Registering a birth & getting a birth certificate in Switzerland

By Abi CarterUpdated on Apr 25, 2025

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Every child that is born in Switzerland needs to be registered with the nearest hospital to where the birth took place (usually, the hospital where you give birth). Registering your child is an essential part of planning for the future of your family and must be completed so that the child can be supported with social security, and can receive a birth certificate.

How to register a birth in Switzerland

The process for registering a birth in Switzerland varies depending on where the child was born: in a hospital or somewhere else. Things also work differently if the child was born abroad.

Registering a birth at a Swiss hospital

If you give birth in a hospital, typically it will have its own civil registrar who will complete the registry of the birth. You will be registered automatically by the presiding doctor in the immediate aftermath of the birth. After this, you will be provided with a birth certificate.

Registering a child after a non-hospital birth

If your child is not born in a hospital setting, you must register the birth within three days at your local civil register office. The mother or legal father of the child must attend, or nominate a proxy to go. In order to register a birth in Switzerland, you must provide:

Proof of address in Switzerland
Passport or ID for both parents and/or the proxy
A report of birth certificate from a doctor or a registered midwife
If registering by proxy, a written and signed note informing the office who the proxy will be

You can find your nearest civil register office using the official government website.

Once you have completed the registration, you will be issued with a birth certificate for your child.

Registering a Swiss child who is born abroad

If you or your partner are citizens of Switzerland and have given birth abroad, it is necessary to inform the Swiss authorities. In Germany, Austria, Italy and other nations that have signed an agreement with Switzerland, the hospital or physician will inform the civil registrar's office automatically.

If you have given birth outside one of these nations, you must inform your local mission (consulate or embassy). There, you must provide the same documents listed above in order to fully register your child as a Swiss citizen and receive their birth certificate.

Assigning paternity while registering a birth in Switzerland

If you and your partner are married or in a civil partnership, paternity rights are assigned jointly between the two parents. If you are not married, then you must provide a joint written declaration assigning parental authority. This declaration must include the agreed residence of the child, the share of childcare and any maintenance contributions if the couple is divorced or separated.

The declaration can be submitted to the civil register office when the birth is registered. Until this occurs, parental authority is awarded to the mother alone.

If one of the parties refuses to make a declaration on paternal authority, it is recommended to consult a lawyer.

Birth certificates in Switzerland

A birth certificate is a crucial document that is given to every newborn child in Switzerland. The process for receiving a birth certificate is automatic but it is an important part of having a baby in Switzerland.

Purpose of a Swiss birth certificate

Birth certificates are important documents that are required for a number of administrative processes in Switzerland, such as:

Registering for a residence permit
Applying for Swiss citizenship or citizenship in your nation of origin
During adoption
Applying for a Swiss passport
Getting married
Getting divorced
Applying for the family allowance or other elements of social security in Switzerland

Losing a Swiss birth certificate

If you lose a Swiss birth certificate, either due to theft, loss or accidental destruction, you must reapply for one as soon as you notice its loss. To obtain a new birth certificate you must provide a full ID, such as a passport or residence permit, to the civil register office in the canton of your birth, as well as paying 30 Swiss francs as a flat fee for the postage.

If you are ordering a birth certificate for someone else, you must also provide evidence that you have power of attorney over that person, as well as a piece of identification from them. This does not apply if you are reapplying for a birth certificate for a dependent or child under the age of 18.

Civil status birth permits

In addition to standard birth certificates, your local civil register will also be able to provide you with additional documents such as a confirmation of civil status. This document can be used to apply for universities abroad and can also be useful in applying for citizenship for nations outside of the European Union.

Is a child born in Switzerland automatically Swiss?

In Switzerland, citizenship is defined by the nationality of the parents of the child. This means that a child born in Switzerland does not automatically qualify for Swiss citizenship.

Children who are born to one Swiss parent can qualify for citizenship through simplified naturalisation. Children who are born in Switzerland to non-Swiss parents must apply for citizenship in their parents’ nation of origin. If this is not possible due to internal conflicts in the country of citizenship or due to refugee status, it is recommended to apply for citizenship in Switzerland through simplified naturalisation.

Key steps after registering a child in Switzerland

Once you have successfully registered your child in Switzerland, it is possible to apply for a number of administrative and social programmes. These include: