Company formation for non-residents
We incorporate GmbH and AG companies in the Canton of Zug, where the effective corporate tax rate of 11.85% is the lowest in Switzerland. We draft the articles of association, open the capital contribution account, arrange notarisation of the deed and file for entry in the commercial register. We also cover the Art. 814 requirement under the Code of Obligations: a managing officer domiciled in Switzerland with signing authority. A jurisdiction with a reputation, not an offshore footprint.
A short overview of the corporate, tax and annual conditions Switzerland applies to non-residents.
The GmbH is a limited liability company; its members are listed on the public register. The AG is a stock corporation and its shareholders are not published. Both are open to 100% foreign ownership.
GmbH: CHF 20,000, paid in full before incorporation. AG: CHF 100,000, of which at least CHF 50,000 must be paid up at the outset. The capital stays with the company and is available for the business.
At least one person with signing authority must be domiciled in Switzerland: Art. 814 of the Code of Obligations for a GmbH, Art. 718 for an AG. Without one, the commercial register will not complete the registration.
The effective combined rate in the Canton of Zug is the lowest in the country. Zurich sits at 19.6% and Geneva at 14.7%. The federal share of 8.5% is identical everywhere. VAT is 8.1%.
The address must be in the canton where the company is registered. A letterbox with no genuine presence will not do; the register and the tax authorities check that the company can actually be reached.
Annual accounts under the Code of Obligations. The audit can be waived where the company has fewer than 10 full-time employees and all members agree, through the opting-out procedure.
The final cost depends on the package you choose, your industry, the ownership structure and any additional work the project requires.
Data current as of July 2026.
From basic GmbH registration in the commercial register to a full package with a resident director and a bank account.
GmbH registration in the register
Resident director and address
Bank account included
For companies that need a working bank account in Switzerland. KYC preparation, source of funds documentation and support through to opening.
Important: we advise on the choice of bank or payment provider and help you prepare the application, but we cannot guarantee that an account will be opened. Swiss banks run in-depth compliance checks on non-residents, and the final decision always rests with the bank or EMI.
Switzerland suits businesses that need standing without an offshore footprint: trading with European counterparties, holding assets and keeping capital in a stable currency. Incorporation is remote, under power of attorney, but a director domiciled in the country is mandatory.
Dividends and capital gains from subsidiaries are exempt under the participation exemption where the holding is 10% or more. Over 100 double tax treaties. An AG in Zug is the standard holding wrapper.
Zug is Crypto Valley, with roughly 14,000 jobs in the sector. FINMA has a clear position on token classification, and the banks and law firms there know the field. Incorporation is not a licence, but it is the foundation for one.
Geneva and Zug are global centres for trading in commodities and metals. A Swiss counterparty clears compliance at European banks without the questions an offshore entity attracts.
The patent box reduces tax on qualifying intellectual property income by up to 90%. The R&D super-deduction allows 150% of qualifying research costs to be deducted.
The lowest effective rate across all 26 cantons. Lower than Ireland, Hungary or Cyprus, in a jurisdiction with a far stronger reputation.
A CHF account is a hedge against currency risk. Swiss banking is among the most stable in the world, but compliance is demanding and the business behind the account has to be real.
Switzerland appears on no EU or OECD blacklist or grey list. Counterparties, banks and tax authorities treat a Swiss company as a proper European business rather than a conduit structure.
The Code of Obligations has been in force since 1912. An advance tax ruling is available: the canton confirms the tax treatment in writing before the company is incorporated, typically within 4 to 8 weeks.
We incorporate GmbH and AG companies remotely, under power of attorney. You supply a basic set of documents; we prepare and file everything else. Below is what we need from you and what the jurisdiction requires.
Foreign documents are accepted with an apostille and a certified translation into German or French. No visit to Switzerland is required; everything is signed under power of attorney.
There are no restrictions on the nationality or residence of the members. Ownership can be 100% foreign. A single founder is enough, whether an individual or a company.
The decisive requirement. At least one person with signing authority must be domiciled in Switzerland: Art. 814 of the Code of Obligations for a GmbH, Art. 718 for an AG. Without one, the commercial register will refuse the registration. We cover this through our director services.
GmbH: CHF 20,000, paid in full before the notary appointment. AG: CHF 100,000, of which at least CHF 50,000 must be paid up immediately. The money goes into a capital contribution account, the bank issues a confirmation, and once the company is entered in the register the capital is released and available for the business.
