Registration of birth (parents married)

In order to register the birth of a child who has one or two Swiss parents, the following document is required:

• Certified copy of an entry of birth (original document by the issuing authority); photocopies or short birth certificates not mentioning the parent's names cannot be accepted.

Registration of birth (parents not married)

In order to register the birth of a child in Switzerland, the following documents are required:

• Certified copy of Birth Certificate (certified by issuing authority) containing date and place of birth, family name, first name as well as family names and first names of both parents. For non-married parents an acknowledgement of paternity is also needed. If no acknowledgement is mentioned, an acknowledgement act (acte de reconnaissance) with mention of the legimitation (e.g. parents married after the birth).

Documents required from unmarried foreign parent:

• Certified copy of Birth Certificate (certified by issuing authority)
• Original of passport or ID-card or a nationality certificate, issued by the competent authority of place of residence
• A residence certificate and declaration of marital status, and in case of widowhood, the death certificate of the spouse

The child born except marriage of a Swiss father acuires automatically the Swiss nationality by the establishment of the report of filiation with the father. 

Marriages concluded in Turkey are recognised in Switzerland on condition that there is no impediment to the marriage under Swiss law.
In order that your marriage may be registered with the relevant civil authorities in Switzerland, the documents listed below are required following the marriage ceremony (photocopies are not acceptable):

• marriage certificate
• full birth certificate of the foreign spouse
• if the foreign spouse has been married before, the documents concerning the dissolution of the former marriage, i.e. divorce decree absolute (please indicate a former wife's maiden surname) or death certificate
• passport of the foreign spouse (for inspection only)
• international passport
• confirmation that the foreign spouse was single before this marriage
• confirmation of domicile
• birth certificate of the mother of the foreign spouse

Marriage of two non-resident Swiss citizens: in order to enable the Swiss mission to forward the marriage documents to the relevant Swiss authorities, documents relating to domicile, place of origin and parents’ names should be provided (passport, birth certificate or “Personenstandsausweis/certificat d’état civil” etc).

In order to register a divorce in the family records in Switzerland, the following documents are required:

• a Divorce Decree Absolute
• if applicable, a court order concerning parental responsibility for child(ren) and/or minor(s) (for inspection only)

In order to register the death of a Swiss citizen or of the spouse of a Swiss citizen, the following document is required:

• death certificate