Overview
In Switzerland a company can be established in the form of a corporation
(AG: Aktiengesellschaft; SA: Société Anonyme) or a limited liability company (GmbH: Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung; Sàrl: Société à responsabilité limitée). A company does not need a license to do business in Switzerland, except in circumstances where the carrying on of a certain business is subject to licensing requirements, e.g., banking and other finance related business, insurance business, airlines business, etc.
The shareholders of a Swiss company do not need to be Swiss citizens or Swiss companies. However, the majority of the members of the board of directors of a Swiss corporation must be Swiss citizens or citizens of a member state of the EU or the EFTA and must be domiciled in Switzerland.
Preferred Form of Legal Entity
The vast majority of the forms of business in Switzerland are organized as corporations. The following information relates therefore to corporations.
Requirements for the Formation of a Corporation
Incorporators: three persons or entities must act as incorporators and initial shareholders; they need not be Swiss citizens or residents. The incorporators may appoint one or more proxies to form the corporation on their behalf; accordingly, their presence in Switzerland is not required.
Capital: a corporation must have a share capital of at least CHF 100’000,- which must be paid in on the date of the incorporators' meeting.
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