The incorporation deed is notarised by a Swiss notary. The company comes into existence only on entry in the cantonal commercial register, not before. Processing takes 7 to 14 working days.
Annual accounts under the Code of Obligations. An audit is not required where the company has fewer than 10 full-time employees and all members agree, through the opting-out procedure. VAT registration applies once worldwide turnover exceeds CHF 100,000.
The rate depends on the canton. Below are the rates, the annual filings and how withholding tax works for non-residents.
The effective rate in the Canton of Zug, the lowest of all 26 cantons. Zurich sits at 19.6, Geneva at 14.7 and Bern at 20.5.
Reduces tax on qualifying intellectual property income by up to 90%. The R&D super-deduction allows 150% of research costs to be deducted.
Annual accounts and the tax return are filed with the cantonal tax administration. Deadlines vary by canton, typically 6 to 9 months after the year end.
Withholding tax is always deducted at source. It is reclaimed under a double tax treaty, and Switzerland has more than 100. The residual rate is usually 15, 5 or 0.
Three layers: federal at 8.5%, cantonal and communal. The combined effective rate runs from 11.85% in Zug to 20.5% in Bern.
A cantonal tax on the company's equity. Around 0.07% in Zug and 0.17% in Zurich.
The standard rate is 8.1%, with reduced rates of 2.6% and 3.8%. Registration is mandatory once worldwide turnover exceeds CHF 100,000 a year.
Withholding tax of 35% is always deducted at source; the refund is claimed afterwards and takes 6 to 12 months. Dividends from subsidiaries are exempt where the holding is 10% or more.
Keep proper books under the Code of Obligations
Prepare and approve the annual accounts
File the tax return with the cantonal tax administration
File VAT returns where turnover exceeds CHF 100,000
Undergo an audit, or complete the opting-out where fewer than 10 employees
Maintain the register of beneficial owners holding 25% or more
Pay AHV and social security contributions for employees
An audit is not required where the company has fewer than 10 full-time employees and all members agree in writing, through the opting-out procedure. The OECD minimum tax of 15% applies only to large multinational groups.
Data current as of July 2026.
Swiss banks run some of the most demanding compliance checks in the world. Non-residents can access cantonal banks, private banks and Swiss EMIs. The decisive requirement is evidence of the source of funds and a company with a real business behind it.
For day-to-day operations and settlement in CHF, EUR and USD. We match the bank to the company profile, working with UBS, PostFinance, the cantonal banks of Zug and Zurich, and Swiss EMIs such as Yapeal, Relio and Klarpay.
For trading and digital services, payment gateways with European acquiring. Companies based in Zug can access banks with genuine expertise in digital assets.
We build the company profile before the application goes in. A Swiss bank screens the beneficial owners against KYC and AML standards and expects the origin of the capital to be documented; without that, the account will not be opened.
We assess the business, the payment flows and the banks' requirements before any application is filed.
Most of the time goes on the notary and the cantonal commercial register. End to end, allow from 14 days.
Switzerland buys you standing and a low tax rate, but it asks for real capital and a real presence. Below are the honest drawbacks and the jurisdictions that answer them.
CHF 20,000 for a GmbH, at least CHF 50,000 up front for an AG. The money goes into a dedicated account before the notary appointment. No payment, no registration.
At least one person with signing authority must live in Switzerland. That is a recurring annual cost, and neither Ireland nor the UK imposes it.
Switzerland is not built for low-turnover projects. The director, the registered office, the bookkeeping and the audit add up to several thousand francs a year.
A Swiss bank expects you to evidence the source of capital and show a real business. A shell with no trading behind it will not get an account.
When you want access to the EU market without a capital requirement. A 12.5% rate, remote incorporation, and the resident director requirement solved through a Section 137 bond.
When you want an EU jurisdiction at a fraction of the Swiss cost. A 12.5% rate, no capital requirement, and running costs several times lower.
When the goal is an EU holding with a shareholder refund. After the refund, the effective rate can fall to 5%.
When you need a company that is fast, inexpensive and well regarded. No capital requirement, incorporation in a couple of days, and no resident director.
Every project is different - we tailor the solution to the specific task, jurisdiction and business model.
