Updated 13.08.2026
Company registration · Switzerland
Company registration in Switzerland reputationthat opens doors and a cantonal tax rate
A Swiss company is chosen for standing, not for savings. The tax burden is made up of federal, cantonal and communal layers, so the canton decides the final figure.
Launch package
What the base package covers
- 01Choice of canton and form based on the tax calculation
- 02Preparation of the constitution and notarisation
- 03Opening of the capital deposit account
- 04Registration in the commercial registry
- 05Registered address for the first year
- 06A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
and 3 more documents
The actual timing, cost and tax treatment depend on the corporate form, the activity and the structure of the company. Government fees are paid separately at the official tariffs.
Quick selection
Find the right structure
Where will the clients be?
What will the company do?
What do you need?
How many owners?
Reply within one business day
Fit
Who Switzerland suits
- Holdings and structures for owning capital
- Commodity trading and international distribution
- Wealth management and family offices
- Pharmaceutical, precision and technology businesses
- Companies for whom the counterparty’s trust is the product
- Minimum budget: upkeep here is expensive
- You need a company without real substance
- A quick start: notarisation and capital take time
- You are counting on anonymity: the registry is public
Company types
What company you can open in Switzerland
The choice is between a company limited by shares and a limited liability company.
A company with share capital of at least 100,000 francs, of which part must be paid up at incorporation.
- For whom
- Holdings, trading, capital-intensive businesses.
- Advantage
- The highest standing; shareholders are not listed in the public registry.
- Limit
- Higher capital requirement and heavier administration.
A company with capital of at least 20,000 francs, fully paid up.
- For whom
- Services, consulting, small and medium businesses.
- Advantage
- Lower entry cost and simpler management.
- Limit
- Members are listed in the public registry.
Registration of a foreign company presence.
- For whom
- An existing group entering the Swiss market.
- Advantage
- No share capital is required.
- Limit
- The parent company carries the liability.
At least one person with signing rights must be resident in Switzerland. This is a legal requirement, not a formality.
Comparison
Switzerland or Liechtenstein
Two neighbouring centres for capital, with different tax mechanics.
| Switzerland | Liechtenstein | |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate tax | federal, cantonal and communal layers | 12.5% flat |
| Minimum annual tax | none, depends on the canton | yes |
| Single market | bilateral agreements | EEA membership |
| Structures for private wealth | available but narrower | foundations, establishments, trusts |
| Reputation | the strongest | high |
| Upkeep cost | high | high |
| Who it suits better | operating business and reputation | family capital and EEA access |
Switzerland wins on scale and brand, Liechtenstein on a predictable rate and dedicated ownership vehicles.
Where to register
What shapes the structure in Switzerland
The canton is chosen by the tax burden, the talent pool and the bank, not by the postcard.
What we check
- Which canton offers the best effective rate for your profile
- Whether the business is a holding or an operating company
- Who will be the resident person with signing rights
- How much capital can be paid up at incorporation
- Whether staff will be hired and at what level of pay
- Which bank is prepared to work with the profile
- Whether VAT registration is required
- Whether patent box or research incentives apply
- How the source of capital is evidenced
- The upkeep budget for the next three years
The effective rate varies materially between cantons. The canton is chosen after the numbers are run, not before.
Licensing
Activities and licences
Trading and services need no licence; finance is tightly regulated.
No licence; participation relief applies to qualifying holdings.
No licence, but VAT registration is normally required.
Licensed by the financial market supervisory authority.
Licensed with substantial capital and personnel requirements.
Regulated frameworks exist, notably in certain cantons.
Subject to sector authorisations.
What sets the licence
- Whether a licence is required
- Which canton is chosen
- Whether VAT registration is needed
- Whether staff will be hired
- Planned turnover
- Who acts as the resident signatory
Prices
Three ways to launch
The scope is built from real scenarios. The amount depends on the canton, the form and the substance required.
from $8 500
A structure for ownership and contracts
3-5 weeks
Included
- Choice of canton and form based on the tax calculation
- Preparation of the constitution and notarisation
- Opening of the capital deposit account
- Registration in the commercial registry
- Registered address for the first year
- A calendar of obligations for the year ahead
Government fees, paid separately
- Notary and registry fees
Not included
- Share capital itself
- The operating bank account — a separate stage
from $13 000
An operating business with real settlements
6-12 weeks
Included
- Everything in the Company package
- Resident person with signing rights for the first year
- Bank file and submission to suitable banks
- VAT registration where the model requires it
- Accounting set-up and a reporting schedule
Government fees, paid separately
- Bank tariffs
- Notary fees
Not included
- A guarantee that the account opens — the bank decides
by project
A company with an office, staff and full reporting
from 3 months
Included
- Everything in the Company and account package
- Office and hiring support
- Payroll and social contributions administration
- Monthly bookkeeping and VAT returns
- Annual accounts and the tax return
- Residence permit support for the founder where applicable
Government fees, paid separately
- Office rent
- Social contributions
- Permit fees
Notary fees, registry fees and social contributions appear as separate lines in the quote. Share capital is the client’s own money and stays in the company.
Estimate
Preliminary quote
Seven questions about the activity, the canton, substance and banking. A preliminary budget in return.
The range is indicative: the canton materially changes the tax figure.
Add-ons
Add-ons for any package
Switched on as the task requires.
A person with signing rights resident in the country.
Premises and hiring for genuine substance.
