Overview — what happens when two foreign nationals residing in Switzerland marry?
When two people, neither of whom holds a Swiss passport, reside in Switzerland and marry, the question that arises is not primarily one of naturalisation, but rather one of permit synchronisation: which residence permit does the joining or already-present spouse obtain after the marriage? What requirements apply? What deadlines must be observed?
The answer depends on the permit type of the "anchor" spouse — that is, the person whose residence status forms the framework for family reunification or permit adjustment. There are three main configurations:
- Both spouses hold an EU/EFTA passport → Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, SR 0.142.112.681), Annex I Art. 3 AFMP.
- At least one spouse holds a third-country passport → Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration (FNIA, SR 142.20), Art. 43 FNIA or Art. 44 FNIA, depending on the permit type of the anchor spouse.
- Mixed EU/EFTA + third-country configuration → Combination: the third-country national generally derives their right of residence from the more favourable AFMP family regime, provided the EU/EFTA person is the anchor.
The "marriage to a Swiss national" configuration is treated separately in the article Marriage to a Swiss national. It is governed by Art. 42 FNIA and typically leads to a permit as a foreign family member of a Swiss national.
Anchor spouse with a C settlement permit (third-country national) — Art. 43 FNIA
If the anchor spouse is a third-country national holding a C settlement permit, Art. 43 FNIA applies. The decisive point: Art. 43 FNIA establishes an entitlement to family reunification — the authority has no discretion here, provided the statutory requirements are met and no ground for revocation exists.
Art. 43 FNIA (in substance, as in force on 01.01.2024) requires:
- Cohabitation of the spouses at the same place of residence in Switzerland.
- Suitable housing.
- Financial self-sufficiency: the family must not be dependent on social assistance.
- Proof of A1 language skills orally in a national language (Art. 43 para. 1 let. d FNIA; introduced by the integration revision, in force since 01.01.2019).
- No ground for revocation under Art. 62 FNIA or Art. 63 FNIA (grounds of security and public order).
The resulting permit for the joining spouse is a B residence permit under family reunification. This can be converted into a C settlement permit after five years of uninterrupted residence, provided the integration criteria are met; early grant of the settlement permit is possible in the event of successful integration and good command of the national language spoken at the place of residence, under Art. 34 para. 4 FNIA.
Important notes on Art. 43 FNIA:
- Proof of A1 language skills can be furnished before entry into Switzerland (language certificate recognised by the SEM). The authoritative list of recognised certificates is maintained by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM); it is available via the SEM page on language promotion (see the section "Proof of A1 language skills" below).
- The deadline under Art. 47 FNIA (five years) for filing the application applies (see the section below).
- In the case of later family reunification (after the deadline under Art. 47 FNIA has expired), "important family reasons" are required (Art. 47 para. 4 FNIA).
- In the family reunification procedure, the anchor spouse with a C settlement permit typically submits the following documents: current permit card, tenancy agreement with proof of the size of the dwelling (cantonal practice varies; as a rule of thumb, roughly one room more than the number of persons is expected), pay slips for the last few months, where applicable the tax assessment. In the case of self-employment: balance sheet, income statement, OASI confirmation. The exact list is set by the cantonal migration office.
- Receipt of social assistance at the time the application is filed generally leads to refusal; even receipt further in the past may feed into the assessment depending on the amount and circumstances.
- Cantonal practice on the strictness of the financial examination varies considerably: some cantons weigh short-term income fluctuations more carefully, others examine working-poor configurations more strictly. The practice of the competent cantonal migration office is always binding.
Anchor spouse with a B residence permit (third-country national) — Art. 44 FNIA
If the anchor spouse holds a B residence permit as a third-country national, Art. 44 FNIA applies. Unlike Art. 43 FNIA, this is a discretionary decision of the cantonal migration office — there is no legal entitlement.
Art. 44 FNIA (in substance) requires:
- Cohabitation of the spouses.
- Suitable housing.
- Sufficient financial means: the family must not be dependent on social assistance.
- Proof of A1 language skills orally in a national language (Art. 44 para. 1 let. d FNIA).
- No ground for revocation under Art. 62 FNIA (grounds of security and public order).
The resulting permit for the joining spouse is a B residence permit, derived from the status of the anchor spouse. It is generally issued for the same duration and renewed jointly with the principal person.
Important notes on Art. 44 FNIA:
- Because this is a discretionary decision, the authority examines the financial situation particularly closely. In the case of a tight income or strong fluctuations, the permit may be refused.
