Government of Canada services and information in Bern, Switzerland

Please consult ch.ch: Adoption - who should I contact?

Refer to International adoption.

Refer to Children born outside of Canada.

Please consult ch.ch: Birth.

Refer to Child abduction and parenting or custody issues.

Complete your application for a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship online.

In rare cases, the system may direct you to apply on paper through an embassy. In this case, send us your application and include a printout of the system's refusal with the application. Your application may be sent by registered mail to:

Embassy of Canada
Citizenship
P.O. Box 234
CH-3000 Berne 6

Residents of the Canton of Geneva may send their application to the Permanent Mission of Canada in Geneva.

Check processing times for Certificates of Canadian Citizenship.

Failure to provide a complete application or the necessary documents may result in the rejection of your application.

Payment method

You must pay your application fees online regardless of whether you apply online or by registered mail. If you are directed to apply by mail, print and attach a copy of the receipt to your application.

Refer to Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Criminal record checks.

The following police services in Switzerland are known to perform fingerprinting by appointment:

• Commissariat de Police de Genève (Service de Police technique et scientifique)
• Police cantonale de Fribourg
• Kriminaltechnischer Dienst of Kantonspolizei Bern
• Polizeistation Winterthur Stadt Ost (+41 52 268 52 22) in Zürich

Other central stations of cantonal police forces may also be able to perform fingerprinting. Check directly with the cantonal police.

Once the Criminal Record Check has been issued by the RCMP, it may be apostilled by the Authentication of Documents section of Global Affairs Canada. The Embassy does not offer this service locally.

Refer to Death abroad.

See also the website of the Swiss authorities: What to do if someone dies

Canadian death certificates are available from the Vital Statistics authorities in the province or territory in which the event occurred.

Pension and retirement: Refer to Cancel Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan benefits if someone has passed away.

Mail the deceased’s Canadian passport if still valid to the embassy with a copy of the death certificate. The passport will be cancelled. Indicate if you would like the passport returned as a keepsake.

Refer to Marriage outside Canada.

Note: This information is given on a non-official basis and is subject to change by the Swiss authorities.

Before a civil marriage can be performed, you must meet a number of legal requirements and submit an application to your local civil register office.

Canadian diplomatic and consular officers may not solemnize marriages, nor can they allow the solemnization of marriages in the diplomatic/consular premises.

Civil marriage

To get a complete list of documents needed for a civil marriage, contact the Civil Registry (Zivilstandesamt in German, Office de l’Etat civil in French, Ufficio dello stato civile in Italian) of the canton where you want to get married. If you are in Canada, contact the Swiss diplomatic representation in your area (Consulate General of Switzerland in Montréal or Vancouver).

Canadian citizens who do not hold a valid Swiss residence permit will be asked for a certificate of non-impediment to marriage. Canada does not issue those certificates. Instead, you can get a Statement in lieu of certificate of non-impediment to marriage abroad from the Embassy of Canada. Please book an appointment. Remember to bring your valid Canadian passport.
Applicable fees can be paid with Visa or MasterCard.

Residents of the Canton of Geneva may receive this service from the Permanent Mission of Canada in Geneva.

Canadian citizens holding a valid Swiss residence permit get the certificate of non-impediment to marriage from their local Civil Registry Office.

Religious marriage

You may also get married in a church, but only after the civil ceremony. For information, contact the office of the church where you wish to get married.

The Embassy provides notarial services by appointment or registered mail to Canadian citizens and, in limited cases, to non-Canadian citizens if the documents are intended for use in Canada. Note: Documents must be in English or French or accompanied by an official translation in English or French.

Send a complete scan of the document(s) that require notarial services, as well as a description of those services, to BernConsular@international.gc.ca. If you have been directed to our Embassy by a service provider, include their email address in your message. Also include a phone number where we can reach you if we have questions. We will confirm if your service must be done in-person, or if it can be done by mail. Most services can be performed by registered mail.

Some services are only available through the provincial vital statistics office in Canada or through the Authentication section of Global Affairs Canada.

Apostille

Competent authorities in the following provinces will be responsible for authenticating all documents issued or notarized in their respective province. These documents must be submitted to the competent authorities and will not be authenticated at the Embassy.

