My child will be born abroad. How do they become a Swiss citizen?

According to the Swiss Citizenship Act (SCA), a child born to Swiss parents is a Swiss citizen from birth. Provided the parents are married and at least one them is a Swiss national, the child will automatically acquire Swiss citizenship. If the parents are unmarried and only the mother is Swiss, the child will likewise automatically receive Swiss citizenship. In the case of an unmarried father, you must first recognise the child as your own via the competent authorities in your country of residence.

In all cases, you must report the birth of your child to the competent Swiss representation. This is especially important if a child born abroad to a Swiss parent is also the citizen of another country, because the child may lose their Swiss citizenship on reaching the age of 25, unless a Swiss authority abroad or in Switzerland has been notified of the child’s birth or the individual has declared in writing that they wish to remain a Swiss citizen.

To ensure peace of mind and avoid any administrative complications in future, we therefore advise you to notify your local Swiss representation (embassy or consulate) of the birth as soon as possible. They will tell you what documentation you need to provide and forward this information to the relevant Swiss authorities, so that your child can be entered in the civil register.