Swiss Company Formation AG & AG Setup

Want a company with a passport that opens doors? Switzerland gives you that. A Swiss AG carries real weight with banks, partners, and investors. You don't need to be Swiss. You don't even need to live there. One shareholder is enough, and that shareholder can be you. You get a stable business environment, low corporate tax rates, and access to one of the world's strongest banking systems. This page walks you through company formation in Switzerland step by step: what it costs, what it takes, and what changed in 2026.

Why Start a Business in Switzerland?

Because almost nowhere else gives you low tax and a clean reputation at the same time.

Most cheap offshore havens save you money but cost you credibility. Swiss companies do the opposite. Here's what you get:

• Low tax. Combined rates start around 11.85% in the canton of Zug.
• Full foreign ownership. All shares can be held by non-residents.
• One resident representative. That's the only local body you must have — and it can be a professional director appointed for compliance.
• A huge treaty network. Switzerland has concluded double taxation agreements with over 100 countries, plus eight more covering inheritance and estate taxes.
• Political and economic stability. Predictable law. Predictable currency.
• Banking access. Nearly 25% of the world's cross-border assets sit in Swiss banks.
• Crypto-friendly cantons. Zug is home to a real blockchain cluster. See why crypto firms pick Switzerland.

Switzerland is not a tax haven. It's better. It's a low-tax country nobody blacklists.

What Is a Swiss AG?

Think of it as Switzerland's flagship company.

AG stands for "Aktiengesellschaft." In French it's Société Anonyme, or S.A. In English, a public limited company. It's the most popular legal form for international founders, and it's governed by the Swiss Code of Obligations, which dates back to 1911, plus the Swiss Company Act updated in 2008.

What makes it work for you:

• Only one shareholder is needed. That shareholder can also be the director.
• That shareholder can be a person, another company, or a trading company — corporate ownership is fine.
• Shareholder names are not published in the commercial register. Only directors are.
• You can hold unlimited shareholders as you grow.
• Shares transfer freely, which investors like.

AG or GmbH? Picking Your Legal Form

The choice comes down to one number: how much capital you can park.

Other structures exist too: Kommanditgesellschaft (LP), Kollektivgesellschaft (general partnership), and Zweigniederlassung (branch). Most international clients pick the AG or the Swiss GmbH.

Under both forms, your limited liability is real: only company assets are at risk, not your personal ones.

How Do You Register a Company in Switzerland?

Five steps. Most of it can be done without you boarding a plane.

1. Secure your company name. It must be unique and available in the commercial register. For an AG or GmbH you can pick any distinctive company name — you just have to add "AG" to it.
2. Choose your legal form and canton. Zug and Zurich are the two most cost-efficient cantons for this.
3. Draft and notarize your documents. That means articles of association and a public deed of incorporation, plus details on directors, shareholders, and your registered office.
4. Open a capital deposit account. Swiss law requires you to deposit your share capital into a temporary capital deposit account before registration — CHF 50,000 for an AG. Once the company is registered, the funds release to your corporate account.
5. Register with the commercial register. This is what gives your company legal personality and a unique company ID (UID). Registration typically completes in one to two weeks depending on the canton.

Budget 2 to 3 weeks end to end. Documents get drafted and notarized first, then filed. Bank account opening can add time on top.

What you need to hand us to start:

• Proposed name of company
• Physical address
• Valid passport

Opening a bank account usually adds requirements — professional references, KYC and AML documents, and sometimes an in-person visit. Ask us first; the rules move.

What Are the Corporate Taxes in Switzerland?

Your tax bill depends on one thing: which canton you pick.

Taxation happens at three levels — federal, cantonal, and communal. The federal layer is flat. The cantonal layer is where you win or lose. Combined effective rates look like this:

The component parts break down like this:

• Direct federal tax on profits: 8.5%
• Cantonal tax on profits: 5.9% – 16%
• Cantonal tax on capital: 0.05% – 0.3%

Some cantons stack extra incentives on top: tax holidays, R&D deductions, and a Patent Box regime for IP income.

Swiss VAT

Your AG files its own return as a separate legal entity. After the commercial register approves you, you apply to the Federal Tax Administration for your corporate tax and VAT numbers.

The standard Swiss VAT rate is 8.1%, in force since 1 January 2024. A reduced rate of 2.6% covers essentials like food, books, and medicines, and 3.8% applies to hotel accommodation. Registration is mandatory once your worldwide taxable turnover exceeds CHF 100,000 — though foreign businesses are liable from the first franc of taxable supply in Switzerland.

Can a Foreigner Register a Swiss Company?

Yes — and this trips up more people than it should.

Any person aged 18 or over can register a company in Switzerland. You don't need Swiss nationality. You don't need residency. Foreign nationals can own 100% of the shares.

The one real rule: at least one director or authorized representative with signing authority must be domiciled in Switzerland. That person must be a natural person, and must have access to the register of shareholders and beneficial owners. If you don't have someone, we appoint a professional resident director for you.