- The deadline under Art. 47 FNIA (five years) also applies here.
- Where the requirements are not met, a hardship case under Art. 30 FNIA comes into consideration — rarely successful in practice and generally with the assistance of a lawyer. See the hardship clause under Art. 30 FNIA.
- The joining spouse's permit is tied to the existence of the anchor person's permit: if the latter loses their right of residence, the spouse's derived right of residence is also affected (subject to an independent right to remain under Art. 50 FNIA in the event of a later dissolution of the marriage).
- When the anchor person's B residence permit is renewed, the joining spouse's permit is generally also renewed; a separate application is not required, but appearing before the cantonal authority with passport and permit card is customary.
- In the event of the family's lasting receipt of social assistance, the authority may decline to renew or may revoke the spouse's derived permit. Whether the spouse can switch to an independent permit, provided they are themselves gainfully employed, is assessed on a case-by-case basis by the cantonal migration office; practice differs from canton to canton.
Difference between Art. 43 FNIA and Art. 44 FNIA: the practical difference between the two provisions is substantial. An entitlement provision (Art. 43 FNIA) means that a refusal is subject to judicial review with full power of examination. A discretionary provision (Art. 44 FNIA) means that the Federal Supreme Court reviews the authority's decision only on a limited basis — the cantonal authority has a margin of appraisal which is corrected by the court only in the event of excess of discretion, arbitrariness or breach of the law.
Anchor spouse with an L short-term permit (short stay) — Art. 45 FNIA in conjunction with Art. 32 FNIA
The L short-term permit itself is governed by Art. 32 FNIA (limited stay of at most one year, renewable up to a total of two years). Family reunification with the holder of an L short-term permit is governed by Art. 45 FNIA: the spouse and unmarried children under 18 may obtain a short-term permit under Art. 45 FNIA, provided they cohabit with the anchor person, have suitable housing and are not dependent on social assistance. Art. 45 let. d FNIA further excludes reunification where the anchor person receives supplementary benefits or could receive them as a result of the reunification.
Unlike Art. 43 FNIA, Art. 45 FNIA establishes no legal entitlement ("may"), but places reunification within the authority's discretion. In practice this means:
- Family reunification with an L short-term permit is possible, but tied to the short, limited nature of the short stay; the spouse's derived permit is an L short-term permit and shares its time limitation.
- Often the non-present spouse waits for the end of the L phase and a possible change of the anchor person's status to a B residence permit, because the more favourable regime of Art. 44 FNIA may result from it.
- A marriage during a short L phase is possible; the residence-law effects for the spouse are governed by Art. 45 FNIA or by the anchor person's later change of status.
The concrete handling of Art. 45 FNIA differs from canton to canton; the practice of the competent cantonal migration office is authoritative.
Anchor spouse with a Swiss passport — Art. 42 FNIA
This configuration is treated in a separate article: Marriage to a Swiss national. Brief note: the foreign spouse of a Swiss national is, under Art. 42 FNIA, entitled to the grant and renewal of the residence permit, provided the spouses cohabit; after five years of uninterrupted lawful residence there is, in addition, an entitlement to the settlement permit if the integration criteria are met (Art. 42 para. 3 FNIA). Facilitated naturalisation after marriage is governed by the Swiss Citizenship Act (SCA, SR 141.0), Art. 21 SCA.
Anchor spouse with AFMP status (EU/EFTA citizen) — Annex I Art. 3 AFMP
If the anchor spouse is an EU/EFTA citizen holding an AFMP residence permit (B-EU/EFTA or C-EU/EFTA), the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP, SR 0.142.112.681), Annex I Art. 3 AFMP applies. This regime is significantly broader and subject to fewer requirements than the FNIA rules:
- Circle of persons eligible for reunification: spouse, children up to 21 years (without restriction tied to education — unlike under the FNIA), relatives in the ascending line (ascendants), provided they are granted maintenance.
- No language proof required (the AFMP does not know this requirement — it is an FNIA peculiarity).
- No explicit income proof required for the AFMP family, provided the anchor person themselves meets the AFMP residence requirements (gainful employment, provision of services, sufficient means as a non-employed person).
- Suitable housing: required in practice, but handled less strictly than under the FNIA.
