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Switzerland Wedding

Welcome to our guide to getting married in Switzerland. Before you go into depth about the specifics for your wedding in Switzerland we have a couple of articles that we suggest you read first.

Getting married in Switzerland can be easy provided you have all the necessary paperwork in order before hand and are ready and able to work with the Swiss Embassy nearest you. There is no residence qualification requirement. 

Civil Ceremony

Only the performing of a Civil Wedding held at a registry office is legally recognised under Swiss law.  These usually take place in a local Town Hall, but there are also a handful of special recognized locations available for hosting a legal civil ceremony on specific dates throughout the year.

Religious Ceremony

A blessing or Religious ceremonies can be conducted after a Civil Wedding has been preformed.  The civil ceremony can be arranged either in Switzerland or in your home country.

There is a great deal of paper work that must be completed before one can marry in Switzerland. Here is a list of the required basic documents all of which will need to be translated either into French, German or Italian:

  • A valid 10 year passport
  • A full birth certificate
  • An affidavits / statutory declaration confirming single status also known as a Certificate of Celibacy
  • Decree Absolute (the final divorce paper, if applicable)
  • Death Certificate (if you are a widow or widower)
  • Change of Name Deed (required if you have changed your name)
  • Written consent from your parents or guardians (if either of you are under 18 years of age)

The future bride and bridegroom must submit an application for the Promise of Marriage at the Registry Office in the place where they intend to marry. The application is available from the Swiss Embassy in London and must be completed by you both before the Registrar in Switzerland.

If you are not able to attend in person then you must apply for an exemption certificate, which will need to be obtained from the appropriate authorities. Once exemption has been authorised, the declaration can be made by a notary public or a solicitor in the UK, whose signature must be legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London (Apostille).

Marriage Certificate

Once you have obtained your Marriage Certificate you will need to have it translated into English. Visit your nearest British Embassy and have the certificate translated. Whilst you are there you can request the certificate then be forwarded by the British Consular to the General Register Office in the UK where it can be deposited.

For further information:

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London
Tel: 0207 270 1500

 

This information is kindly updated by Martin Dobes from SwissSE.com >>