Same-sex marriage has been legal in Switzerland since 1 July Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples passed the Swiss Parliament in December The law went into force on 1 July A provision of the law permitting same-sex marriages performed abroad to be recognised in Switzerland took effect on 1 January Switzerland was the seventeenth country in Europe and the 30th in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry.
Switzerland allowed registered partnerships for same-sex couples from 1 January , following a referendum. These partnerships provided most, but not all, of the rights and benefits of marriage. Since the introduction of same-sex marriage on 1 July , registered partnerships are no longer available in Switzerland. In a nationwide referendum on 5 June , Swiss voters approved a registered partnership law granting same-sex couples the same rights and protections as married couples in terms of next of kin status, taxation , social security , insurance , and shared possession of a dwelling.
However, same-sex couples would not have the same rights in terms of joint adoption of children, access to fertility treatments , and facilitated Swiss naturalisation of the foreign partner. Swiss law provides a faster route to citizenship for the spouse of a Swiss citizen, but did not recognise same-sex marriages conducted in foreign countries, instead classing them as registered partnerships. The bill was passed by the National Council , to 50, [ 1 ] on 3 December , and by the Council of States on 3 June by 33 votes to 5, with minor changes.
At the end of August , the Federal Supreme Court ruled that long-term same-sex partners were entitled to the same vested pension benefits as long-term opposite-sex partners. A shared residence is not required.
The ability to enter into a registered partnership was closed off on 1 July No further partnerships are granted in Switzerland, and couples may retain their status as registered partners or convert their union into a recognized marriage. Article 27 of the partnership law addresses the rights and responsibilities concerning a partner's child. It states that the partner of the biological or adoptive parent must provide financial support to their partner's child and also possesses the full legal authority to represent the child in every matter as being the parent's partner.
