Vaud citizenship test

How the test works in the canton of Vaud

Vaud checks basic knowledge with a written multiple-choice test organised by your municipality. You take it on a computer (A-Vaud test) or on paper. The test has 48 questions, you have 60 minutes, and you pass with 70 percent, that is at least 34 correct answers. The test is in French.

The 48 questions are drawn at random, spread evenly across three levels, namely Switzerland, the canton, and the municipality and region, and across four topics: geography, history, politics and society. The big advantage: the whole catalogue is public. It consists of 128 questions about Switzerland and the canton and 32 local questions per municipality, 160 questions in total.

You have up to three written attempts. After three failures an oral examination may be ordered. The municipality may also hold a hearing focused on integration. Whether it is voluntary or compulsory is up to each Municipalité.

Who does not have to take the test

Exempt are people born in Switzerland who have lived here continuously, people with five years of compulsory schooling in Switzerland, people with a Swiss upper secondary qualification, and children under 12 when the application is submitted. These exemptions do not apply to federal facilitated naturalisation.

What you should know about the canton of Vaud

• Structure: The capital is Lausanne. Since 2008 Vaud has had ten districts, about 300 municipalities and about 864,000 inhabitants. The municipal executive is called the Municipalité and is led by the syndic (mayor).
• Authorities: The parliament is the Grand Conseil with 150 members, and the government is the Conseil d’État with seven. Both are elected for five years. The Conseil d’État sits in the Château Saint-Maire in Lausanne, and the new parliament building was inaugurated on 14 April 2017. The highest court is the cantonal court. The constitution came into force on 14 April 2003.
• People’s rights: An initiative needs 12,000 signatures within four months, a referendum 12,000 within 60 days. Foreign nationals with ten years in Switzerland and three years in the canton may vote, elect and stand for election at municipal level. Voters rejected an extension to the cantonal level on 30 November 2025.
• History: Until 1536 most of Vaud belonged to Savoy; then Bern conquered the land and introduced the Reformation, whose main reformer here was Pierre Viret. Major Davel tried to end Bernese rule in 1723 and was executed. Independence was proclaimed on 24 January 1798, and Vaud became a canton in 1803. The Grand Conseil met for the first time on 14 April 1803. In 1959 Vaud became the first canton to introduce women’s suffrage.
• Symbols: The flag is white at the top and green at the bottom, with the motto «Liberté et Patrie».
• Geography and culture: Lausanne lies on Lake Geneva, Yverdon-les-Bains on Lake Neuchâtel. The highest summit is Les Diablerets, the Lavaux vineyard terraces have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, and Chillon Castle stands near Montreux. The Fête des Vignerons takes place in Vevey, the Paléo Festival in Nyon and the Jazz Festival in Montreux. The IOC has been based in Lausanne since 1915, Nestlé in Vevey, and EPFL is in Écublens. Papet vaudois (leeks with potatoes and sausage) is a typical dish.

The naturalisation process in the canton of Vaud

The application goes through your municipality, which organises the test and, if applicable, a hearing. After the decision on municipal citizenship, the canton reviews the file and forwards it to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). After federal approval, the canton grants cantonal citizenship.

The residence rule is two years in the canton, one of them in the municipality. For French you need at least B1 spoken and A2 written. Fees for an adult single person: municipality 100 to 400 francs, canton 450 plus 75 francs, Confederation 100 francs.

How to prepare

Use the official A-Vaud test on prestations.vd.ch: there you will find all 160 questions, including the 32 about your municipality. The canton also offers the «Didacticiel vaudois» for preparation. The municipality of Bex additionally publishes a copy of the cantonal questionnaire with answers.

Because 70 percent is required, you should really master the catalogue. Do not underestimate the municipal questions: they make up about a third of the test and differ for each municipality. Study them specifically with the A-Vaud test for your municipality.

The Vaud mock test on this page has the same format as the real test: 48 questions in 60 minutes, passed with 34 correct. Our questions are written by us; you will find the official ones in the linked A-Vaud test.