Thanks to a new civil status register, authorities in Switzerland will soon be able to use special characters in official documents, ranging from birth certificates to visas. Almost all special characters used in European languages will be allowed.

Special characters to be allowed in official Swiss documents

In what will be good news for the Stevanovićs, Kačićs and Ħenrys who are soon to apply for their next Swiss passport or residence permit, the government has confirmed that it would soon allow the use of special characters in official documents. Previously, those with special characters beyond umlauts had to deliberately misspell their names on all documents issued federally.

Now, the government has confirmed that it will be adopting a new and upgraded civil status register from November 11. This system should be able to recognise the vast majority of special characters used in European languages.

How do I correct my name on the Swiss Civil Status Register?

Those who want to correct the spelling of their names in official documents before they expire can do so from January 1, 2025 - the delay is so that state workers have time to get used to using the new system. This service will cost 75 francs for a single person and 100 francs for a family. However, the system will remain free for any new documents issued, those who are getting married or registering a birth.

“Once the declaration has been processed by the civil status office, the people concerned can order their identity card and passport with the new spelling,” Federal Civil Status Office head David Rüetschi told 20 Minuten. He concluded that thanks to the new system, once your civil status name is modified, the change automatically applies to other services such as the Social Insurance Office and the State Secretariate for Migration (visas and residence permits).

For more information about the change, check out the official press release.