For the registration of the birth, all parents need to submit a filled-out name card, which will be given to you at the hospital or the birth centre.  Fill in the first name(s) and surname(s) you chose for your child and sign the name card (signature of both parents required).  Please write legibly so the name gets registered correctly.  Please also note that the naming is binding. A later change of name (in German) is only partially possible and is subject to costs.

You can find more information on naming in the section «first names and surnames» (in German).

Home Birth: If the child is delivered at home, the midwife or a person present at the birth must register the birth within 3 days.

If no midwife was present at the birth, we are happy to advise you about the next steps by telephone (044 412 31 50). 

Additional documents:

• Swiss family certificate: Married parents who have a family certificate can hand it in at the hospital or birth centre. We are happy to update the family record accordingly.

• Residence confirmation: If the mother and/or the father live abroad, we need a recent residence confirmation for the registration of the birth.

• Other documents: Swiss nationals, or foreign nationals who have already had a child or were already married in Switzerland in 2005 and later, do not need to submit any further documents. For ecological reasons, we kindly ask you not to submit other documents, such as passport and ID copies.

One or both parents are foreign nationals

It is possible that we might need additional documents for the registration of birth if one or both parents are foreign nationals. They vary depending on the parents’ nationality, civil status and birth country. We are happy to advise you on the necessary documents. Please fill in the contact form and enquire about the necessary documents ahead of time, otherwise there may be delays in the registration of birth.

Note

The Zurich civil registry office can only register children in the Swiss family certificate.  If the parents have a foreign family certificate, the corresponding consulate is responsible.