Application, the number and periodic returns.
Accounting, salaries and social contributions.
Advance agreement of the tax position with the canton where available.
Selection of a bank for capital and operations.
Director, shareholder and capital changes.
Proper closure of the company.
Banking
The bank account after incorporation
The capital deposit account comes first; the operating account is opened separately and takes longer.
The source of capital, the beneficial owners, the business model and the connection to Switzerland.
The corporate set, evidence of the source of funds, contracts and beneficiary tax history.
With Swiss banks, and with payment institutions for day-to-day settlements.
We prepare the file, arrange the meetings and run the submission through to the result.
Swiss banks work slowly and ask a great deal. Without a documented source of capital and a real presence, the operating account will not open.
Tax
Taxes in Switzerland
Three layers of tax and a rate that depends on where the company sits.
Applies uniformly across the country.
Set locally; the combination determines the effective rate.
Dividends and gains from qualifying participations are effectively relieved.
Available in cantons that have implemented them.
One of the lowest standard rates in Europe; registration depends on turnover.
Levied at cantonal level on equity.
Verified on 13 August 2026. This is not tax advice: the effective rate is calculated for a specific canton and profile.
Documents
What we need from you
The set is collected in advance; compliance here goes deeper than usual.
- 01Passport with a notarised copy
- 02Proof of residential address
- 03Curriculum vitae and description of the business
- 04Evidence of the source of capital
- 05Bank reference
The notary and the bank both examine the source of capital. Prepared documents shorten the process by weeks.
Annual administration
What we handle every year
Swiss upkeep is the highest in our catalogue — plan for it in advance.
Renewed annually.
Where a service is used, it is paid for annually.
Prepared under Swiss accounting rules.
Filed at federal, cantonal and communal level.
Filed regularly where the company is registered.
Paid monthly where staff are employed.
Required above the statutory thresholds; a limited audit applies below them.
Periodic requests from the bank.
Cost of ownership
The cost of the company over three years
A company is not a one-off payment for incorporation: the annual items below repeat every year. We count ownership, not entry.
- Registration and corporate documents
- Registered address
- Resident signatory
- Annual accounts
- Tax returns
- VAT returns
- Social contributions
- Audit
- Bank compliance
- Registered address
- Resident signatory
- Annual accounts
- Tax returns
- VAT returns
- Social contributions
- Audit
- Bank compliance
- Registered address
- Resident signatory
- Annual accounts
- Tax returns
- VAT returns
- Social contributions
- Audit
- Bank compliance
What falls into each year depends on the corporate form, the activity and the requirements of the bank and the regulator. The three-year calculation comes together with the incorporation quote — before the engagement.
Process
How the work runs
Timelines are split by who is responsible.
Activity, form, tax calculation, substance.
One meetingWe fix the scope of work and the amount.
2-3 daysOpening the account and depositing the share capital.
1-3 weeksSigning of the constitutional documents before a notary.
1-3 daysEntry in the commercial registry and publication.
1-2 weeksBank file, meetings and account opening.
The bank sets the timingThe outcome is a Swiss company with paid-up capital, a resident signatory, a bank account and accounting in place.
Scenarios
A company for a specific task
The structure follows the client task and the banking model, not the name of the jurisdiction.
BusinessHolding shares in operating companies across countries.
DirectionA holding company with professional administration.
BankingAn account for dividends and intra-group settlements.
BusinessSecurities and investment accounts under one structure.
DirectionAn investment holding with reporting and audit.
BankingThe bank and the broker check the origin of the capital.
BusinessBringing family assets together and setting long-term ownership.
DirectionA structure with a clear ownership chain and distribution rules.
BankingThe profile is built on the source of capital and the beneficiaries.
BusinessHolding properties and other assets through a structure.
DirectionAn SPV or a holding, subject to ownership rules in the country of the asset.
BankingAn account for the upkeep of the assets and settlements.
A scenario does not assign a corporate form automatically: the actual form, licence and bank are checked against the current requirements for your activity.
Why BRIDGES
Who runs the incorporation and what we answer for
The difference shows in how the work is run, not in the promises.
The effective rate is modelled for your profile before the canton is chosen.
A resident with signing rights is mandatory; we solve it properly, not on paper.
Capital must be deposited before incorporation. We schedule it so nothing stalls.
We evaluate the source of capital before the notary appointment.
Notary, registry, accounting, payroll — three years ahead.
If the budget will not carry the upkeep, we say so and suggest another jurisdiction.
FAQ
Questions and answers
The burden is the sum of federal, cantonal and communal tax, so the effective rate depends on the canton. We calculate it for your profile before choosing.
At least 100,000 francs for an AG, with part paid up at incorporation, and 20,000 francs fully paid up for a GmbH.
At least one person with signing rights must be resident in Switzerland.
Two to four weeks from the capital deposit to the registry entry.
Yes, there are no restrictions on foreign ownership.
The capital account is straightforward; the operating account requires a documented source of capital and real substance.
A full audit applies above the statutory thresholds; a limited audit applies below them and can be waived in small companies.
No. It is your own money and remains available to the company after incorporation.
Calculation
Get the structure and a full quote before incorporation
Tell us what the company will do and how much capital is available. We will model the tax burden across cantons, arrange the resident signatory and prepare the launch and upkeep budget.
The structure, budget and scope are fixed after the business and the owners are reviewed. Account opening and registration decisions are taken by banks and state authorities.