Attesting Swiss Documents (FAQs)

Yes - Switzerland is a member of the Apostille Convention.

Swiss documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When Swiss documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as United Arab Emirates - Taiwan - Malaysia - Thailand - Zambia - Qatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information see:
Switzerland Apostille Services

Civil status certificates (multilingual extracts from the civil status registers)
Swiss birth, marriage and death certificates) issued in accordance with the conventions of the International Commission on Civil and Civil Status should not require Apostille Stamps when being submitted to one of the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cape Verde, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.

Multilingual certificates of no impediment to marriage
Swiss certificates of no impediment to marriage are exempt from any formality for submission to the following countries (Munich CIEC Convention):
Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Turkey.

Official documents that can be legalized in Switzerland with Apostille stamps or through embassy attestation include, civil status extracts (birth, death and marriage certificates, certificates of no impediment for marriage), divorce judgements, company extracts from Cantonal commercial registries, Criminal Record Extracts issued by the Federal Office of Justice, medical certificates (with an original signature or certified by the Swiss Medical Association), Foreign documents legalized by foreign consulates and embassies in Switzerland, university degrees and other academic documents, and private documents (including power of attorney) certified by a Swiss notary.
For further information, see: Switzerland Apostille Services

Swiss Civil Status certificates can be legalized with Apostille stamps from the competent Canton where the birth, death or marriage took place. Birth, death and marriage certificates required for countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention (e.g. UAE, Qatar, Vietnam) are authenticated by the Canton and then by the Federal Chancellery for attestation by the embassy of the recipient country in Bern.

Civil status certificates (multilingual extracts from the civil status registers)
Swiss birth, marriage and death certificates) issued in accordance with the conventions of the International Commission on Civil and Civil Status should not require Apostille Stamps when being submitted to one of the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cape Verde, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.

Swiss criminal records extracts are available online from the Federal Office of Justice (no other provider) or over the counter at Swiss Post Offices. It is only possible to order your own certificate.

Extracts are available in paper form or as digital certificates. Digital certificates can only be authenticated for use abroad with Apostilles on notarized copies (certifying the signature of the notary). If an Apostille or Attestation is required on the original, a paper copy should be ordered; then an Apostille or Authentication can be obtained from the Federal Chancellery for submission aboard or attestation at an embassy in Bern.

There are two types of extract from the Register of Criminal Records:
A standard private extract may be used any purpose (e.g. foreign visa and residency applications).
A special private extract is issued for activities involving regular contact with minors or other vulnerable people.

• Order a Swiss criminal records extracts
• FAQs - Criminal records extracts

Apostilles can be obtained for certified extracts from Swiss commercial registers from the Canton where the company is registered, including certified articles of association. Commerical extracts required for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other non-apostille countries must then be legalized by the Federal Chancellery and the embassy of the recipient country in Bern.

We can obtain certified extracts from Cantonal commercial registries for apostille stamping and legalization.
See Switzerland Apostille Services

Depending on the document and the authority that will issue the apostille, Swiss apostille generally take 2 - 7 business days

Allow additional time for documents that require attestation by the embassy or consulate of the recipient country.

Swiss Apostilles can be applied to original birth, death and marriage certificates or to notarized copies. Notarized copies can often be made from a good quality scan.

Apostilles for Swiss Criminal Record Extracts can be issued on notarized copies of digital certificates issued by the Federal Office of Justice (Register of Criminal Records). An original paper certificate is not required unless the authority requesting the police certificate requires the Apostille to be applied to the original.

Swiss university degrees and course transcripts can be authenticated in Switzerland by making a notarized copy. We can often do this from a good quality scan.

If the authority requesting the legalized degree requires the apostille on the original diploma, this needs to be certified by the competent education authority in the Canton where the university is based and then authenticated by the Cantonal authority with an Apostille.
See: Switzerland Apostille Services

A power of attorney made in Switzerland must be signed before a Swiss notary. It can then be authenticated with an Apostille stamp from the Cantonal authority.

Medical certificates can be authenticated with an Apostille in Switzerland from the Cantonal authority when signed by a Swiss-registered doctor (original "wet" ink signature) and certified by the Canton's Department of Health. Certificates certified by the Swiss Medical Association (FMH) can be authenticated by the Federal Chancellery.

A Certificate of no impediment to marriage issued in Switzerland can be authenticated with an Apostille from the competent Cantonal Authority.

Multilingual certificates of no impediment to marriage
Swiss certificates of no impediment to marriage are exempt from any formality for submission to the following countries (Munich CIEC Convention):
Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Turkey.

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

• ISAREY reviews on Trustpilot
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Swiss birth, death and marriage certificates can be obtained from the civil registry office in the Canton where the death, birth or marriage took place. Certificates can generally be ordered online.

• Civil registry office search
• Geneva Status Certificates
• Zurich - Civil Status Certificates (in German)
• Bern - civil status certificates
• FAQs - Digitial civil status extracts (in French)

Swiss degree certificates can be attested for submission to UAE authorities or for UAE visa applications at the embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Bern. Notarized true copies can be attested and can often be made from good-quality scans. Following notarization, degrees are authenticated by the Cantonal authority and then by the Federal Chancellery.

Original degree certificates can also be attested after certification by the competent education authority in the Canton where the university is based.
See: Switzerland Apostille Services

Swiss degree certificates can be attested for submission to Vietnamese authorities or for Vietnamese visa applications at the embassy of Vietnam in Bern. Notarized true copies can be attested and can often be made from good-quality scans. Following notarization, degrees are authenticated by the Cantonal authority and then by the Federal Chancellery.

Original degree certificates can also be attested after certification by the competent education authority in the Canton where the university is based.
See: Switzerland Apostille Services

Swiss university degree certificates required for submission to Taiwanese authorities and for Taiwan visa applications are legalized at the Délégation culturelle et économique de Taipei in Bern or Geneva. Before the diploma can be attested, it must be legalized by the chanceries of State of Switzerland or the Swiss Federal Chancery. True copies of diplomas can be legalized, but only if the copy was made by the same institution that made the original and only if the signature of the person issuing it can be legalized by the relevant Swiss State Chancery.
See: Switzerland Apostille Services

Apostilles are not required when submitting Swiss Multilingual certificates of no impediment to marriage issued to the authorities of a country that has acceded to the Munich CIEC Convention. Members of the Munich CIEC Convention are as follows:
Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

Swiss birth, marriage and death certificates (multilingual extracts from the civil status registers issued in accordance with the conventions of the International Commission on Civil and Civil Status) should not require Apostille Stamps when being submitted to countries that have acceded to the Vienna CIEC Convention. The following countries are contracting states of the Vienna Convention:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cape Verde, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey.

Yes - foreign documents can be authenticated with an Apostille stamp in Switzerland from the Federal Chancellery after being attested by the embassy of the issuing country in Bern.

Apostilles on paper Swiss Criminal Record Extracts issued by the Federal Office of Justice are obtained from the Federal Chancellery in Bern. Apostilles can also be applied to notarized copies of digital extracts (but will authenticate the signature of the notary - check with the authority that requested the certificate if an apostille on a copy is acceptable).
For further information, see: Switzerland Apostille Services