Published on 1 February 2026

Hong Kong: Family, marriage and partnerships

The FDFA provides relevant information on family matters, marriage and partnerships to people planning to emigrate to Hong Kong.

Joining your family

There are various options for family reunification, i.e. to obtain visas for spouses and children to move to Hong Kong. These options are only open if at least one parent holds a permanent residence permit or has a work or study visa. The section on living but not working in Hong Kong, i.e. not being in gainful employment, provides more information on this.

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 documents must be submitted to the diplomatic representation together with an apostille. The latter will forward the declaration to Switzerland free of charge.

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

Since 1991, multiple Hong Kong court rulings have granted same-sex couples some rights but there is currently no legal institution in place there such as same-sex marriage or civil partnerships.

While same-sex unions concluded legally in foreign jurisdictions are not granted civil partnership status in Hong Kong, they are recognised for certain purposes. Concluding and ending them is governed by the given foreign jurisdiction, i.e. not under Hong Kong law.

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