Acknowledgement of paternity takes place by declaration before the civil registrar. As soon as acknowledgement of paternity is recorded, the bonds of filiation govern the relationship between the father and the child, i.e. the obligation of maintenance until the child reaches the age of majority, or even until the end of the child’s education, reciprocal rights in matters of succession and mutual duties in matters of assistance.
 
For the recognition of a child to be valid, the following conditions must be met:
 

• Only the biological father can recognise the child. The author of the recognition must be capable of discernment.
  
• If the author of the recognition is minor or prohibited, the consent of his parents or guardian is necessary.
  

 
Recognition can also be established if the father of the child is married to another woman. Recognition can take place before or after birth.
When the mother is married at the time of the birth of her child, the law provides for a presumption of paternity in favour of the husband. If the latter is not the father of the child, this bond of filiation must be broken before recognition can be carried out. To this end, a disavowal procedure must be brought before the competent court.
 
If the father refuses to recognise the child, the mother or the child must bring an action for paternity, so that paternity can be established by judgment.
 
The act of recognition is an irrevocable declaration. Recognition establishes filiation between the natural father and the child. The recognised child has in particular the right to inherit from his father and has the right to alimony.
 
Start a paternity acknowledgement procedure

However, you cannot get married if:

• You are already married or bound by a registered partnership.
  
• You are not capable of discernment.
  
• You are closely related to your partner.
  
• The marriage is contracted to evade the provisions on the admission of foreigners.
  
• The marriage is not voluntary and you marry under duress.
  

You will then need to complete the form “Open a preparatory marriage procedure”, which is delivered by the civil status office following the couple’s request. Depending on the situation, you will have to submit different documents (pay attention to the information from the civil registry office). After submitting the documents, confirm in person at the civil registry office that you meet all the conditions. In the event of constraint on your free consent, assistance services exist. Forcing someone to marry is a criminal offence and the marriage can be annulled.
 
More information
Domestic violence
 
You are concerned by forced marriage
Free consultation for people in a situation of forced marriage or facing pressure from those around them to start or end a relationship, advice to professionals who take care of these people.
 
Bureau cantonal pour l’intégration des étrangers et la prévention du racisme (BCI)
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021 316 49 59
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The civil registry office then examines your request and informs you in writing whether you can marry. The marriage must take place within 3 months of the end of the preparatory procedure. The ceremonies take place in the wedding halls of the canton or directly in the premises of the civil registry office if they take place directly after the closing of the wedding preparatory procedure.
 
They can also be held in “exceptional places”, duly listed (refer to the civil registry website). Two major witnesses capable of discernment must be present. If the engaged couple do not understand the language of the civil registry office where the marriage is celebrated, they must use an interpreter and bear the related costs.
 
During the ceremony, the two fiancés and the two witnesses sign the confirmation of marriage, prepared in advance. At the end of the wedding, the spouses receive the family certificate.
 
The emoluments for the civil marriage generally vary between CHF 300 and 500. Special wishes, such as a celebration on a Saturday or outside the official Lausanne wedding hall, incur additional costs. The fees can also have a higher cost, especially in the presence of foreign civil status documents to be authenticated. You can also get married religiously, but only after the civil ceremony.

You must also adapt the official documents when your name changes with the marriage. In particular, you must renew the following documents:

• Passport and identity card.
  
• AVS certificate.
  
• Driving licence and circulation permit.
  
• Bank cards and credit cards.
  
• Deed of origin.
  

Note, however, that if the parents are married, parental authority is exercised jointly. In addition, if it is not the first child, the following children will necessarily bear the family name chosen for the first child, under the principle of sibling unity.
 
It should be noted that, in customary documents such as identity papers, it is possible to use a marriage name with a hyphen by joining the single surname to the name of the spouse.
 
Furthermore, in the event of the dissolution of the marriage, at the end of divorce proceedings or following the death of one of the spouses, the spouse who changed their name at the time of marriage may declare at any time to the civil registry that they wish to resume their single name.

Choose between the single names of the spouses

In the event of the death of one of the spouses, the spouse who changed their name at the conclusion of the marriage may declare at any time to the civil registrar that they wish to return to their single name.
 
Depending on where the deceased person resided, it is also necessary to notify the municipal authorities. Especially since many Swiss municipalities offer free services for funerals (burials, cremation, funeral procession, etc.): it may therefore be wise to inquire beforehand in order to be able to benefit from these services free of charge.
 
Also note that it is possible to make a request to the bank of the deceased person to release funds in order to pay the expenses related to the funeral. Most establishments block accounts at the time of death (for inheritance tax purposes), but some banks may allow funds to be released.
 
Notification and registration of a death
 
A deceased person must be transported to a place of preservation. In general, following the “confirmation of death” issued by the civil registry, the municipal authority authorises the transport and burial of the deceased. The transport is carried out by a funeral director authorised by the Département de la Santé et l’action sociale (DSAS). The transport can also precede the notification to the authorities. In Switzerland, funerals must take place between 48 and 98 hours after death. Depending on the region, funerals can be organised up to 5 days after death, when the body is stored in a refrigerated room.
 
Switzerland hosts a wide variety of funeral rites. The organisation of the funeral will therefore greatly depend on the type of ceremony chosen, but whatever its form, the chosen ceremony will require certain basic logistics:

• Transfer of the body.
  
• Choice of place, date and time of the ceremony.
  
• List of people to invite.
  
• Funeral announcement (e.g. with a mortuary notice).
  

It is usual to call on a funeral director to be accompanied in these steps.
 
In fact, whether private or public (official), funeral directors can support you very early in the process and help you with administrative procedures as well as with the organisation of the funeral. They have a coordination role between the family of the deceased and the various intervening entities and can also provide services, such as mortuary washing and care of the body. The employees of funeral companies who carry out mortuary care ensure that it is carried out with respect for the dignity of the deceased person and in keeping with their cultural and religious traditions. Funeral directors are usually willing to arrange a tribute that is meaningful to you. Indeed, whatever your needs or desires in terms of funerals and whatever your beliefs, you will be able to find a funeral director whose services will be perfectly adapted to your expectations and who will be able to meet them with great attention and care, without judgment.
 
You will find the list of different funeral directors as well as more information on this subject on the website of the Direction Générale de la Santé.
 
Direction générale de la santé
Office du médecin cantonal
Avenue des Casernes 2
1014 Lausanne
021 316 18 00