Marriage procedures are much more complicated and costly in Switzerland than they are in the United States. This is due to the civil law requirements, some of which might even be seen as bureaucratic red tape to an outsider. The Swiss civil registrar in the town or city where the marriage is to take place may even require some additional documents which are not mentioned below. The procedures may also vary from one canton (state) to another.

The civil registry office in Switzerland is solely responsible for specifying and processing the required documents. The arrangements to schedule the wedding date (domestic partnership) must be done directly with that office. English is not one of the official Swiss languages (German, French and Italian), therefore not all civil registrar officers will be able to communicate in English.

Some foreign documents may require prior legalizations from other Swiss representation and this procedure may also involve additional fees, expenses and time.

In general, the following documents are required for a civil ceremony in Switzerland and must be signed by the fiancés at the responsible Swiss representation (Embassy or Consulate) abroad. If one of the fiancé is living in Switzerland, he or she will have to sign these documents at the civil registrar's office there.

• Form. 0-34 - Application for marriage preparation or application for the preparation of the registration of a partnership
• Form. 0-35 - Declaration concerning the requirements for entering into marriage or declaration concerning the requirements for registering a partnership

The form to be used must be in one of the official Swiss languages (German, French or Italian). The form in English is handed over for translation purposes only.

These documents may be obtained at the Swiss representation upon request.

The fiancés have to sign these documents in person in front of a civil registrar in Switzerland or at a Swiss diplomatic or consular representation abroad. Under special circumstances, the civil registrar may grant the permission to have the signature(s) on the declaration concerning the requirements for entering into marriage, notarized by a Notary Public at the place of residence. A valid written request should therefore be submitted to the representation in such cases. After receiving the consent of the civil registrar authorities, the Swiss representation will be able to inform about the exact procedure.

Be aware that the forms can only be filled out in a Swiss official language and that it may be difficult to find a Notary who agrees on legalizing signatures on a document not in English.

Additional documents (the documents will be translated and legalized by the Swiss representation if necessary):

• Valid passports

For a Swiss bride or Swiss groom:

• Certificate of civil status for Swiss nationals (Personenstandsausweis/certificat individuel d'état civil )
• Certificate of residence (if you are registered at a Swiss representation in the U.S., this can be replaced by a Certificate of registration and nationality)

For a foreign bride or foreign groom:

• Birth certificate (original or copy certified by the issuing authority) showing exact place of birth (town) and the names of the parents and not older than six months.
• Statutory declaration concerning the current address and marital status (see pdf attachment on the right side of this page). This document replaces the certificate of civil status and the certificate of residence which are note available in the USA.
• Divorced and widowed persons must prove their marital status
  
  Divorced persons by presenting a certified copy (by the Clerk of the Court where the divorce has been granted) of the final divorce decree showing the exact date when the judgment entered into effect (filing date) and the completed form "Information necessary for legalization of divorce decrees” (see pdf attachment on the right side of this page). Document for Dissolution of partnership it applicable.
  
  Widowed persons by presenting a complete certified copy of the death certificate of the late spouse.

Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage

This document certifies that there are no impediments and that the marriage will be recognized by the country of origin.

No such document exists in the United States. Therefore, in general, the Swiss civil registrar accepts a notarized affidavit of eligibilty to marry in which both the bride and groom certify that there are no impediments against their marriage and that it will be recognized in their country.

Name after the marriage (for Swiss citizens and persons residing in Switzerland)

If the bride decides not to take the last name of the husband when the couple gets married, she would have to sign a surname declaration (the form can be obtained from the competent representation) before the marriage, either at a civil registrar or the responsible Swiss representation. If she wants to be subject to the legislation on names of her country of residence, she would have to confirm it in writing at the responsible Swiss representation as well (the form can also be obtained from the competent representation).

Fees and expenses

When an application is submitted, the responsible representation is to be paid an advance in the local currency for all expected fees and expenses. The fees may vary according to the exchange rate and the number of documents to be legalized/translated (CHF 305.00 to be paid in USD in cash or money order / please contact the representation for the exchange rate). That does not include the fees of the Swiss civil registrar.

The processing time after the documents are submitted to the Swiss representation can take up to 8 weeks or more. 

The local civil registrar will then issue the confirmation and send all the papers to the cantonal authority for approval. The wedding can take place 10 days earliest after the date of confirmation, but not later than 3 months.

No visa is required for American citizens who are traveling to Switzerland for up to three months for tourism and visiting purposes.