St. Gallen Naturalization Test cheat sheet

Switzerland is a federal republic with 26 cantons (20 full cantons plus 6 half-cantons: Obwalden, Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden).

The Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) has two chambers: the National Council with 200 seats, elected by proportional representation every 4 years, and the Council of States with 46 seats (2 per full canton, 1 per half-canton).

The seven-member Federal Council (Bundesrat) is elected by the United Federal Assembly; the presidency rotates annually among members and the vice-presidency follows seniority by convention.

The 'magic formula' (Zauberformel) has allocated Federal Council seats among parties since 1959; since 2003 the split has been 2 SVP, 2 SP, 2 FDP, 1 Mitte (formerly CVP).

Direct democracy instruments: a popular initiative needs 100,000 valid signatures within 18 months to demand a constitutional amendment; a referendum needs 50,000 signatures within 100 days (or 8 cantons) to challenge a new federal law.

A mandatory constitutional referendum requires the double majority: a majority of the popular vote AND a majority of the cantons (cantonal results count, half-cantons count as half).

The Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgericht) sits in Lausanne; its judges are elected by the Federal Assembly for 6-year terms, and it cannot strike down federal laws.

Federal elections use proportional representation (Proporz) for the National Council; cantons act as constituencies and seats are allocated by the Hagenbach-Bischoff method.

Article 3 of the Federal Constitution reserves all powers not delegated to the Confederation to the cantons; cantons hold residual competence (Subsidiaritätsprinzip).

Cantons have their own constitutions, parliaments (called Kantonsrat, Grosser Rat, Landrat or Regierungsrat depending on the canton) and governments, but must be democratic and cannot contradict federal law.

Cantonal parliaments are usually unicameral; in St. Gallen the parliament is the Kantonsrat with 120 members elected for 4 years.

The St. Gallen government is the Regierung with 7 members, elected by majority vote for 4 years; the presiding member is the Regierungspräsident(in).

Cantonal courts (Kantonsgericht, Kreisgericht, Versicherungsgericht) handle most civil and criminal cases; the Bundesgericht is the final appellate instance.

Cantons levy their own taxes (Einkommens-, Vermögens-, Erbschaftssteuer) and receive a share of federal tax; fiscal equalization (NFA) redistributes between strong and weak cantons.

Gemeinden (municipalities) are creatures of cantonal law; St. Gallen has around 75 political municipalities (Politische Gemeinden) with their own local councils and assemblies.

Intercantonal cooperation is governed by concordats (Konkordate), e.g. the concordat on university admissions (EDK) and the Interkantonale Vereinbarung über die Hochschulzulassung.

St. Gallen is in northeastern Switzerland, bordered by Lake Constance (Bodensee) to the north, Thurgau to the northwest, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Innerrhoden to the west/south, and Graubünden to the south.

The canton's highest peak is the Ringelspitz (3,247 m) in the Glarus Alps; the Säntis (2,502 m) is the most prominent landmark and is shared with Appenzell Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden.

The Rhine forms the eastern border with Liechtenstein and Austria (Vorarlberg); the Alpine Rhine valley (Rheintal) is a major settlement corridor.

The canton comprises 8 constituencies (Wahlkreise): St. Gallen, Rorschach, Rheintal, Werdenberg, Sarganserland, See-Gaster, Toggenburg, Wil.

Lake Constance (Bodensee) is Central Europe's third-largest lake; the Swiss shore includes Rorschach, Horn and Steinach, and the lake is a drinking-water reservoir for the region.

The city of St. Gallen lies at about 700 m elevation and is known for its Abbey precinct (UNESCO World Heritage) and the three-lake view (Drei Weieren).

The Linth canal and the Walensee (Lake Walen) lie in the See-Gaster region; the Seeztal links Walensee with the Linth plain.

The canton's climate is temperate with foehn influence in the Alpine valleys; the Toggenburg and Sarganserland receive high snowfall.

St. Gallen's abbey was founded around 612 by the Irish monk Gallus; the Benedictine Abbey of St. Gallen became a major centre of learning in the early Middle Ages.

The Abbey Library (Stiftsbibliothek) holds one of the world's oldest monastic libraries with medieval manuscripts; the Abbey precinct was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

The city of St. Gallen became a free imperial city and later a centre of the textile industry; its embroidered textiles (Stickerei) were exported worldwide in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Old Town (Altstadt) is characterised by oriel windows (Erker) and the three-knotted 'St. Galler' sausage is a local culinary speciality.

The canton was formed in 1803 under Napoleon's Mediation Act (Mediationsakte), merging the city of St. Gallen with the territories of the former prince-abbey and the subject lands.

The Swiss Reformation reached St. Gallen under Vadian (Joachim von Watt), the humanist mayor and reformer, in the 1520s.

The Appenzell region split in 1597 into the Catholic Innerrhoden and Protestant Ausserrhoden; the split shaped the religious geography around St. Gallen.

The canton's cultural institutions include the Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, the Historisches und Völkerkundemuseum, and the open-air museum Ballenberg is in Bern (not St. Gallen).

