Executive Summary

The Swiss Federal Council opened a consultation procedure on 24 June 2026 regarding the partial revision of the Ordinance on Civil Status Fees (ZStGV). The revision provides for the adjustment of various cost items. The objective is to better reflect the actual costs incurred and to strengthen the polluter-pays principle. The consultation period runs until 15 October 2026.

Persons

  • Federal Department of Justice and Police (responsible)

Topics

  • Civil status system
  • Fee regulation
  • Administrative reform
  • Polluter-pays principle

Clarus Lead

The fee revision signals an administrative policy reorientation: instead of flat-rate tariffs, costs should in future be more transparently linked to actual expenditure. This affects all cantons and municipalities that maintain civil status registers and could lead to fee increases for citizens – a point relevant for budget planning at the local level.

Detailed Summary

The revision of the ZStGV focuses on a cost structure that strengthens the equivalence principle: fees should reflect the resource expenditure for individual civil status services (registrations, certifications, extracts). The Federal Council justifies this with changed administrative requirements and the goal of reducing cross-subsidization.

The consultation is directed at cantons, municipalities, interest groups and the public. The procedure ends on 15 October 2026. This is followed by the message to the Federal Assembly.

Key Statements

  • Federal Council launches consultation procedure for adjustment of civil status fees
  • Objective: Better reflection of actual administrative expenditure
  • Polluter-pays principle to be strengthened; deadline 15 October 2026

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence: What cost analysis is the revision based on? Were expenditures per service type systematically recorded?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: How are the impacts on low-income households with frequent civil status applications taken into account?

  3. Causality: What specific fee increases are planned, and how is their proportionality reviewed?

  4. Feasibility: How will cantons and municipalities be supported in the IT implementation of new fee structures?

  5. Alternatives: Were models with graduated fees or exemptions for vulnerable groups considered?

Source Index

Primary Source: Partial Revision of the Ordinance on Civil Status Fees (ZStGV) – Opening of Consultation Procedure – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/O4hL6-leF_9yhaBihhqNh

Verification Status: ✓ 24 June 2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 24 June 2026