Hi there

My boyfriend and I want to register our partnership in Queensland. As I am living in Switzerland, I need an Australian witness to sign the application. It can be

a Notary Public
an Australian Embassy officer
an Australian Consulate officer

So my question, is there somebody who could help me?

I‘m thankful for every advice.

Cheers

Well, why don't you just call the Australian embassy or consulate and find out?


Here: https://geneva.mission.gov.au/gene/WitnessingSig.html

Mind you, the embassy is in Geneva *shudder*, maybe they also have some sort of consular office in the civilized part of Switzerland, so that you won't have to travel all the way there.

The one in Geneva is "just" a consulate (and the permanent mission to the UN). The Australian Embassy is in Ber..., wait for it, ....lin.
https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/a...itzerland.html

In other word if a Swiss resident needs Australian notary service Geneva is most likely the most convenient one.

See here how to book an appointment: https://geneva.mission.gov.au/gene/n...lservices.html

PS: If you a Gal and a Guy please be aware about certain administrative pitfalls regarding registered partnerships for heterosexual couples and Swiss Order Public, Civil Law. The mot important one is that it is not recognized at all. The other is that the transition from partnership to marriage and specially from marriage to partnership can pose bureaucratic nightmares if marriage is not acquired and dissolved by a proper marriage and proper divorce respectively.

__________________
On Strike - ChatGPT knows more than I, so use it (or doesn't it?)

Totally uncalled for. Nothing more cringeworthy than foreigners having a go at other regions/cantons *shudder*

And what exactly is uncalled for? I provided an answer to OP.
I can still criticize a region I'm not particularly fond of. It's a free country last time I checked.

What keeps you from using the services of a public notary?

Search for "Notar" or "Notariat" in your area.

Hi everyone

Thank you so much for answering. I thought also about geneva but it would be much easier if there is someone for example in zurich or so. And the office in geneva doesn‘t operate until the end of april. Don‘t know if they will extend it.

I saw in a post from 2013 that there were JP‘s from Australia beeing in zurich for a few years so i thought maybe there are again people that can help.

And the registration office in Queensland said that it must be an Australian JP so i can‘t just pick someone here in my city

try asking on the facebook page for Aussies and New Zealanders in Switzerland.

Australia is a contractiong party of the Hague Apostille Convention. A local notary plus an apostille from the canton where the notary is located should in theory be more than enough. But on the other hand there seems tobe a few more formalities and duties for the notary than just to authenticate the signatures and identity of the two partners.

I see two hurdles: First, at least one partner must be a Queensland Resident. Second, the civil partnership notary must be registered in Queensland according its Civil Partnership Act 2011. https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/v...2/act-2011-046

In whole Queensland there are just three active civil partnership notaries.
https://www.qld.gov.au/law/births-de...nership-notary

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On Strike - ChatGPT knows more than I, so use it (or doesn't it?)

That‘s a good idea thanks a lot!

Thanks for your answer!

Yeah my boyfriend lives in Queensland and asked the registration office about the witness. And they said it has to be an Australian that witness me signing and fill in a document.

And thanks for the links!