Family and marriage in Switzerland
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In order to arrange a wedding in Switzerland, you must submit an application to the civil registry office and meet several requirements:
- Over 18 years of age;
- Have full legal capacity;
- Not married or in a registered domestic partnership;
- Not too closely related.
As of July 1, 2022 same-sex couples can marry in Switzerland under the same conditions as heterosexual couples. The new legislation also allows them to adopt children and gives them access to artificial insemination.
Depending on their country of origin, the future spouses may need a visa to come to Switzerland to get married. If both spouses are not foreign nationals and neither of them has their domicile in Switzerland, they will need a permit from the cantonal authorities in order to get married.
A duly performed foreign marriage is recognised in Switzerland, unless there are serious reasons to suspect an offence (e.g. polygamy, forced marriage or marriage with minors).
After a positive decision by the civil registry office, the couple can have the wedding in a place of their choice within three months. A representative of the civil status office and at least two adult, legally capable witnesses must be present at the ceremony. Following a civil marriage, a religious ceremony is also allowed.
Overall, the number of marriages concluded has remained stable since the 1980s, but the proportion of marriages where at least one of the marrying parties is a foreigner has risen sharply and is now about half of all marriages concluded.
Divorce
A divorce may be requested either by both spouses jointly or by one of the spouses on his or her own initiative. The duration and conditions of the divorce proceedings differ if one of the spouses does not agree to the divorce.
Divorce can be a long and costly process with severe consequences for the whole family. The court must, among other things, decide which parent the children will stay with, decide on the division of property and alimony and, if one of the spouses is a foreigner, also find out whether that spouse can retain his or her residence permit in the country.
The divorce rate in Switzerland has more than doubled since the 1960s. Today it is fairly stable, at around 2 divorces per 1000 inhabitants.
Abortion
Abortion has been legal in Switzerland since 2002. It is allowed to terminate a pregnancy within 12 weeks from the date of the last menstruation. After this period, abortion is only possible with a medical certificate that shows the need for abortion due to the risk to the mother's health or serious psychological trauma.
In general, the number of abortions in Switzerland is quite low compared to other countries; in recent years it has remained at the same level. In 2020 there were 6.9 abortions per 1000 women.
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