Marriage and birth in Switzerland: the steps to know
Civil status falls under federal law: the logic is the same everywhere in Switzerland, only the responsible office changes depending on your place of residence. Family allowance amounts, on the other hand, are set by each canton above a federal minimum. The thread running through this guide: telling apart the little that happens automatically from the much that requires action on your part.
1. Marriage: the preparatory procedure comes first
You don't get married directly. A preparatory procedure must first be carried out with the civil registry office, in principle the one for the domicile of one of the future spouses (or the office of the place of the ceremony if you live abroad). It checks your identity, civil status, and capacity to marry against supporting documents. Expect several weeks of processing, longer if documents need to come from abroad. Once authorization is granted, the marriage must in principle be held within three months: beyond that, the preparatory procedure has to be redone. Registered partnership follows an equivalent process with the same office.
2. What marriage changes, once the party is over
This is the part people forget. Without a marriage contract, the statutory matrimonial property regime applies automatically - changing it requires a notary. Your taxation becomes joint, which changes your determining income and therefore potentially your entitlement to a health insurance premium subsidy. Finally, check the beneficiaries designated on your 3rd pillar and with your pension fund: these designations don't update themselves, and an outdated clause is a classic source of disputes.
3. Birth: the one step that happens without you
A birth is reported to the civil registry office of the place of birth within days, and it's in principle the hospital or birthing center that handles it. The child's AVS number is created on this occasion. It's the only step you don't have to take yourself - everything else is up to you.
4. Newborn health insurance: the window not to miss
Basic insurance affiliation is mandatory for the child too. Report the birth to your insurer quickly: retroactive coverage to the birth date is generally possible. The truly important point concerns supplementary insurance: the first months of life are the only period when it can be obtained without a health screening. Once that window closes, acceptance depends on the child's health, and a reservation may be applied. If this matters to you, deal with it early rather than later.
5. Family allowances and leave: you have to ask
Family allowances never arrive on their own. If you're an employee, the request goes through your employer, who forwards it to their family allowance fund; if you're self-employed or without gainful activity, it's filed with your canton's compensation office. The allowance in principle runs from the month of birth. Amounts are set by each canton above a federal minimum, and there is only one entitlement per child even if both parents work. Also notify your employer of the birth for maternity leave and the other parent's leave, both compensated through APG.
6. If you're not married
Nothing is automatic. Paternity acknowledgment is done with the civil registry, and joint parental authority is the subject of a separate declaration, filed with the civil registry or the child protection authority depending on the timing. In the same spirit, an unmarried partner never inherits by default, regardless of how long the couple has lived together, and is only entitled to a 2nd pillar benefit if the fund's regulations provide for it - usually on condition that a partnership declaration was filed during the insured person's lifetime. These are steps to take while everything is going well.
Official sources
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