Switzerland The client had three operating companies across different countries and was losing money on tax every time dividends came up the chain. The question was where to put the holding entity so that counterparties would not raise an eyebrow. Cyprus was on the table, but banks are looking at it more sceptically these days.
Solution An AG in Zug. Dividends from subsidiaries are exempt where the holding is 10% or more. We also obtained an advance ruling from the canton, so the tax treatment was confirmed in writing before incorporation.
What mattered to me was having it in writing from the canton beforehand, not guessing. The ruling took six weeks, but after that there were no surprises with the tax office.
Switzerland The team builds infrastructure for DeFi and had been sitting on a BVI entity. The investors said plainly that an offshore company in the structure did not work for them. They needed a jurisdiction where the bank would not close the account on seeing the word blockchain in the business description.
Solution A GmbH in Zug. Finding the bank took three weeks; the first one declined, the second works with Crypto Valley and had no questions about the profile. No FINMA licence was needed, as the model does not fall within scope.
We were told upfront that a bank might say no. Still unpleasant when it happens, of course. But the second one went through calmly, they already understood what we do.
Switzerland The client trades metals with buyers across Europe. With the previous company in Dubai, the counterparties' banks kept holding up payments and asking for more paperwork. Every shipment turned into a correspondence with a compliance desk.
Solution A GmbH in Zug with an account at a cantonal bank. Putting the source of funds file together took longer than the incorporation itself, but it went through on the first attempt. Payments with European counterparties stopped getting stuck.
The bank file took about three weeks to assemble and there were a lot of questions. But now a payment goes out and comes in, instead of sitting in review for a week. That is what we did it for.
If your question is not answered here, send us a request and we will look at your situation directly.
Get a consultationSwitzerland appears on no EU or OECD blacklist or grey list. A Swiss company clears compliance at European banks and with counterparties as a normal business, not as a conduit structure. On top of that, the rate in the Canton of Zug is 11.85%, lower than Ireland or Cyprus. The price you pay is real capital, a director domiciled in the country and higher running costs.
Either a GmbH or an AG; both are open to 100% foreign ownership. The GmbH needs less capital, but its members appear on the public register. The AG requires more capital and keeps shareholders off the register. Holdings usually take the AG, operating businesses the GmbH.
CHF 20,000 for a GmbH, paid in full before the notary appointment. CHF 100,000 for an AG, of which at least CHF 50,000 must be paid up immediately. The money goes into a capital contribution account and the bank issues a confirmation. Once the company is entered in the register the capital is released and works in the business; it is not money lost.
Yes. The whole process runs under power of attorney and no visit is required. The notary executes the incorporation deed with your representative. The capital, however, still has to be physically transferred to a Swiss account before the notary appointment.
Yes, and it is the decisive requirement. At least one person with signing authority must be domiciled in Switzerland: Art. 814 of the Code of Obligations for a GmbH, Art. 718 for an AG. Without one, the commercial register will not complete the registration. We cover this through our director services, and the word nominee does not really apply here: the person carries genuine responsibility towards the authorities.
The rate almost doubles across the country, from 11.85% in Zug to 20.5% in Bern. Zug has the lowest tax and is home to Crypto Valley. Zurich costs more in tax but is stronger for banking and hiring. Geneva serves trading and the French-speaking market. We run the numbers against your actual turnover, because at modest profit levels the tax saving does not cover the extra cost of the office and the director.
Annual accounts under the Code of Obligations and a tax return filed with the cantonal administration. The audit can be waived where the company has fewer than 10 full-time employees and all members agree, through the opting-out procedure. VAT registration applies once worldwide turnover exceeds CHF 100,000; the rate is 8.1%.
Withholding tax of 35% is always deducted at source; there is no relief at the moment of payment. The refund is claimed afterwards under a double tax treaty, and Switzerland has more than 100. The residual rate is usually 15%, 5% or 0%. Processing a claim takes 6 to 12 months, so it needs to be factored into cash flow.
No. Swiss banks run some of the most demanding compliance checks in the world and expect the source of capital and the underlying business to be evidenced. We prepare the file and match the bank to the profile, but the final decision always rests with the bank. A refusal from the first bank is a normal part of the process; we go to the second with a strengthened application.
Yes, it is one of the main use cases. Dividends and capital gains from subsidiaries are exempt under the participation exemption where the holding is 10% or more. An advance tax ruling is available: the canton will confirm the treatment in writing before incorporation, typically within 4 to 8 weeks.
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