What are the benefits of getting married as opposed to entering into a civil partnership?

Unless otherwise agreed, the concept of joint ownership of property continues to apply to married couples, as opposed to the separation of property in civil partnerships. Furthermore, getting married makes it easier for your partner to obtain Swiss citizenship.

Couples can convert their civil partnerships into marriage by means of a simple document called a conversion declaration, which they can hand in at their local Swiss representation. Alternatively, couples can apply to initiate a preparatory procedure before marriage. This will then enable them to have their names changed at the time of marriage. Couples converting their civil partnership into a marriage can still change their names retroactively, but this will cost extra.

A word of caution: there is a gap in the law in the case of marriages involving the preparatory procedure, namely it is not clear whether a civil partnership is considered as time during which the couple are married. This, for example, could affect eligibility for simplified naturalisation – your partner must be married to you for at least six years – or your entitlement to a surviving spouse pension. However, with regard to the process of converting a civil partnership into marriage, the law clearly states that the duration of your civil partnership is taken into account. If you want to play safe, filling in a conversion declaration is therefore the best option.