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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

What is a ‘criminal records extract’ and what do you need it for in Switzerland?

If you have lived in Switzerland for a while, chances are you have been asked to present this document in certain situations to prove that you don’t have a criminal past (or present).

Published: 16 December 2022 15:22 CET
What is a ‘criminal records extract’ and what do you need it for in Switzerland?
You may be denied Swiss citizenship if you don't provide your criminal record. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

When you get asked to provide your criminal records extract (Strafregisterauszug in German, Extrait du casier judiciaire in French, and Estratto del casellario giudiziale in Italian), you shouldn’t be taken aback.

This doesn’t mean that authorities are singling you out because you are foreigner or suspect you of any wrongdoing; Swiss citizens must also occasionally provide this document and they are quite accustomed to it.

What exactly is this extract?

Switzerland is a small, extremely well-organised country, so officials know exactly where you live, what you do, and any other personal matters about you and your family (which is a paradox in a way, as protection of private life is a constitutional right).

If you commit any serious offences, a record  is kept in a special registry at the Federal Office of Justice  (FOJ) in Bern. In other words, the government knows — just like Santa Claus does — whether you have been naughty or nice.

Don’t worry, if your only “criminal activity” in Switzerland is limited to parking fines, this will not show on your record; only criminal offences and convictions are listed.

However, there are exceptions. As The Local reported in 2020, an eight-year-old child received a police record for asking if he could use a toy banknote to pay in a shop in a Swiss village.

READ MORE: Swiss boy, 8, gets criminal record for attempting to pay with toy banknote

When could you be asked to show this an extract from your record — and must you?

There are specific situations when this document will be requested and by whom, in which case you should provide it, for your own benefit.

For instance, the extract will be routinely requested when you apply for a job, to rent an apartment, and to obtain a loan (including mortgage).

You may also have to provide it for activities involving regular contact with minors or other persons requiring special protection, such as the mentally handicapped.

Most importantly, you will need to provide it when you apply for naturalisation.

What if you don’t want to share this document with others?

If someone in an official capacity with a valid reason (as mentioned above) asks you for your criminal record and you don’t comply, then you will not obtain the benefits you were applying for in the first place — be it a job, a place to live, or citizenship.

Where can you obtain your criminal records extract?

You can order it online from FOJ’s website.

All the documents you need to provide (such as a copy of your ID card), as well as payment, are indicated on this page.

This is what you should know if you order the extract after January 23, 2023

On that day, the new law on criminal records comes into force, and the new information system, called VOSTRA, goes into effect.

This will result in several changes, according to FOJ:

  • The standard private extract and special extract will have a new design
  • Ordering a standard private extract or a special private extract will cost 17 francs (versus 20 francs now) 
  • The new statutory provisions affect how long a judgment is visible on a standard private extract and how long it remains stored in VOSTRA
     
     

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For members

MONEY

Do adult children in Switzerland have to support their parents financially?

Usually, it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure their kids are well taken care of financially. But can Swiss authorities force the children to return the favour in times of need?

Published: 30 April 2024 15:31 CEST
Do adult children in Switzerland have to support their parents financially?

In most cases, once children are grown up and out of the house, they are (or at least should be) self-sufficient in terms of finances.

Parents too should breathe a sigh of relief that they are no longer obligated to pay for their children’s expenses, except perhaps for giving them some money here and there as a gift.

This is what happens in the best-case scenario.

But what if things don’t go according to this plan — for instance, if the parents find themselves in financial straits and can’t  afford to pay their bills?

Family obligations

Generally speaking, the truly needy people who don’t have enough income to pay for their basic living expenses will receive financial help from the government, in the very least in the form of the health insurance and housing subsidy.

READ ALSO: Can I get financial help in Switzerland if I’m struggling to pay the bills?

However, before doling out public money, authorities will see whether relatives should be made to help the struggling individuals pay their bills.

(In this context, ‘relatives’ means only those in the direct line of descent: grandparents, parents, and children.)

They will do it by checking the tax status of these relatives — how much they earn and what other financial assets they have — to determine whether, and how much, they should be paying toward their parents’ expenses.

Obviously, you will be expected to pay up only if your own financial situation allows it; you will not be forced to part with your money if you have very little of it yourself.

 ‘Favourable financial circumstaces’

Based on a Federal Court ruling, if the adult child  lives in ‘favourable financial circumstances’ they are required to help out their struggling parents.

The Court defined ‘favourable financial circumstances’ as income and assets allowing a comfortable life.

‘Comfortable life’, in turn, was defined by the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare (SKOS), as a taxable annual income of 120,000 francs for a single person, and 180,000 francs for married couples.

“If you have minors in your household, the limit is increased by 20,000 francs per child,” according to AXA insurance.

It goes on to say that you can deduct an exempt amount from your taxable assets.

“Your annual depletion of assets is deducted from the remaining amount. This means that if you are obligated to provide financial support, you are permitted to use part of your assets yourself each year; you don’t have to devote your entire assets to providing support.”

At between 18 and 30 years of age, this is 1/60th per year; from 31 to 40, 1/50th per year; 41 to 50, 1/40th per year; 51 to 60, 1/30th per year; and from the age of 61,1/20th per year. 

Are there any exemptions to these rules?

Aside from not having sufficient funds, you could be exempted from paying if, say, your parents, or parent, have not lived up to their own financial obligations toward you.

In Switzerland, parents are required to  provide financially for their children until the age of majority, and even beyond that if they are still studying or undergoing vocational training — typically, until the mid-20s.

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