Founding an association in Switzerland – now it's super easy

An association is a good choice if several people want to pursue a non-economic purpose together. If it is mainly for commercial purposes, then an association is not the right choice – choose a LLC, an JSC or a holding company instead. In principle, you can only run a business with a club if the business only plays a secondary role – and helps to achieve the goal of the club (typical example: restaurant for a football club). In such cases, the association generally needs to be entered in the commercial register

To found an association in Switzerland, you need at least two founding members, the association's Articles of Association and entry in the central register. The Articles of Association must contain the purpose, name and registered office of the association. We will be happy to advise you free of charge and to discuss all necessary steps.

• If you want to use an association for business purposes, you must enter it in the commercial register. According to Swiss law, an association may not aim to make a profit. Because an association always has a non-monetary purpose, it can only be used for business to a limited extent.

• To set up an association, you need at least two people (whether natural or legal). You do not need start-up capital. The foundation takes place in a meeting, where the rules (Articles of Association) are determined and a Board is elected. Each association must have a general meeting and a Board that consists of at least one person.

• An association is legally its own person. This means that only the association is responsible for debts. The members do not have to be liable with their own money, unless the rules of the association say otherwise (Article 75a ZGB).