Important: the third-country spouse of an EU/EFTA citizen benefits from the AFMP regime. They obtain a B residence permit with the note "family member EU/EFTA" (in practice often "B-EU/EFTA family") and thereby, in principle, the same rights as the anchor person, in particular the right to gainful employment throughout Switzerland without reservation of authorisation.
Practical example: a Portuguese national holding a B-EU/EFTA permit in Geneva marries a Brazilian national residing in Bern. The Brazilian spouse obtains, under family reunification, a B residence permit "family member EU/EFTA" — without proof of A1 language skills, without explicit income proof beyond the AFMP means of the anchor person.
Prior residence in an EU/EFTA state — the "Metock" question: in EU law, the Court of Justice of the European Union held that no prior lawful residence in an EU state may be required of the third-country spouse of a Union citizen entitled to free movement as a condition of reunification. The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has adopted this line in its case law for the scope of the AFMP. Consequence for practice: a third-country spouse of an EU/EFTA citizen residing in Switzerland can, in principle, be reunited even if they never resided in an EU/EFTA state before the marriage. The exact scope depends on the concrete configuration.
Separation without divorce — AFMP family members: unlike FNIA families, whose independent right to remain is governed by Art. 50 FNIA, the derived AFMP right of residence of the third-country spouse is in principle tied to the legal continuance of the marriage. In the event of lasting separation without divorce, the right of residence formally continues; an abusive invocation of AFMP family law — in particular where the anchor person has left Switzerland or the marital union has manifestly been definitively given up — is examined by the migration office in accordance with the case law of the Federal Supreme Court.
The maintenance of residence after the dissolution of the marriage is structured differently in the AFMP context than under Art. 50 FNIA; it is summarised below in the section "What happens in the event of separation or divorce".
Deadline for family reunification — Art. 47 FNIA
Art. 47 FNIA (in substance, as in force on 01.01.2024) governs the deadline:
- Principle: family reunification must be applied for within five years.
- For children over 12 years: shortened deadline of 12 months (Art. 47 para. 1 FNIA).
- Start of the deadline (Art. 47 para. 3 let. b FNIA): for family members of foreign nationals, the deadline begins to run with the grant of the residence or settlement permit to the anchor person, or with the creation of the family relationship. In the case of a subsequent marriage during the anchor person's residence, the deadline therefore begins to run from the date of the marriage.
Lateness: anyone who misses the deadline can only still assert family reunification if important family reasons exist (Art. 47 para. 4 FNIA). In practice this is successful only in narrowly delimited configurations — for example in the case of documented, unforeseeable events in the country of origin or a changed care situation for children. The assessment lies with the authority on a case-by-case basis.
Anti-scope: SIP gives no assessment of whether a particular applicant can still observe the deadline or whether, in the individual case, "important personal reasons" exist.
Deadline calculation in practice: the five-year deadline runs by the calendar from the date of the formal grant of the permit to the anchor person or from the creation of the family relationship (marriage), not from the entry or registration date. What is decisive for observing the deadline is the filing date of the family reunification application with the cantonal migration office, not the later grant date or the spouse's entry date. Where the grant of the permit is delayed (for example where the anchor person first goes through an L phase), the start of the deadline varies according to cantonal practice.
Shortened deadline for children over 12 years: this 12-month deadline (Art. 47 para. 1 FNIA) is applied strictly in practice. It relates to the family reunification of children, not directly to the spouse, but is decisive for shared children or children brought from earlier relationships and must often be considered together in connection with the marriage configuration.
Marriage in Switzerland — procedure at the civil registry office
Civil-law marriage takes place at the civil registry office of the place of residence. The procedure comprises:
- Registration ("preparatory procedure") of both spouses in person at the civil registry office. Required:
- Valid identity documents (passport).
- Confirmation of residence (B/C/L/Ci permit card or confirmation of registration of arrival).
- The certificate of marital capacity from the country of origin (for third-country nationals), where necessary with apostille or consular legalisation. Translation into a Swiss official language.
- Birth certificate, where applicable a family record.
- Examination by the civil registry office (Art. 97a CC — reservation regarding marriages of convenience, see the section below).
- Marriage deadline after completion of the preparatory procedure: under Art. 100 CC, the marriage ceremony must take place within three months of the notification of the completion of the preparatory procedure, failing which the procedure must be repeated. The duration of the preparatory procedure itself varies from canton to canton and depends on the completeness of the documents; the binding processing time is communicated by the competent civil registry office.
