Naturalisation in the Canton of Zurich is now digital

From the paper file to digital naturalisation

Handling naturalisation applications between municipal, cantonal and federal level used to be very paper-heavy. That brought problems with it. For one thing, the stage an application had reached was opaque to applicants, and the offices involved did not know how far the procedure had progressed either. For another, the paper procedure meant applicants often submitted incomplete documents. The responsible Municipal Affairs Office of the Canton of Zurich frequently had to request documents after the event, which cost a great deal of time unnecessarily.

The digital service “eEinbürgerungZH” simplifies the naturalisation procedure for applicants, automates the administrative steps and creates more transparency for everyone involved.

Simpler and more transparent

Applicants are now guided through the process online. At the end they can submit their documents directly in electronic form. That means they no longer have to obtain countless documents and certificates from numerous offices beforehand. They can also see at any time how far their application has progressed and which staff are handling the file.

The foundation of the project

“eEinbürgerungZH” is a project of the 2018/2019 impulse programme within the cantonal government’s 2018–2023 digital government strategy. It is therefore one of the concrete results of that strategy, which sets out how the administration intends to help shape digital development and make use of the opportunities of digitalisation. It is also part of the agreement on cooperation between the municipalities and the canton in the field of e-government.