Same-sex marriage has been legal in Switzerland since 1 July Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples passed the Swiss Parliament in December The law went into force on 1 July A provision of the law permitting same-sex marriages performed abroad to be recognised in Switzerland took effect on 1 January Switzerland was the seventeenth country in Europe and the 30th in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry.
Switzerland allowed registered partnerships for same-sex couples from 1 January , following a referendum. These partnerships provided most, but not all, of the rights and benefits of marriage. Since the introduction of same-sex marriage on 1 July , registered partnerships are no longer available in Switzerland.
In a nationwide referendum on 5 June , Swiss voters approved a registered partnership law granting same-sex couples the same rights and protections as married couples in terms of next of kin status, taxation , social security , insurance , and shared possession of a dwelling. However, same-sex couples would not have the same rights in terms of joint adoption of children, access to fertility treatments , and facilitated Swiss naturalisation of the foreign partner.
Swiss law provides a faster route to citizenship for the spouse of a Swiss citizen, but did not recognise same-sex marriages conducted in foreign countries, instead classing them as registered partnerships. The bill was passed by the National Council , to 50, [ 1 ] on 3 December , and by the Council of States on 3 June by 33 votes to 5, with minor changes.
At the end of August , the Federal Supreme Court ruled that long-term same-sex partners were entitled to the same vested pension benefits as long-term opposite-sex partners.