The Federal Constitution (BV) guarantees fundamental rights: human dignity (Art. 7), equality before the law (Art. 8), freedom of expression (Art. 16), freedom of religion (Art. 15) and the right to marry (Art. 14).

Swiss citizenship is acquired by descent (jus sanguinis): a child of a Swiss parent is Swiss; naturalisation is regulated by federal law (Bürgerrechtsgesetz, BüG) plus cantonal and communal rules.

Ordinary naturalisation requires 10 years' residence in Switzerland, a C permit, integration criteria (language, economic independence, respect for the legal order) and cantonal/communal approval.

The Swiss Civil Code (ZGB) governs family law, marriage, divorce, inheritance and property; the Code of Obligations (OR) governs contracts, companies and employment.

The Swiss Criminal Code (StGB) applies throughout Switzerland; the death penalty was abolished and the last execution took place in 1944 (civil) / 1940 (military).

Every resident must register with the municipality (Anmeldung) within 14 days of moving; identity documents and a rental contract are typically required.

Mandatory health insurance (KVG) must be taken out within 3 months of arriving or birth; basic insurance (Grundversicherung) is compulsory and insurers must accept all applicants.

The Federal Data Protection Act (DSG, revised 2023) protects personal data; the Swiss Human Rights Convention obligations flow from ECHR membership (since 1974).

The three-pillar pension system: AHV/IV (state, first pillar), BVG occupational pension (second pillar, mandatory above CHF 22,680 annual salary in 2024), and private 3a/3b savings (third pillar).

AHV retirement age is 65 for men and 64 for women (rising to 65 under the AHV 21 reform, phased in from 2025); early retirement reduces benefits, deferral increases them.

Unemployment insurance (ALV) pays 70-80% of insured earnings; eligibility requires at least 12 months' contributions in the last 2 years and registration with the RAV.

Health insurance premiums are paid per person regardless of income; premium reduction (Prämienverbilligung) is available for low-income households in St. Gallen.

Rent control: landlords must use official forms for rent increases; tenants can challenge increases before the Schlichtungsbehörde (conciliation authority) within 30 days.

Working hours are typically 40-45 hours per week; the OR requires at least 4 weeks' paid holiday (5 weeks for workers under 20).

Family allowances (Familienzulagen) are paid per child (in St. Gallen CHF 200 monthly per child, plus education allowance) via the employer or the Familienausgleichskasse.

The Gemeindesteuer (municipal tax) and Kantonssteuer are paid in addition to federal tax; tax returns must be filed annually and church tax (Kirchensteuer) applies to members of recognised churches.

Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch) is the everyday spoken variety; Standard German (Hochdeutsch) is used in writing, school and most broadcast news.

The local St. Gallen dialect is part of the eastern Swiss German (Ostschweizerisch) group; typical features include the diminutive '-li' (e.g. 'Büechli') and 'es' instead of 'ein/es'.

Greetings: 'Grüezi' is the polite form (formal), 'Hoi' or 'Hallo' is informal, and 'Grüezi mitenand' addresses a group; 'Merci' and 'Danke' are both used for thanks.

Politeness uses 'Sie' with strangers and elders; switching to 'Du' usually requires an explicit offer ('Darf ich Du sagen?').

Punctuality is a strong social norm; arriving 5-10 minutes late without notice is considered rude for appointments and work.

Sunday is legally a rest day: shops are closed, and noise (lawn mowing, drilling) is restricted; quiet hours (Nachtruhe) generally run from 22:00 to 07:00.

Recycling is highly structured: glass by colour, PET, aluminium, paper/cardboard on designated collection days, and green waste; many municipalities charge a garbage bag fee (Gebührensack).

The 'St. Galler' sausage, Bündnerfleisch, Rösti and fondue/chocolate are typical foods; 'Znüni' (mid-morning snack) and 'Zvieri' (afternoon snack) are standard daily meals.

St. Gallen naturalisation is a three-tier process: federal requirements (BüG), cantonal law (Kantonales Bürgerrechtsgesetz, sGS 151.1) and the municipality (Einbürgerungsgemeinde).

Cantonal residence requirement in St. Gallen: generally 5 years in the canton, with the last 2 years immediately before application, plus a C permit.

Language requirement: level B1 spoken and A2 written German (CEFR) is typically required, verified by a recognised certificate or an interview.

Integration criteria include knowledge of Swiss laws and customs, no welfare dependency, no serious criminal record, and familiarity with the local community.

The naturalisation authority in St. Gallen is the Sicherheits- und Justizdepartement (SJD) together with the municipality; the final decision on cantonal citizenship is made by the Regierung.

The fee for ordinary naturalisation in St. Gallen is set by cantonal regulation and varies by municipality; it can range from several hundred to a few thousand CHF.

Dual citizenship is permitted in Switzerland; naturalised persons need not renounce their previous nationality.

The St. Gallen 'Bürgerrecht' (cantonal and municipal citizenship) is a prerequisite for full Swiss citizenship; the three levels are Gemeinde, Kanton and Bund.