General Legal Information — JusticePourtous provides general legal information based on current Swiss law. This service does not replace personalized legal advice from an attorney.
# Practical Guide
My child has been taken abroad
International child abduction is governed by the Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 (Hague Convention 80) and the Federal Act LF-EEA (RS 211.222.32). The removal or retention of a child is unlawful if it violates the right of custody effectively exercised (art. 3 Hague Convention 80). The Swiss central authority…
Verified sources as of 2026-04-07.
⚖️ Articles, deadlines and authorities reviewed by our legal AI on 2026-04-29. Does not replace a human lawyer.
Applicable Law Articles
Critical Deadlines
- Statement of Removal — immediate
- Filing of the Application with the Central Authority (FCJP) — as soon as possible — deadline of 1 year to benefit from automatic return (art. 12 CLaH80) (CLaH80 art. 3 and 12 / LF-EEA 5)
- Procedure before the competent cantonal court — 6 weeks (CLaH80 objective)
- Appeal to Tribunal fédéral — 10 days from notification (urgent matter) (Art. TF 100 para. 2 lit. c)
Keywords
Get an analysis of your situation
Describe your case and obtain an action plan, the deadlines and the relevant authorities.
Launch the analysis