What foreign nationals cannot benefit from dual nationality in Switzerland?
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Gazeta Express
16/08/2025 21:22
Switzerland authorizes its citizens to have dual nationality, but a number of countries in the world do not do so, which means that those who become Swiss must renounce their nationality of origin.
Swiss citizens are authorized to acquire another nationality – or in fact several nationalities – and foreigners who naturalize themselves in Switzerland can maintain their nationality of origin, provided that the legislation of the other country does not oblige them to renounce their nationality of origin.
Currently, just over a million people in Switzerland (around 1 percent of the population) have dual nationality – this includes foreigners who have acquired Swiss nationality and people born in Switzerland who also have a passport from another country.
The most obvious advantage of dual nationality is the possibility of living or staying without time limit in the two countries, without having to renounce any of their rights. It may also include the right to vote, although some countries restrict the right to vote for their non-resident citizens.
With regard to Americans, a number of them choose to give up their American citizenship to avoid complex tax rules based on citizenship for Americans.
Who cannot have more than one nationality in Switzerland?
There are a number of countries that prohibit dual nationality, which is not specific to Switzerland, people from one of these countries should give up their nationality from any other country.
The reasons for these restrictions are multiple.
According to Henley & Partners, a consulting firm specializing in residence and citizenship, “countries that prohibit dual nationality do so for various reasons, linked to concerns of national identity, governance and legal clarity. If the reasons vary according to regions and political systems, the common point is the desire to preserve a common loyalty between the individual and the State. »»
However, some countries which generally prohibit dual nationality will be exceptions in specific cases, it is therefore worth checking with your embassy the last rules and possible exceptions.
Countries allowing dual nationality are indicated in green on this map, while those which restrict it are in red.
The following countries do not recognize dual nationality:
Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Biélorussia, Botswana, Bhutan, China, Cuba, Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Marshall Monaco, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Papua Nouvelle-Guinée, Qatar, Saint-Marin, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Salomon, Swaziland, Tadjikistan, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Ouzbékistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
This means that if you are a citizen of one of these countries and you become Swiss, you will have to give up your other passport, writes Thelocal.
