Family, marriage and partnerships

Swiss–Mexican couples wishing to live in Mexico may apply for a permanent resident visa (Visa de residencia permanente) for the Swiss spouse and children.  The application must be submitted in person at the Mexican embassy in Bern. 

Marriages contracted abroad or registered partnerships under civil law are recognised in Switzerland and must be registered with the Swiss civil status authorities. Swiss nationals who get married abroad are required to register their marriage with the competent Swiss representation abroad. The representation translates and authenticates the marriage certificate and forwards it to the civil status authority in Switzerland free of charge. In exceptional cases, you can also notify your cantonal civil status authority, which will forward the marriage certificate and related documents to the representation abroad for translation and authentication. In this case you will be required to pay a fee.

You are advised to consult the relevant Swiss representation before your marriage regarding the rules you need to comply with so that the marriage can be recognised in Switzerland and entered in the civil status register as soon as possible.

Same-sex marriages have been legal in Mexico since 31 December 2022. For more detailed information, please refer to the factsheet on entering into a registered partnership abroad published by the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) and the relevant information provided by the Mexican authorities.