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How to incorporate a
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| General Principles |
| Switzerland is one of the few European low-tax jurisdictions, serving as an ideal global head-quarters’ location. As a rule, the freedom of trade and industry, guaranteed by the Swiss constitution, allows everyone, independently of nationality or residence, to incorporate a business in Switzerland. There is much less 'red tape' in Swiss business regulation than in the UK, France, Italy or Germany. The entrepreneur or existing foreign business has the choice between privately or publicly owned companies. The most common legal forms are the limited liability company and the corporation. |
| Legal Business Forms in Switzerland |
| Limited liability company – GmbH The Limited Liability Company is a legal entity, in which two or more persons or companies come together in a new company. The company's liability is limited to the amount of the registered capital that must be at least 20,000 Swiss francs (50% of which to be deposited at the moment of registration). Corporation – AG The Corporation or Joint Stock Company is the most widespread type of company in Switzerland. Foreign companies often choose this legal form for their Swiss subsidiary. 100,000 Swiss francs of registered capital, of which 50,000 francs must be deposited at the moment of incorporation, required. Offshore jurisdiction The term 'offshore' is not used in Swiss legislation, however, there are a number of specialized forms of the basic Stock Corporation, which offer tax-privileged operation, equivalent to that usually obtainable in offshore jurisdictions: holding company, domiciliary company, mixed company, service company, and some others. |
| Formal Requirements |
| In order to create a Corporation, a minimum of at least three founders / shareholders required, who can be individuals or companies, of Swiss nationality or not, and residing in Switzerland or not. In other words, for the founders / shareholders, nationality and residence is not an issue. As far as the board of directors is concerned, the rule is that a majority of Swiss or EU-members in the board required. In addition, a majority of the board of directors must domicile in Switzerland, regardless of their nationality. Accordingly, a Stock Corporation can have only one board member, who resides in Switzerland and who is a Swiss / EU national, or three board members, of whom two are Swiss/EU nationals domiciled in Switzerland (exceptions possible for holding companies). |
| Registration Procedure |
| UNIKOM provides personalized assistance in obtaining authorizations you might need to incorporate your company in Switzerland, negotiating tax arrangements with the Swiss tax authorities and serving as your contact agent for the local government structures. Once we've checked that your desired company name is free, and the capital has been deposited, a company can be registered in one-two weeks. We are here to help you succeed in Switzerland. You can benefit from our experience in setting up foreign businesses and from having to deal with only one representative throughout the entire procedure. |
How to contact UNIKOM AG |
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| Limited liability company – GmbH | ||
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