Swiss Commercial Register: Registration, Costs, Documents

The commercial register is the official directory of all companies in Switzerland. Registration is mandatory for LLCs and corporations, for sole proprietorships from CHF 100,000 turnover. Costs: CHF 500-1,200, processing time: 5-15 working days.

The commercial register documents all important company data and creates legal certainty. Here is all important information:

Who must register?

Mandatory registration:

• LLC: Always subject to registration obligation
• Corporation: Always subject to registration obligation
• Cooperatives: Always subject to registration obligation
• General partnerships: Always subject to registration obligation
• Limited partnerships: Always subject to registration obligation

Conditional registration:

• Sole proprietorships: From CHF 100,000 annual turnover
• Branch offices: Foreign companies
• Foundations: Public benefit purposes
• Associations: Commercial activities

Required documents:

For LLC:

• Articles of incorporation: Notarized
• Capital payment confirmation: Bank confirmation
• Identity documents: All shareholders and managers
• Domicile confirmation: Business address
• Declaration of beneficial owners: Fill out form

For Corporation:

• Articles of association: Notarized
• Capital payment confirmation: At least 20% of share capital
• Identity documents: Board of directors and management
• Incorporation minutes: Notarial authentication
• Verification report: For contributions in kind

Conclusion: Commercial register registration is an important step toward business formalization. With careful preparation and complete documents, the process runs smoothly.