Federal Act on Private International Law (PILA) - all articles with explanations

Introduction IPRG

The Federal Law on Private International Law (IPRG) is a Swiss law that defines the rules for the application of law in international legal cases. It regulates which law to apply if a dispute has a connection with several countries. Among other things, the IPRG determines which court is competent to decide a case and how foreign decisions are recognized in Switzerland. It also contains provisions on the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. The IPRG is important for legal certainty and international cooperation in legal matters.

The articles IPRG

Art. 1 General ProvisionsSection 1 Scope of Application
Art. 2 Jurisdiction
Art. 3 II. Jurisdiction by necessity
Art. 4 III. Validation of attachments
Art. 5 IV. Choice of forum
Art. 6 V. Implied consent
Art. 7 VI. Arbitration agreement
Art. 8 VII. Counterclaim
Art. 8a VIII. Co-defendants and plurality of actions
Art. 8b IX. Third party action
Art. 8c X. Civil claims
Art. 9
Art. 10
Art. 11
Art. 11a 2. Applicable law
Art. 11b 3. Advance of costs and security for party costs
Art. 11c 4. Legal aid
Art. 12
Art. 13 Applicable Law
Art. 14 II. Renvoi
Art. 15 III. Exception clause
Art. 16 IV. Establishing foreign law
Art. 17 V. Reservation of Swiss public policy
Art. 18 VI. Application of mandatory provisions of Swiss law
Art. 19 VII. Taking into consideration of mandatory provisions of foreign law
Art. 20 Domicile, Seat and Citizenship
Art. 21 II. Seat and establishment of companies and trusts
Art. 22 III. Citizenship
Art. 23 IV. Multiple citizenships
Art. 24 V. Stateless persons and refugees
Art. 25 Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Decisions
Art. 26 2. Jurisdiction of foreign authorities
Art. 27 3. Grounds for non-recognition
Art. 28 II. Enforceability
Art. 29 III. Procedure
Art. 30 IV. Court-approved settlements
Art. 31 V. Non-contentious matters
Art. 32 VI. Entry in the civil status registers
Art. 33 Natural Persons
Art. 34 II. Legal capacity
Art. 35 III. Capacity to act1. In general
Art. 36 2. Protection of transactions
Art. 37 IV. Name1. In general
Art. 38 2. Change of name
Art. 39 3. Change of name occurred abroad
Art. 40 4. Entry in the civil status registers
Art. 40a Gender
Art. 41 V. Declaration of presumed death1. Jurisdiction and applicable law
Art. 42 2. Declaration of presumed death and of death issued abroad
Art. 43 Marital LawSection 1 Celebration of Marriage
Art. 44 II. Applicable law
Art. 45 III. Marriage celebrated abroad
Art. 45a IV. Annulment of marriage
Art. 46 General Effects of Marriage
Art. 47 2. Jurisdiction at the place of origin
Art. 48 II. Applicable law1. In general
Art. 49 2. Maintenance obligations
Art. 50 III. Foreign decisions or measures
Art. 51 Marital Property Law
Art. 52 II. Applicable law1. Choice of lawa. In general
Art. 53 b. Specific conditions
Art. 54 2. Absence of a choice of law a. In general
Art. 55 b. Adaptation and retroactivity in case of change of domicile
Art. 56 3. Form of marital agreements
Art. 57 4. Legal relationships with third parties
Art. 58 III. Foreign decisions
Art. 59 Divorce and Separation
Art. 60 2. Jurisdiction at the place of origin
Art. 60a 3. Jurisdiction at the place of celebration of marriage
Art. 61 II. Applicable law
Art. 62 III. Interim measures
Art. 63 IV. Subsequent effects
Art. 64 V. Supplementing or amending decisions
Art. 65 VI. Foreign decisions
Art. 65a I. Application of Chapter 3
Art. 65b
Art. 65c II. Applicable law
Art. 65d
Art. 66 Parent-Child Relationship by Birth
Art. 67 2. Jurisdiction at the place of origin
Art. 68 II. Applicable law1. In general
Art. 69 2. Relevant time
Art. 70 III. Foreign decisions
Art. 71 Acknowledgment
Art. 72 II. Applicable law
Art. 73 III. Acknowledgment made or challenged abroad
Art. 74 IV. Legitimation
Art. 75 Adoption
Art. 76 2. Jurisdiction at the place of origin
Art. 77 II. Applicable law
Art. 78 III. Adoptions and similar institutions of foreign law
Art. 79 Effects of the Parent-Child Relationship
Art. 80 2. Jurisdiction at the place of origin
Art. 81 3. Third-party claims
Art. 82 II. Applicable law1. In general
Art. 83 2. Maintenance obligations
Art. 84 III. Foreign decisions
Art. 85
Art. 86 Succession Law
Art. 87 2. Jurisdiction at the place of origin
Art. 88 3. Jurisdiction at the location of assets
Art. 89 4. Conservatory measures
Art. 90 II. Applicable law1. Last domicile in Switzerland
Art. 91 2. Last domicile abroad
Art. 92 3. Scope of the law governing the estate and administration of the estate
Art. 93 4. Form
Art. 94 5. Testamentary capacity
Art. 95 6. Contracts of succession and other reciprocal dispositions upon death
Art. 96 III. Foreign decisions, measures, documents and rights
Art. 97 Property Law
Art. 98 2. Movable property
Art. 98a 3. Cultural property
Art. 99 II. Applicable law1. Immovable property
