Switzerland

France and Germany bound Switzerland on the north, on the east, Austria and Liechtenstein form the boundaries, on the south is Italy and on the west France. It is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, with more than 70 percent of its area covered by the Alps. Although not a tropical paradise destination, Switzerland’s natural beauty is unsurpassed from breathtaking mountain scenery to idyllic villages and beautiful lakes.

Weather
Average weather in Zurich

Key to symbols used:
T - Average daily maximum temperatures
S - Average daily sunshine hours
R - Average monthly rainfall (if higher than 0.5”)

Flight time: 1.5
GMT = or -: +1
Visa: not required

Documents and legal requirements
Residence: Switzerland requires no residency or waiting period to get married.
Proof of ID: Your full birth certificates and 10-year passports will be required for proof of identity.
Proof of status: A statutory declaration and a promise of marriage form (obtainable from the Swiss Embassy) must be completed and presented to the Swiss Embassy in London a minimum of four months before the intended date of marriage.
Divorced: An official copy of your decree absolute will be required. A re-marriage for a divorced woman cannot take place for three hundred days after the dissolution of her previous marriage unless she has meanwhile given birth to a child.
Widowed: If either of you are widowed you will need to produce the death certificate of your deceased spouse.
Age restriction: You must both be eighteen or over to marry in Switzerland. If you are below this age you must obtain parental consent in the form of a sworn affidavit.

Ceremonies
The Swiss only recognise civil marriages in a Register Office however, it is possible to have a religious marriage blessing afterwards. A romantic way to personalise your wedding is by arriving in a horse drawn carriage and a yodel choir is often the perfect musical accompaniment.

Promise of marriage
Before a marriage ceremony can be performed in Switzerland the promise of marriage must be published at the Civil Registrar’s Office where you plan to marry. The promise of marriage must be made personally on a special form (available from the Swiss Embassy in London) by you both either before the registrar in Switzerland or a notary public or a solicitor in the United Kingdom. If the promise of marriage or/and the statutory declaration is made in this country, the notary or solicitor’s signature must be legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London (see Further Information for address).

Further information

Always check with local authorities as this information may be subject to change.