- Ceremony by the civil registrar on the agreed date, at the civil registry office or at a place permitted by the authority.
- Entry in the civil status register.
A religious ceremony, whether church or other, is possible after the civil-law marriage (Art. 97 para. 3 CC) — it is the spouses' own choice and has no residence-law effect.
Special case: marriage shortly before a permit expires
Where a spouse with an expiring L or B permit wishes to marry in Switzerland, the civil registry office examines, in the preparatory procedure, the lawful residence of both spouses (Art. 98 para. 4 CC in conjunction with Art. 99 CC). Persons without lawful residence generally cannot marry in Switzerland — a configuration that has been legally consolidated since the acceptance of the popular initiative "Against mass immigration" and the subsequent adjustments.
A marriage used as a means of avoiding an imminent removal is frequently regarded as an indication of a marriage of convenience (see the section below). Anyone who wishes to conclude a genuine marriage despite an expiring permit should have the configuration clarified in advance by a lawyer.
Special case: marriage in Switzerland, then relocation of residence abroad and return
Anyone who marries in Switzerland, then moves abroad together and later returns does not automatically fall within the family reunification of Art. 43 FNIA or Art. 44 FNIA. The return must be independently justified (offer of employment, study, family reunification) and the permit requirements must be met anew. The earlier marriage concluded in Switzerland creates no permit entitlement.
Marriage abroad — recognition in Switzerland
A marriage validly concluded abroad is recognised in Switzerland, provided the recognition does not contravene Swiss public policy (ordre public). The recognition of marriages concluded abroad is governed by the Federal Act on Private International Law (PILA, SR 291); its Art. 45 (SR 291) is authoritative. Recognition is carried out by the civil registry office at the place of residence or by the cantonal supervisory authority in civil status matters.
Not recognised, or recognised only in a limited way, are inter alia:
- Polygamous marriages: since polygamy contravenes Swiss public policy (cf. the prohibition of bigamy, Art. 96 CC), only the first marriage is recognised.
- Religious marriages without state registration in countries that have a parallel civil registration: not recognised.
- Child marriages (a marriage involving a person under 18): the invalidity of such marriages is enshrined as a non-time-limited ground of invalidity in Art. 105 CC (no. 6).
- Proxy marriages ("marriage by proxy"): cantonal practice varies; rather recognised where both spouses are present in the state of marriage, otherwise viewed critically.
For recognition, presentation of the legalised or apostilled marriage certificate of the country of marriage is required, together with a translation. Recognition is a precondition for entry in the Swiss civil status register and for any permit consequences.
Reservation regarding marriages of convenience — Art. 51 FNIA, Art. 97a CC
Both the CC and the FNIA contain provisions against marriages of convenience (also "immigration-law marriages"):
- Art. 97a CC: the civil registry office refuses to cooperate in the preparation of the marriage where there are indications that the engaged couple manifestly do not intend to establish a marital union, but wish to circumvent the provisions on the admission and residence of foreign nationals.
- Art. 51 FNIA: the entitlements to family reunification under Art. 42 FNIA, Art. 43 FNIA and Art. 44 FNIA lapse where the marriage was concluded solely to circumvent the rules of immigration law (abuse of rights).
The case law has developed, for assessing the suspicion of a marriage of convenience, catalogues of indications:
- a considerable age difference,
- the lack of a common language between the spouses,
- a very short period of acquaintance before the marriage,
- financial transfers between the spouses without a plausible family explanation,
- a marriage concluded shortly before an imminent removal,
- ignorance of the other spouse's fundamental life circumstances during questioning by the authority,
- separate housing shortly after the marriage.
No single indication is conclusive on its own; the overall assessment is decisive. The burden of proof lies with the authority, but the spouses' duty to cooperate is high (Art. 90 FNIA).
Consequences: refusal of the marriage by the civil registry office, refusal or revocation of the residence permit, where applicable criminal prosecution for fraudulently obtaining a permit (Art. 118 FNIA).
Procedure: the migration office may question the spouses separately, ask about shared life circumstances (e.g. the spouse's date of birth, common circle of acquaintances, living habits). In the event of suspicion, an in-depth investigation takes place — where applicable a home visit to check cohabitation. The spouses' duty to cooperate under Art. 90 FNIA requires truthful information; but disproportionate or fundamental-rights-sensitive intrusions (e.g. bedroom inspection) are circumscribed by practice and Federal Supreme Court case law.