Art. 100 2. Movable propertya. In general
Art. 101 b. Goods in transit
Art. 102 c. Goods arriving in Switzerland
Art. 103 d. Reservation of ownership of goods intended for export
Art. 104 e. Choice of law
Art. 105 3. Special rulesa. Pledging of claims, securities and other rights
Art. 106 b. Documents of title and equivalent instruments
Art. 107 c. Means of transport
Art. 108 III. Foreign decisions
Art. 108a I. Definition
Art. 108b II. Jurisdiction
Art. 108c III. Applicable Law
Art. 108d IV. Foreign decisions
Art. 109 Intellectual Property
Art. 110 II. Applicable law
Art. 111 III. Foreign decisions
Art. 112
Art. 113 2. Place of performance
Art. 114 3. Consumer contracts
Art. 115 4. Employment contracts
Art. 116 II. Applicable law1. In generala. Choice of law
Art. 117 b. Absence of a choice of law
Art. 118 2. In particulara. Sale of movable property
Art. 119 b. Immovable property
Art. 120 c. Consumer contracts
Art. 121 d. Employment contracts
Art. 122 e. Contracts pertaining to intellectual property
Art. 123 3. Common provisionsa. Silence upon receipt of an offer
Art. 124 b. Form
Art. 125 c. Performance and inspection modalities
Art. 126 d. Power of representation
Art. 127 Unjust Enrichment
Art. 128 II. Applicable law
Art. 129 Torts
Art. 130 2. In particular:a. Nuclear incidents
Art. 130a b. Right of access in connection with databases
Art. 131 3. Direct action against an insurer
Art. 132 II. Applicable law1. In generala. Choice of law
Art. 133 b. Absence of a choice of law
Art. 134 2. In particulara. Road traffic accidents
Art. 135 b. Product liability
Art. 136 c. Unfair competition
Art. 137 d. Restraint of competition
Art. 138 e. Nuisances
Art. 138a incidents
Art. 139 f. Infringement of personality rights
Art. 140 3. Special rulesa. Multiple tortfeasors
Art. 141 b. Direct action against an insurer
Art. 142 4. Scope of the applicable law
Art. 143 Common Provisions
Art. 144 2. Recourse among co-debtors
Art. 145 II. Transfer of claims1. Assignment by contract
Art. 145a 1a. Transfer by means of an instrument
Art. 146 2. Assignment by operation of law
Art. 147 III. Currency
Art. 148 IV. Statute of limitations and extinction of a claim
Art. 149 Foreign Decisions
Art. 149b II. Jurisdiction
Art. 149c III. Applicable law
Art. 149d IV. Special rules concerning publicity
Art. 150 Companies
Art. 151 II. Jurisdiction1. In general
Art. 152 2. Liability for a foreign company
Art. 153 3. Protective measures
Art. 154 III. Applicable law1. In general
Art. 155 2. Scope of the applicable law
Art. 156 IV. Special connecting factors1. Claims arising from public issues of equity or debt securities
Art. 157 2. Protection of the name and business name
Art. 158 3. Restrictions of the power of representation
Art. 159 4. Liability for a foreign company
Art. 160 V. Branches of foreign companies in Switzerland
Art. 161
Art. 162
Art. 163 2. Transfer of a company from Switzerland abroad
Art. 163a 3. Mergera. Merger from abroad to Switzerland
Art. 163b b. Merger from Switzerland abroad
Art. 163c c. Merger agreement
Art. 163d 4. Demerger and transfer of assets and liabilities
Art. 164 5. Common provisionsa. Deregistration from the commercial register
Art. 164a b. Place of debt enforcement and place of jurisdiction
Art. 164b c. Transfer, merger, demerger and transfer of assets and liabilities abroad
Art. 165
Art. 166 Bankruptcy and Composition
Art. 167 II. Procedure1. Jurisdiction
Art. 168 2. Conservatory measures
Art. 169 3. Publication
Art. 170 III. Legal effects 1. In general
Art. 171 2. Avoidance claims
Art. 172 3. Schedule of claims
Art. 173 4. Distributiona. Recognition of the foreign schedule of claims
Art. 174 b. Non-recognition of a foreign schedule of claims
Art. 174a 5. Abstention from auxiliary bankruptcy proceedings
Art. 174b IIIbis. Coordination
Art. 174c IIIter. Recognition of foreign decisions on avoidance claims and similar decisions
Art. 175 IV. Composition and similar procedures.Recognition
Art. 176 International Arbitration
Art. 177 II. Arbitrability
Art. 178
Art. 179 IV. Members of the arbitral tribunal1. Appointment and replacement
Art. 180
Art. 180a b. Procedure
Art. 180b 3. Removal
Art. 181 V. Lis pendens
Art. 182 VI. Procedure1. In general
Art. 183 2. Interim and conservatory measures
Art. 184 3. Taking of evidence
Art. 185 4. Other assistance by a state court
Art. 185a 5. Participation of the state court in foreign arbitration proceedings
Art. 186 VII. Jurisdiction
Art. 187
Art. 188 2. Partial award
Art. 189
Art. 189a 4. Correcting, explaining and supplementing the award
Art. 190
Art. 190a 2. Review
Art. 191 3. Only appeal authority
Art. 192 X. Exclusion agreement
Art. 193
Art. 194 XII. Foreign arbitral awards
Art. 195 Repeal and Amendment of Current Legislation
Art. 196 Transitional Provisions
Art. 197 II. Transitional provisions1. Jurisdiction
Art. 198 2. Applicable law
Art. 199 3. Recognition and enforcement
Art. 200 Referendum and Commencement