Marriage Certificates

As a rule, a complete and certified copy of a marriage certificate can be obtained from the County Clerk's Office where the marriage license was obtained. The marital status at the time of marriage (single, divorced, widowed) and the names of the parents of both spouses should also be indicated on the marriage certificate.

Birth and Death Certificates

These documents are issued by the Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, of the brace of birth (or place of death), or by the State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, at the capital of the state in which the child was born (or the death occurred). Please ask for a complete and certified copy of the birth (or death) certificate, which must show the parents' names, including the maiden name of the mother.

Divorce Decree

To obtain a certified copy of the final and absolute divorce decree, a request should be made to the Court Clerk of the court which pronounced the judgment. If not mentioned in the divorce judgment, the following information should be supplied:

• address of both spouses at the time the petition for divorce was filed, name and address of the attorney for the defense
• last name of the wife after the divorce

All documents or photocopies of documents must bear the official seal of the issuing office. Certificates issued by the church, a notary public, or by private individuals are not accepted by the competent Swiss Authorities.