• Alberta: Ministry of Justice of Alberta
• British Columbia: Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia
• Ontario: Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery of Ontario
• Quebec: Ministère de la Justice du Québec
• Saskatchewan: Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of Saskatchewan

The Embassy or the Authentication section of Global Affairs Canada may only authenticate certain documents issued by the Government of Canada or notarized in the provinces and territories that are not in the above list. The following documents may be eligible for authentication by apostille through the Embassy or the Authentication section of Global Affairs Canada:

1. Documents issued by the Government of Canada
2. Vital statistics documents issued by and documents notarized in the following provinces and territories:

• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• the Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Prince Edward Island
• Yukon

If your document was notarized in the provinces and territories listed above, the Embassy or the Authentication section of Global Affairs Canada can also assist no matter where it was originally issued.

Acknowledgement of paternity, naturalization, and retrieval of pension fund

Swiss authorities may require that you get a certificate of non-impediment or civil status for the acknowledgment of paternity, naturalization, or to retrieve pension funds when you are moving out of Switzerland. To get any of these certificates, please book an appointment at the Embassy of Canada by sending an email to bernconsular@international.gc.ca. Bring your valid Canadian passport. Applicable fees can be paid with Visa or MasterCard.

Residents of the Canton of Geneva can receive this service from the Permanent Mission of Canada in Geneva.

Certified copy (certify that the document is a true copy of the original) – these services are available by registered mail:

• Documents presented by a Canadian citizen or a non-Canadian citizen for use in Canada; exceptions apply (fees apply).
• Government-issued identification of which a copy must be certified as true (fees apply).

Witnessing a signature (consular officer witnesses that someone places a signature before them) – these services are provided in person:

• Documents presented by a Canadian citizen or a non-Canadian citizen for use in Canada; exceptions apply (fees apply).
• Witness a signature on a Statement in lieu of certificate of non-impediment to marriage abroad form (fees apply).
• Government-issued forms and documents requiring a witnessed signature (fees apply).

Note: Prepare all documents but do not sign them. Sign the documents only when instructed to do so by the consular officer.

Visit Changes to authentications services in Canada for more information on how authentication services changed after the Apostille Convention took effect in Canada.

Payment method

Credit card (Visa and MasterCard). Complete the credit card authorization form with the amount provided by our office after your document has been reviewed and accepted. Do not forget to enclose the payment form when submitting via registered mail.

Complete your passport application and pay your fee online. Include a copy of your online payment receipt. You can combine multiple applications in the same envelope and in the same payment. Passports sent in one envelope will be returned together in one envelope, along with all original documentation.

Mail your passport application by registered mail to:

Embassy of Canada
Consular Section
P.O. Box 234
CH-3000 Berne 6

We do not send receipt confirmations. We will only contact you if additional information is required. Processing times are 20 working days.

Please book an appointment only if we have asked you to present your documents in person. In-person appointments are only granted in exceptional circumstances (emergency consular assistance, for example). If this is the case, please contact us at BernConsular@international.gc.ca or +41 31 357 32 00.

Dual Canadian citizens must use a valid Canadian passport to travel to Canada.

Report a lost or stolen passport.

Payment method

We only accept online payment for all passport services. You must print a copy of the receipt and attach it to your passport application before mailing.

Refer to Benefits for Canadians living abroad and Retiring abroad.

If you reside in Switzerland, you should submit your pension claim from Canada (including Quebec) to the Swiss compensation Office (SCO).

Swiss compensation Office (SCO)
Av. Edmond-Vaucher 18
P.O. Box 3100
1211 Geneva 2

Tel.: +41 58 461 91 11
Fax: +41 22 795 97 05 / +41 22 795 97 06

www.zas.admin.ch

Note: This information is given on a non-official basis and is subject to change by the Swiss authorities.

In Switzerland, a person who has reached the age of majority, and is capable of discernment, may enter into a marriage with another person of the same sex. The same conditions and requirements in the Marriage abroad section also apply to same-sex couples.

Acknowledgement of parental rights

The acknowledgement and recognition of parental rights for both parents of a child issued from a same-sex couple remain very complex in Switzerland. You should consult a specialized lawyer to understand what effects may occur on citizenship, naturalization, and the right of both parents to be recognized as such.

Refer to Studying abroad and EduCanada.

The Embassy is unable to respond to immigration-related enquiries or provide biometric services.

Refer to Travel documents – Visas.

• Apply to travel, study, work or immigrate to Canada.
• Find a visa application centre (VAC) to book an appointment to give your biometrics (fingerprints and photo).
• Submit an enquiry using the IRCC web form to contact a visa office.

Permanent residents of Canada: Find out how to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD).

Refer to Voting in an election while outside Canada.