Published on 1 February 2026

Chile: Family, marriage and partnerships

The FDFA provides wide-ranging, relevant information on family matters, marriage and partnerships to people planning to emigrate to Chile.

Family reunification

Swiss-Chilean couples wishing to live in Chile may apply for a permanent visa for the Swiss spouse and children. The application must be submitted in person to the competent consular representation.

Registering marriages and partnerships

Marriages contracted abroad 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.

Find out what you need to do as early as possible

Before you get married, contact your Swiss representation to find out what you will need to do to make sure your marriage is recognised and registered in the civil status register without delay.

Partnerships

The amendment to the Swiss Civil Code, published in the Federal Gazette on 10 December 2021, made it possible for same-sex couples to marry. It also allowed children (acquired through adoption or IVF) to be recognised by both parents. The new law also includes provisions on the matrimonial property regime applying to same-sex couples.

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