Published on 29 October 2025

Hague Maintenance Convention and Protocol of 2007

What is the issue?

Maintenance creditors in Switzerland are entitled to administrative support for the enforcement of their maintenance claims, also against maintenance debtors abroad. However, the legal bases regulating this support in Switzerland are now outdated. The Hague Maintenance Convention and the Hague Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations (both of 2007) provide modern instruments to better assist maintenance creditors. The Federal Council recommends that Switzerland accede to the Maintenance Convention and the Protocol. However, before accession to the Hague Maintenance Convention, it must be clarified at which level (federal, cantonal, communal) the processing of cases should take place. 

What has happened so far?

• On November 23, 2007, the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance is adopted together with the Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations.
• On June 21, 2019, the National Council adopts the Postulate Vogler 19.3105 “Protecting Families and Relieving the Burden on Communities. Evaluating the ratification of the Hague Maintenance Convention.”
• On June 18, 2021, the Federal Council adopts the postulate report (Medienmitteilung) (This document is not available in English).
• On June 17, 2022 and December 14, 2022, respectively, the National Council and the Council of States adopt the Motion Paganini 22.3250 “Hague Maintenance Convention. Preparation and ratification by Switzerland”.
• On 29 October, 2025, the Federal Council will open the consultation process for the implementation of the Hague Maintenance Convention (Medienmitteilung) (This document is not available in English).

Documentation

• Documents of the Hague Conference

  • Hague Maintenance Convention of 2007
  • Explanatory report on the Maintenance Convention, published by the Hague Conference
  • Protocol on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations
  • Explanatory Report on the Protocol on Maintenance Obligations, published by the Hague Conference

• Parliamentary requests and reports of the Federal Council

  • Postulat Vogler 19.3105 / Postulat Vogler 19.3105 / Postulato Vogler 19.3105
    (This document is not available in English)

  • Haager Unterhaltsübereinkommen – Umsetzungsmöglichkeiten in der Schweiz. Bericht des Bundesrats in Erfüllung des Postulats 19.3105 Vogler / Convention de La Haye sur le recouvrement international des aliments – possibilités de mise en œuvre en Suisse. Rapport du Conseil fédéral donnant suite au postulat 19.3105 Vogler

    Berne, 18 June 2021 (This document is not available in English)

    PDF770.78 kB18 June 2021

  • Motion Paganini 22.3250 / Motion Paganini 22.3250 / Mozione Paganini 22.3250
    (This document is not available in English)
  • Harmonisierung Alimentenbevorschussung und Alimenteninkasso. Bericht des Bundesrats / Harmonisation de l’avance sur contributions d’entretien et de l’aide au recouvrement. Rapport du Conseil féderal / Armonizzazione dell'anticipo e dell'incasso degli alimenti. Rapporto del Consiglio federale
    (This document is not available in English)

Further information

• Note

  For the complete documentation see the pages in German, French or Italian.

• Dossier