Company formation in Switzerland

The work a provider does in company formation in Switzerland

A full-service formation in Switzerland usually covers these tasks:

• Structure advice. Choosing between a GmbH and an AG, the canton of the seat and how much capital to put in.
• Name check. Searching the proposed name in Zefix, the federal index of the cantonal commercial registers.
• Documents. Drafting the articles of association, the founders’ declarations and any powers of attorney, in German, French or Italian depending on the canton.
• Notary. Booking the notary, preparing the deed and, where allowed, arranging signing by power of attorney so you need not travel.
• Bank. Introducing you to a bank for the capital deposit account and helping with the bank’s onboarding questions.
• Register filing. Filing with the cantonal register office and following up until the entry is published.
• Registrations after entry. VAT, the social insurance compensation office (OASI, AHV/AVS), accident insurance and the transparency register for beneficial owners.

Some firms do all of this in-house. Others do the paperwork and pass the notary and bank steps to partners. Both work, but you should know who does what before you sign.

What the provider needs from you

Firms ask for the same core documents, and having them ready saves days:

1. Passport copies of every founder, director and beneficial owner, often certified.
2. Proof of address for each of them, such as a recent utility bill.
3. For a corporate shareholder: a recent extract from its home register, its articles and a board resolution approving the Swiss company, usually apostilled or legalised.
4. A short business description for the company’s purpose clause and for the bank.
5. Source of funds for the share capital, which banks check closely for foreign founders.
6. Names of the people to be entered as managing directors or board members, with their signing rights.

If a firm does not ask about source of funds or beneficial owners, ask why. Since October 2026, GmbHs and AGs must report their beneficial owners to the transparency register, so a careful provider collects this from the start.

Who does what during the formation

Knowing the split of work stops tasks falling between you, the provider and the third parties. A typical division looks like this:

Stage	You	Provider	Third party
Structure and canton	Decide, with advice	Explains the options and costs	None
Name check	Approve the name	Searches Zefix	None
Articles and declarations	Review and sign	Drafts in the canton’s language	None
Capital deposit	Transfer the capital	Introduces the bank, answers its questions	The bank confirms the deposit
Founding deed	Sign, in person or by proxy	Prepares the file	The notary certifies the deed
Register entry	Nothing, unless asked	Files and follows up	The cantonal register office enters the company
After entry	Provide information on time	VAT, OASI, insurance, transparency register	The authorities confirm each registration

The bank and the notary set most of the pace. A provider that already works with both in your canton can usually tell you where the delays tend to come from.

What a company formation in Switzerland quote should include

A formation quote is easy to compare only when it is broken down. Ask every firm for the same items, in writing:

Item	What to check
Formation fee	Which tasks it covers, and which are billed by the hour
Notary fees	Passed on at cost or included; which notary and which canton
Commercial register fees	Passed on at cost; the amount varies by legal form
Bank introduction	Whether it is included and whether the firm stays involved until the account opens
Domicile address	Monthly or yearly fee, notice period, mail handling
Resident signatory	Annual fee, signing scope, liability cover, notice period
First-year accounting, VAT and tax return	Fixed or hourly, and from which month
Transparency register filing	Included at formation, and the fee for later changes

Official sources say only that register costs vary according to the company’s legal structure, so compare quotes item by item rather than by the total. Remember that the share capital is not a fee: a GmbH needs at least CHF 20,000, fully paid in, and an AG at least CHF 100,000, of which at least CHF 50,000 must be paid in. That money stays in the company.

Resident signatory and domicile services: read the terms

Every Swiss GmbH and AG must be represented by one person whose place of residence is in Switzerland. If none of your team lives there, the provider may offer one of its staff as managing director or board member. This is the service that needs the closest reading.

• Signing scope. Ask whether the person signs alone or jointly with you. Joint signature keeps you in control of payments and contracts.
• Information duties. The resident signatory takes on duties as an officer of the company, so expect them to ask for regular financial information and to refuse anything they cannot check.
• Exit. Agree how the role ends, the notice period and how quickly a replacement must be found, since the company cannot stay without a resident representative.
• Domicile. A company’s domicile is its registered headquarters and the address where it can be reached. If you use the provider’s address, confirm how mail is scanned and how fast official letters reach you.

