In this article, we’ll show you what people from abroad have to take into account if they want to set up a joint-stock company or a limited liability company in Switzerland. At the end of the article, you’ll read an overview text in which we’ve summarised the most important points.
Is it possible to set up a company in Switzerland as a foreigner?
It’s possible to set up very different legal forms in Switzerland. The most common types of companies which are established in Switzerland are a limited liability company (LLC) and a joint-stock company (JSC). The nationality of the founder does not matter in these legal forms.
Joint-stock company (JSC)
In Switzerland, the Board of Directors must be authorised to sign and therefore authorised to act to set up a joint-stock company. This means that at least one member of the Board of Directors with authorisation to sign must be resident in Switzerland. However, if the members of the Board of Directors have a collective signature for two, two of the members of the Board of Directors must be resident in Switzerland. However, it is irrelevant where any other members of the Board of Directors as well as the shareholders are domiciled. It is therefore possible for the founders of a joint-stock company to be EU/EFTA citizens or to come from a third country.
Limited liability company (LLC)
To set up a LLC, it is necessary that the managing director in Switzerland is authorised to sign and therefore authorised to act. This means that a LLC needs at least one managing director who is authorised to sign individually and is resident in Switzerland. On the other hand, the other shareholders and managing directors may also be resident in another country. This means that the founders of a LLC can also be EU/EFTA citizens or come from a third country.
Bank account
It is often more difficult for foreign individuals to open a bank account than it is for them to start a business. We’re also happy to help you with this and to find out for you what you have to prove so that you can open a business account with a Swiss bank. It’s important for you to know that a company with holders who live exclusively abroad cannot open a bank account in Switzerland. Larger banks may make an exception in this regard. However, in our experience, this leads to very high fees for account management.
Company headquarters
If you want to set up a business in Switzerland as a foreign person, you also need an address. In Switzerland, we distinguish between a correct address and a c/o address. With a correct address, the company has its own office space. If the founder is not tied to one place, it may make more sense to choose a canton with low levies. In doing so, it is necessary to add the levies to the holder of the domicile and the tax expense. So it may be worthwhile to choose a cheaper provider of a company domicile in a canton with slightly higher taxes.
At SWISS COMPANY AG we offer this service in the canton of Zug and the canton of Zurich.
