government is called the Stadtrat (five members) and the parliament the Grosser Stadtrat.
• People’s rights: An initiative and a referendum each need 1000 signatures, the referendum within 90 days. 100 voters can submit a popular motion, and 1000 voters can even demand a complete new election of the Kantonsrat or Regierungsrat.
• History: Schaffhausen joined the Confederation in 1501 and introduced the Reformation in 1529. Traces of Ice Age reindeer hunters were found in the Kesslerloch cave near Thayngen. The canton has never had a Federal Councillor.
• Sights and economy: The Rhine Falls lie between Schaffhausen and Zurich. The Munot fortress stands above the old town, All Saints’ Minster is considered the largest Romanesque church in Switzerland, and Stein am Rhein is known for its painted façades. The Klettgau is wine country, especially for Pinot Noir (Blauburgunder), and the watchmaker IWC has its headquarters in Schaffhausen.

The naturalisation process in the canton of Schaffhausen

You submit your application to your municipality. The naturalisation authority, in the city the Stadtrat, holds the interview and decides on municipal citizenship. The cantonal Office of Justice and Municipalities then reviews the application and forwards it to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). After federal approval, the canton grants cantonal citizenship.

As proof of language you need German at B1 spoken and A2 written, for example with the fide language passport. The residence rule is two years without interruption in the municipality. In the city of Schaffhausen the procedure costs a flat 2000 francs (canton 850, city 1150), or 1000 francs in the simplified procedure, plus the federal fee.

How to prepare

The city chancellery of Schaffhausen provides the booklet «Staatsbürgerliche Kenntnisse» and the «Staatskundeschema 2026» with an overview of the authorities of the Confederation, the canton and the city. If you live in another municipality, ask there for comparable material.

Prepare for the local questions too: who sits on the municipal council, which newspaper reports on your municipality, which sights are there? Schaffhausen’s compulsory voting is a popular interview topic because it is unique in Switzerland. Explain what it means and why it exists.

With the practice questions and the mock test on this page you can check your knowledge before the interview.