My husband and I are applying for swiss nationality. We need to obtain a copy of our New York city marriage certificate from the NYC Clerk. They will not accept credit cards, electronic transfers etc and insist on an "International Money Order". This mornign my husband went to the Poste and asked for one. they said they do not sell them... so where can I get one??

Hmm .. perhaps Postfinance's Cash International or GIRO International might do it.

Thanks - I looked up the link you gave but the NYC bureaucrats will not give me an account number into which I can transfer the money and insist that I send them a piece of paper (certified chek, money order etc) WITH the application for the copy of the Certificate...if it comes separately, apparently, they will not deal with it!!
The fellow I spoke with on the phone told me we could come in in person at which time they will take a credit card payment...which, given the airfare, would make it a rather expensive thing to do!

Any other ideas??

Ask again at the Post Office, they used to sell them!

Otherwise try the big banks.

I know CS and UBS will do it. Perhaps other banks can do it also. Please ask them for a check in USD - sometimes they get confused if you ask for a "money order" or a "cashier's check". It takes a few days, perhaps as long as a week to get it. CS will send it to you by Swiss post. UBS may do the same, but I have asked UBS to hold at a branch (e.g the airport), and picked it up.

Good luck.

thanks so much. I have already sent an e mail to my UBS banker...and hopefully he can sort it out.

Bump...

I'm in a similar situation as the original poster, but I need to get a money order to officials in Australia. (What is it with government billers in English speaking countries??)

I called PostFinance, and they told me flat out that Australia is impossible. (Edit: apparently some other countries aren't.)

Has anyone had luck with money orders to AU at any other banks, either in Switzerland or in Germany?
(The problem there will be that I probably won't be a customer, of course...)

Cheers,
//ata

Got a phone call back from PostFinance; they said the only way to send a check to AU they know of is to use Western Union.

Eh.

I mean... is WU something a government office and their banking would actually take? Isn't it solely for buying cars from overseas owners and arranging for paperwork for receiving large inheritances?

The form is referred to as "Postal Mandate" - a Blue printed form filled-in
triplicate, used within Switzerland. The cost of transfer charges is Chf. 18.00 for any sum up to Chf. 1000.00

Which bank or institute is this with?

An update on my part: I visited a UBS branch; they do provide money orders (Australia and AUD among the options , but unless I misremember, not to USA, interestingly). The precondition is an account with UBS, and the cost 50 CHF.

Unless I can find this Postal Mandate, my last resort will be to open an account there. Before that I'll ask a couple of oz acquaintances how much trouble they'll be ready to go through for a somewhat hypothetical beer or ten.