Overview of cantonal practice
The application of the federal-law provisions (FNIA, AFMP, CC) varies in detail from canton to canton — both in the competent authority and the procedural language, and in the handling of discretion. The following overview merely assigns authority and procedural language; it makes no statement about the prospects of success of a particular application and replaces no cantonal case-by-case examination:
| Canton | Competent authority / procedural language |
|---|---|
| Zurich | Migrationsamt des Kantons Zürich; procedural language German. In the event of suspicion of a marriage of convenience, in-depth investigations are possible. |
| Bern | Office of Population Services (Migration Service); bilingual German/French depending on the region. |
| Vaud | Service de la population (SPOP); procedural language French. Federal approval (SEM) in configurations subject to approval. |
| Geneva | Office cantonal de la population et des migrations (OCPM); procedural language French. |
| Basel-Stadt | Migrationsamt Basel-Stadt; procedural language German. Observe appeal deadlines. |
| Ticino | Sezione della popolazione; procedural language Italian; proof of A1 language skills in Italian. |
| Valais | Population and Migration Office; bilingual German/French depending on the district. |
| Fribourg | Population and Migration Office; bilingual German/French depending on the district. |
Current processing times and procedural details are to be requested from the relevant cantonal migration office. Detailed treatment in the cantonal in-depth articles on Canton Zurich, Canton Geneva, Canton Vaud etc.
Registered partnership / marriage for all
- Partnership Act (PartA, 18.06.2004, in force 01.01.2007): established the registered partnership for same-sex couples with residence-law consequences largely analogous to those of marriage (Art. 52 FNIA refers to the spouse-related provisions).
- Marriage for all: popular vote of 26.09.2021, in force 01.07.2022. Since then, marriage has been open to same-sex couples; existing registered partnerships can be converted into a marriage (declaration at the civil registry office).
- The residence-law consequences have, since 01.07.2022, been identical to those of opposite-sex marriage: Art. 42–44 FNIA or Annex I Art. 3 AFMP apply equally.
Since 01.07.2022, new registered partnerships can no longer be entered into; existing ones remain valid.
Conversion of an existing partnership into a marriage: this is done by joint declaration of both partners at the civil registry office. The residence-law consequences do not change — the partnership years are credited towards the marriage (relevant for Art. 50 para. 1 let. a FNIA in the event of a later separation and for the waiting period for facilitated naturalisation in the case of marriage to a Swiss national).
What happens in the event of separation or divorce
In the event of the dissolution of the marital union, Art. 50 FNIA applies to third-country nationals whose right of residence is derived from Art. 42 FNIA, Art. 43 FNIA or Art. 44 FNIA. The permit can be continued independently in the case of
- a marital union lasting at least three years and fulfilled integration criteria (Art. 50 para. 1 let. a FNIA), or
- important personal reasons (Art. 50 para. 1 let. b FNIA in conjunction with Art. 50 para. 2 FNIA), in particular in the case of domestic violence.
For AFMP family members, separate rules apply to the maintenance of residence after the dissolution of the marriage; they derive from Annex I Art. 3 AFMP and the Federal Supreme Court case law issued thereon.
Detailed treatment in the article Separation and divorce (Art. 50 FNIA).
Proof of A1 language skills — fide certificate and equivalent proofs
For the FNIA configurations (Art. 43 FNIA and Art. 44 FNIA), proof of A1 language skills orally in a national language (German, French, Italian, where applicable Romansh depending on the canton of residence) is required.
Recognised in particular are:
- The fide language proof (recognised by the Confederation; staggered levels A1, A2, B1).
- Language certificates in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), provided they are recognised on the SEM list: telc, Goethe-Institut, ÖSD, DELF/DALF, CELI, etc.
- School education credentials: a Swiss school-leaving qualification or studies in the corresponding national language.
The authoritative, continually updated list of recognised language proofs is maintained by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) on its page on language promotion (sem.admin.ch — language proof); the recognised certificates and the cantonal detailed practice are to be checked there or with the competent cantonal migration office.
The language proof can be furnished before entry in the country of origin (via fide-accredited bodies) or after entry into Switzerland within a deadline set by the authority.
Exemption from the language proof: exempt from the proof is, in particular, anyone who speaks a national language as their mother tongue or who attended compulsory school for at least three years in a national language; the details are governed by the Ordinance on Admission, Residence and Gainful Employment (OASA, SR 142.201), Art. 77d OASA, in conjunction with Art. 43 FNIA and Art. 44 FNIA. The version of the OASA in force at the time is authoritative.
