Since 2019, all foreign residents wishing to renew their residence permit or become Swiss must provide proof of their language level.
To meet this legal requirement, the SEM has introduced the language passport, which certifies the holder’s oral and written skills in the three Swiss national languages: French, German and Italian.
The language passport can be obtained in a number of ways, including by taking a fide test at a recognized test center such as SwitzerLangues.
For more information, see the links below:
Rules for Participation: Fide Test – Rules
Test Example: FIDE Test – Blank Version
Additional information: fide-service.ch
Anyone over the age of 16 can take part in the fide test.
Anyone with a disability can take part in the fide test.
People with little or no literacy skills can take part in the “Speaking and Understanding” section.
SwitzerLangues’ French courses cover everything you need to know to pass your fide test.
You can register:
When you register, you can choose to take only the oral portion or the written portion of the FIDE test, or the entire test (both parts).
If you choose the comprehensive test, please note that our sessions are organized as follows:
The participation fee is payable at the time of registration.
Your registration will be confirmed and become effective upon receipt of your payment. You will receive a notice regarding the FIDE test, specifying the dates and times of your test, no later than 2 weeks before the test date.
The FIDE test consists of a “Speaking and Comprehension” section and a “Reading and Writing” section. You can register for both sections or just one of them, at different language levels if necessary (depending on legal requirements).
We organize our sessions as follows:
| Speaking and understanding (Oral part) | Parler : 20 mins. Comprendre : 20 mins. |
| Reading and writing (written part) | Introduction: approx. 15 mins., test: 60 mins. |
| Full test (speaking & listening & reading & writing) | Reading and Writing: Introduction approx. 15 mins., test 60 mins. Speaking and Listening: Speaking – 20 mins. & Listening – 20 mins. |
| Full test | 250 CHF |
| Speaking and understanding” section | CHF 170 |
| Reading and writing” section | CHF 120 |
Rue Claudine-Levet 2
1201 Genève
You will receive your Language Passport, showing your results (A1, A2, or B1), directly by mail approximately 4 weeks after taking the fide test.
For exams held between mid-December and mid-January, it may take six weeks instead of four to issue the language passport.
The testing center and the FIDE Secretariat cannot provide any information about results over the phone.
Cancellations must be made in writing only to the following address: fide@switzerlangues.ch.
Cancellations made more than 20 business days before the exam date are eligible for a full refund.
No refunds will be issued for cancellations made within 20 business days of the exam date.
In the event of absence on the day of the test: no refund will be made.
A certificate of registration for the fide test can be requested if required.
For more information, please feel free to contact us by email (fide@switzerlangues.ch) or by phone (022 547 66 47), or to review the rules for participating in the FIDE test: https://fide-info.ch/doc/238/fideFR_ReglementTestFide.pdf
To view the next available test dates, go to our registration platform and select the type of test you want (comprehensive test, oral test, or written test).
