Giving birth is daunting enough so here are some tips to make the birth registration easier.
The hospital in which you give birth will usually register the child. Alternatively, the father can register the birth by presenting confirmation from the hospital at the civil register office in the district where your child was born.
You must take along the following documents to register a birth:
- family record book or certificate
- proof of address
- piece of identification
- birth announcement
If a child is not born in a hospital, the mother or legal father (man married to the mother who has recognised or is going to recognise the child) should register the birth.
If the mother is married when she gives birth, the husband is automatically presumed to be the father of the child; he does not need to officially acknowledge paternity.
If the parents of the child are not married to each other, they must make a joint written declaration in order to establish joint parental authority. The parents must declare that they:
- agree to share responsibility for the child;
- have agreed on residence for the child, on personal relations or each parent’s share of childcare duties and on child maintenance contributions.
The declaration can be made at the civil register office at the time of recognition of the child, or at a later date at the Child Protection Authority.
Until such a declaration is made, parental authority is awarded solely to the mother.
If one of the parents refuses to make a declaration on joint parental authority, the other parent may contact the child protection authority at the child’s place of residence.
Source Living in Luzern Winter issue