Costs: the fees for the language proof (e.g. the fide test at level A1) and for other recognised certificates are set by the respective providers and shown on their pages; assumption of costs by the canton is provided for only in individual cases.
Waiting period for naturalisation after marriage
Authoritative are the Swiss Citizenship Act (SCA, SR 141.0) as well as the associated Ordinance on Swiss Citizenship (OSC, SR 141.01).
Third-country spouses of third-country nationals do not benefit from facilitated naturalisation; this is open only to spouses of Swiss citizens (Art. 21 SCA).
They follow ordinary naturalisation under Art. 9 SCA and the following articles:
- At least ten years of residence in Switzerland, whereby the time spent in Switzerland between the completed 8th and the 18th year of age counts double (Art. 9 para. 2 SCA); the total residence must be at least six years.
- Residence during three of the last five years immediately preceding the filing of the application.
- The C settlement permit as a requirement (Art. 9 para. 1 let. a SCA).
- Fulfilment of the integration criteria under Art. 12 SCA (respect for public security and order, respect for the values of the Federal Constitution, language competence, participation in economic life or the acquisition of education, promotion and support of the family's integration).
- The concrete language requirements — orally at least level B1, in writing at least level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference — are enshrined in the Ordinance on Citizenship (OSC, SR 141.01); its Art. 6 (SR 141.01) is authoritative. The act (Art. 12 SCA) and the ordinance (OSC; Art. 6 (SR 141.01)) are separate enactments and are cited separately.
- Additional cantonal and communal residence requirements; these vary from canton to canton and arise from the respective cantonal citizenship act. The binding deadlines are to be requested from the municipality of residence or the cantonal naturalisation authority.
Anyone who is, by contrast, married to a Swiss national can apply for facilitated naturalisation under Art. 21 SCA (five years of residence in Switzerland and three years of marital union, or six years of marital union in the case of shorter residence — the wording of the act is authoritative). See the Citizenship Act 2018 Glossary (BüG, SR 141.0) and Naturalisation in Switzerland — Paths to Swiss Citizenship.
- No eligibility forecast: SIP does not predict whether a particular family reunification application will be approved.
- No positioning advice regarding the marriage: neither on avoiding the suspicion of a marriage of convenience, nor on the choice of the timing of the marriage with a view to the permit deadline, nor on the choice of the country of marriage.
- No assessment of individual indications in an ongoing marriage-of-convenience procedure.
- No strategic advice on the choice of place of residence with a view to differing cantonal practice.
- No representation before the migration office, the civil registry office or a court.
SIP explains the law in force and replaces no individual legal advice. The actual legal advice and representation in the individual case are reserved to the lawyers entered in the cantonal bar register; the requirements for this professional practice are governed by the Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers (LLCA, SR 935.61). For individual questions, the referral is therefore to a registered lawyer. In the case of an allegation of a marriage of convenience or an ongoing procedure, the assistance of a lawyer is indispensable — the consequences of a false representation to the authorities are serious (loss of the permit, criminal consequences under Art. 118 FNIA).
Cross-references
- Legal representation: SIP lawyer referral in the language of the canton of residence; cantonal bar associations (e.g. Ordre des Avocats de Genève, Anwaltsverband ZH).
- Free initial consultation: cantonal legal information offices, Caritas counselling, HEKS migration counselling, Centre social protestant (CSP) in French-speaking Switzerland.
- Cantonal-portal information: cantonal migration office for formal procedural questions, civil registry office for marriage and the recognition of foreign marriages.
- Cross-references:
- Marriage to a Swiss national — marriage to a Swiss national (Art. 42 FNIA, Ci permit, facilitated naturalisation).
- Separation and divorce (Art. 50 FNIA) — dissolution of the marriage and continuation of the permit.
- Hardship clause under Art. 30 FNIA — hardship case where family reunification requirements are not met.
- The B residence permit — B residence permit in general.
- Free movement EU/EFTA — AFMP regime.
- Deadlines table for Swiss immigration law — deadlines table including Art. 47 FNIA.
- AIG/VZAE glossary — FNIA/OASA glossary with Art. 43 FNIA, Art. 44 FNIA, Art. 47 FNIA and Art. 50 FNIA.
- Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) — Glossary — AFMP glossary with Annex I Art. 3 AFMP.
