{"id":4907,"date":"2024-02-11T13:37:34","date_gmt":"2024-02-11T12:37:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/?p=4907"},"modified":"2026-06-23T13:37:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T11:37:38","slug":"incorporation-of-a-company-in-switzerland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my-swiss-company.com\/en\/incorporation-of-a-company-in-switzerland\/","title":{"rendered":"Company Formation in Switzerland: The Complete Guide for Foreign Entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Yes \u2014 a foreigner can form a company in Switzerland and own 100% of it<\/strong>. There is no nationality or residency requirement for shareholders, which catches a lot of entrepreneurs off guard. You will choose between two vehicles: the GmbH<\/strong> (limited liability company, CHF 20,000 capital) and the AG<\/strong> (public limited company, CHF 100,000). The one rule that trips people up is local representation \u2014 at least one person who can sign for the company has to live in Switzerland. After that, formation runs through a notary, a blocked capital deposit and the commercial register, and usually takes two to four weeks<\/strong>. Below, we walk through the legal forms, the resident-director rule, the steps, what it costs and how Swiss companies are taxed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Contents<\/h3>\n
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  1. Can a foreigner open a company in Switzerland<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Choosing your legal form: GmbH or AG<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Capital requirements<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. The resident director requirement<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Step by step: forming your Swiss company<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Costs and timeline<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Corporate taxation in Switzerland<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Why form a company in Switzerland<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Sources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Can a foreigner open a company in Switzerland<\/h2>\n

    Yes, without restriction. Swiss law puts no nationality or residency condition<\/strong> on who owns a company \u2014 a foreign individual, or a foreign company, can hold 100% of a GmbH or an AG. On this point Switzerland is more open than its buttoned-up reputation suggests.<\/p>\n

    Where it does draw a line is representation: someone able to sign for the company has to be resident in Switzerland<\/strong> (Code of Obligations art. 718 para. 4 for the AG, art. 814 para. 3 for the GmbH). If nobody in the company lives there, founders bridge the gap with a resident director or manager mandate \u2014 more on that below.<\/p>\n

    Choosing your legal form: GmbH or AG<\/h2>\n

    Almost every Swiss business runs on one of two forms: the GmbH (limited liability company) or the AG (public limited company). They share the essentials \u2014 limited liability, identical tax treatment \u2014 so the decision really comes down to three questions: how much capital you can commit, whether you want your name kept off the public register, and how big you plan to grow.<\/p>\n

    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Criterion<\/th>\nGmbH (LLC)<\/th>\nAG (Ltd)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Minimum capital<\/td>\nCHF 20,000<\/td>\nCHF 100,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Capital to pay in<\/td>\n100% (CHF 20,000)<\/td>\nAt least 50% (CHF 50,000)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Owners public in the register<\/td>\nYes (quotaholders)<\/td>\nNo (shareholders)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Confidentiality<\/td>\nLimited<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Best for<\/td>\nSMEs, owner-managed businesses<\/td>\nLarger projects, fundraising, holding<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Both require at least one Switzerland-resident signatory. Sources: CO art. 772 ff. (GmbH), 620 ff. (AG).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    For the detail of each vehicle, see our guides on forming a GmbH in Switzerland<\/a> and an AG in Switzerland<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Capital requirements<\/h2>\n

    First, the reassurance that saves a lot of needless worry: the capital is not a fee you give away. You pay it into a blocked account to prove it exists, and the moment the company is registered the bank hands it back to the business to use. It lands on your balance sheet as a company asset \u2014 not money spent.<\/p>\n