Hi to all,

We arrived in Switzerland three years ago at Christmas with a family of five, and now have a family of six with a very recent arrival. Oldest three (all boys) are in the local francophone school, and doing fairly well in the Swiss system.

Swiss bureaucracy is a pain, especially when it comes to registering a new birth (if you're in any doubt, when it says birth certificate copies less than six months old for you and all your non-swiss born children, and marriage certificate for yourself, that's exactly what they mean.....and don't expect to pay less than twice to have almost identical birth certificates translated for you and your partner).

Credit where credits' due - most of the delay was in the UK, the Swiss were very quick. Interestingly, although your kid doesn't get a swiss passport, they do get a birth grant from the canton (significantly higher than Blair/Browns version in the UK).

Anyways, hope to find some english discussion in the romande area - although we have a fairly high concentration of expats in this area. Interestingly the swallowtail butterfly is found at below sea level five miles from home in Norfolk, and at 2.000 metres on the top of Moleson just up the road in Gruyeres!

Best, pjttlk