Memberships and qualifications to look for

Switzerland has professional bodies for fiduciaries and auditors, and firms often state their membership. Among the firms listed on Accountanty, the memberships most often stated are EXPERTsuisse and TREUHAND|SUISSE. A few firms state that they employ licensed audit experts, and one states a registration in the Ticino register of fiduciaries.

Check any membership on the association’s own member list rather than relying on a logo. If you will need an audit later and the firm offers both bookkeeping and audit, ask how it keeps the two roles separate.

Services you will need after incorporation

Formation is a one-off job. The work that follows lasts as long as the company does, so choose a firm that can do it or work smoothly with whoever does:

• Accounting. Every GmbH and AG must keep accounts and retain the records for at least ten years.
• VAT. Registration once turnover reaches CHF 100 000 a year, then periodic returns.
• Tax compliance. The annual return to the cantonal tax office, which also assesses the federal profit tax.
• Payroll. Salaries, social insurance and withholding for staff.
• Audit. Needed unless the company employs fewer than 10 people as an annual average and waives it.
• Corporate secretarial. Shareholder meetings, minutes, register changes and transparency register updates.
• Bank account assistance and residency and visas, if you plan to move to Switzerland.

How to compare company formation firms on Accountanty

Accountanty lists 267 firms in Switzerland that offer company formation: 207 accounting firms, 55 corporate services providers and 5 law firms. Of these, 129 say they focus on foreign clients. English is offered by 180 of them, German by 153, French by 137 and Italian by 55.

Filter by city to match the canton you have in mind. Geneva has 80 firms offering formation, Zurich 67, Zug 42 and Lugano 25. Browse accountants in Geneva, accountants in Zurich, accountants in Zug and accountants in Lugano, or the Italian-speaking accountants in Switzerland and accountants for foreign clients in Switzerland. Each firm’s profile shows its services, languages and the entity types it works with. Our page on how we select firms explains what gets a firm listed.

Questions to ask before you sign

A short call with each shortlisted firm tells you more than its website. These questions separate the firms that do formation every week from the ones that do it now and then:

1. Which canton do you usually incorporate in, and why would you suggest that one for me? The answer shows whether the firm thinks about language, tax and register practice, or simply uses its home canton.
2. Who will be my contact, and in which language? Formation documents are in German, French or Italian. You need someone who can explain them in a language you read well.
3. Can I sign without travelling to Switzerland? Ask what the notary accepts in your case and what certification or apostille your documents need.
4. Which bank do you work with, and what will it ask me? A firm with a working relationship can prepare you for the bank’s onboarding questions.
5. Do you provide the resident signatory yourselves, and on what terms? Ask for the signatory agreement before you commit, not after.
6. What happens after the register entry? Find out whether the firm will register the company for VAT and social insurance, file the transparency register and keep the books, and at what price.
7. How do you charge for changes? New shareholders, a new director or a change of address all need register filings. Ask for the fee per change.
8. What do you need from me each year? A clear answer shows how the firm runs its accounting calendar and how much of your time it will take.

Write the answers down. When you compare three firms side by side, the differences show quickly.

Warning signs when choosing a provider

• A single price with no breakdown. You cannot tell what is missing until the invoice arrives.
• No questions about you. A firm that skips identity, source of funds and beneficial owners is cutting a corner the bank and the register will not.
• Vague signatory terms. If the resident director’s scope and exit are not in writing, do not proceed.
• Promises about the bank. No provider decides whether a bank opens your account. Be wary of anyone who says otherwise.
• Promises about tax. Profit tax depends on the canton and on your actual business. A provider can calculate it, not guarantee it.

How to pick a provider for company formation in Switzerland

The legal process is short. What separates a smooth company formation in Switzerland from a slow one is the provider: how clearly it prices the work, how it handles the resident signatory and the bank, and whether it stays useful once the company is running. Ask three firms for the same itemised quote, compare the signatory terms side by side and pick the one that answers your questions in writing. To save time, send one free quote request and Accountanty will forward it to suitable firms.