Hello,

I hope someone can help me because this is an urgent and critical matter. Question... Is there any kind of central database in Switzerland that would show whether a Swiss citizen (living there too) was married or not? And if so, would it show to whom they were married?

Also, when a Swiss citizen is married, is his marriage status shown in his passport? And if he married a non-Swiss citizen, would anything be recorded in that person's passport?

This person lives in the Zurich area, but I'm not sure if that is his home canton. How can you find out a person's home canton if you can't ask them (for discrete reasons)?

If this is something that would have to be done by a detective, does anyone know of a good one there?

Please help, this is a very serious matter.

There is not to my knowledge any such martital register, nor is marital status show in passports.

You could try the phone book. 95% of Swiss are in the phone book.
http://tel.search.ch/
http://www.directories.ch/whitepages/

If you are married.....

All the authorities can see it, but you cant ask that information if that is not you. ( they will not give you that info )

Married status show on the passport....

No on the P type passports....Electronic one's.

From my personal perspective, thank heaven there are no such databases open to public scrutiny. First of all I'd say it's no-one's business if I am married or not (privacy is a beautiful thing). Second of all it makes identity theft more difficult. I guess if one really needs to know then they would have to spend lots of cash on a detective. Sorry, wouldn't know of any. Good luck.

I think tax returns would have marital status - not sure what else.

I don't believe further help will be forthcoming without knowing more of the details behind the request and as this doesn't relate to this forum I'm moving it to off topic.

Here is more info. I'm in the USA. My ex-wife is from Russia, but is now a US citizen. At the least, she is dating a Swiss citizen, but I believe there is a very good chance they have gotten married on one of her trips there to visit him (5 in the last 12 months).

Any why is this important to me? Because we have an 11 year old son here and I have joint custody. For some reason, she is really trying to get a passport for our son. She tried applying for it in secret from me, but I was notified by the state department and stopped it. Then, I filed a motion to enjoin her from being able to get one in the future, and the female magistrate bought her story and ordered that she can get one without my permission. I am very concerned about child abduction.

I am appealing the decision, and if I could prove that they were married in Switzerland, it would be a MAJOR help due to her different testimony on the witness stand.

Believe me, other than how it affects my son, I could care less what she does (the guy is a loser anyway and she is claiming that he is unemployed now). Plus I am very happily remarried for 5 years. This is not a simple case of just prying into ones private life (what little people in any country have left). Wait until they want to implant everyone with RFID chips.

There is one good trick on that.....

If you know details ( name surname family name etc ) ask from the Swiss government for permission to get married with that person, If is all ready married they will respond with negative answer on your request.

Good luck

Yes, I know his first and last name. But I do not know the process you speak of. My wife would be willing to do this though if we knew the process.

You're not serious are you? The feedback would also go to the Swiss guy who would deny all knowledge and surely wouldn't take long to guess what's going on and let the authorities know - I think the law you'd be breaking would be deception but possibly others too.

I agree....That i say before is just a tricky way....but with all the risk a person can take.
Anyway the best solution ( for me ) pay a lawyer and start the searching by the book.

Have a nice day

anyone know a good lawyer in the Zurich area? Would need telephone number with city code please.

If someone gets married, aren't they supposed to post the announcement somewhere? Wouldn't it be possible to look up these announcements? (I'm afraid I don't know where they are posted. Anyone know?).

This might be worth a try. The formalities for a marriage are detailed here on the US Embassy website. Note that your ex would had to execute an affidavit before an American consular officer, or a notary public in the United States.

If she did it at the US consulate in Zurich they may have a record. They may not disclose the information but it could be worth sending an e-mail and asking. US Consulate.

Something else that may be useful is that her name may have changed