Who owns what in a marriage in Switzerland?

Separate ownership during the marriage, with the gains shared at the end

Switzerland's default is a participation in acquisitions: each spouse owns their own property, and on divorce the gains made during the marriage are shared equally.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

The default, not your case. This page describes what applies when a couple sign no contract. Family law changes, and a court can decide differently on the facts of a case. For a couple with a foreign spouse, take advice in each country involved. This is general information, not legal advice.

What applies by default

Each spouse has personal property and acquisitions, and each administers their own. Acquisitions are what a spouse earns or buys during the marriage.

When the marriage ends in divorce

Each spouse takes their own property, and the acquisitions of both are added up and shared equally.

A marriage contract

A marriage contract is made as a public deed, before or after the marriage, and can switch to separation of property or to a community of property.

What stays your own, and gifts

Property from before the marriage, gifts and inheritances stay personal.

If one spouse is a foreigner

Switzerland has its own private international law. Check which country's law applies if one spouse lives or married elsewhere.

Understand the legal system first

Switzerland belongs to the Civil law family. Family law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Switzerland legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Can a foreigner buy property in Switzerland? →

Official sources

Swiss Federal Office of Justice

TheLawToKnow Tools’s marital property guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.