You'll also need a registered office address in Switzerland. That's it. Everything else — the notary, the filings, the register — can be handled by your representative.

One caveat: if you plan to actively run the business from inside Switzerland, you'll need work and residence permits. Owning is not the same as living there.

Privacy and Disclosure: What's Actually Public?

Less than the internet thinks. But more than it used to be.

• Shareholders: not listed publicly. Only directors appear in the commercial register.
• Directors: public record.
• Accounts: filed, but not publicly accessible.
• Beneficial owners: disclosed confidentially to banks during KYC — and now to a federal register (see the 2026 section below).

Swiss banking secrecy still blocks unauthorized disclosure of client data. What it no longer does is hide you from tax authorities. Switzerland participates in automatic exchange of information and has implemented the Common Reporting Standard. FINMA supervises the financial side. Switzerland is off the OECD blacklists — that's a feature, not a bug.

What About Bearer Shares?

They're gone. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Switzerland abolished bearer shares in principle when amendments to the Swiss Code of Obligations entered into force on 1 November 2019, implementing recommendations from the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. Since 1 May 2021, bearer shares are permitted only in two narrow cases: where the company has equity securities listed on a stock exchange, or where the bearer shares are structured as intermediated securities deposited with a Swiss custodian. Everything else was converted to registered shares by law.

Board members who fail to keep the share register or the register of beneficial owners up to date can be fined. Your privacy in a Swiss AG comes from shareholders being absent from the public commercial register — not from anonymous paper.

How Is Swiss Company Formation Changing in 2026?

The biggest shift to Swiss corporate transparency in decades lands this October.

The stat: On 12 June 2026, Switzerland's Federal Council published the ordinance implementing the Federal Act on the Transparency of Legal Entities and the Identification of Beneficial Owners. The Transparency Act enters into force on 1 October 2026. It creates a centralised electronic register of beneficial owners, run by the Federal Office of Justice. It applies to AGs, GmbHs, cooperatives, and foreign entities with a Swiss nexus. A beneficial owner is any natural person holding at least 25% of capital or votes — or who controls the entity by other means. (Source: CMS Switzerland legal update, 15 June 2026, authored by Audrey Durand, Partner, Co-Head Corporate/M&A.)

What we've learned in 25 years: Registers like this rarely scare off serious founders. They scare off the wrong ones. Every time a jurisdiction we work in has added a beneficial ownership register, the same thing happens — the clients chasing invisibility leave, and the clients building real businesses stay and find the queue shorter. This register is not public. Only Swiss authorities and AML-regulated intermediaries can see it. In practice, that means your bank already knows what the register will hold. The work isn't hiding. The work is having your ownership chain documented cleanly before you're asked. The founders who get burned are the ones who papered over an ownership arrangement years ago and never mapped it out.

Our prediction, hedged: Based on the transitional deadlines — three to five months for most AGs, two years for entities whose owners already appear in the commercial register — we'd expect a filing crush in late 2026 and early 2027, and slower notary and fiduciary turnaround with it. If that pattern holds, forming in the first half of 2026 rather than the second may mean a smoother run. We could be wrong about the size of the backlog. We're fairly confident about its direction.

Which Swiss Structures Work Offshore?

Three shapes cover most of what our clients build.

1. Holding Companies

These hold stakes in other companies. The prize is participation exemption, which can cut or wipe out tax on dividends from qualifying subsidiaries. To qualify, the holding must own at least 10% of another company's share capital, or shares worth at least CHF 1 million. Add the treaty network and no federal tax on capital gains from qualifying participations, and you see why groups centralize here.

2. Domiciliary Companies

These do all their business outside Switzerland while keeping their legal domicile inside it. No staff, no Swiss-source income, just a registered office and administrative functions. Recent tax reforms trimmed their old advantages to meet international standards. They still need real substance — an empty shell invites trouble.

3. Mixed Companies

These operate both inside and outside Switzerland, with foreign activity making up the bulk — typically at least 80% of income from non-Swiss sources. They keep real offices and staff in Switzerland. Think regional headquarters.

Do You Need an Audit?

Probably not. Most small Swiss companies never file one.

Swiss law sets three audit regimes, and your size decides which one you land in:

• Ordinary audit. Required if you exceed two of these three thresholds in two consecutive financial years: CHF 40 million turnover, CHF 20 million balance sheet total, or 250 full-time employees. Also required for listed companies and those preparing consolidated accounts.
• Limited audit (eingeschränkte Revision). The default for everyone else. Lighter scope, shorter report.
• Opting-out. Under Art. 727a(2) of the Swiss Code of Obligations, you can waive the audit entirely if you have no more than 10 full-time employees on annual average and every shareholder consents.

One change worth knowing: since 1 January 2025, an opting-out can't be applied retroactively. The waiver must be filed with the commercial register before the financial year it covers begins. Plan it early, not at year-end.

Key Corporate Features

What Happens After Incorporation?

Registration isn't the finish line. It's the starting gun.

• Register for social security (AHV/AVS)
• Enroll employees in a pension fund (BVG/LPP)
• Obtain accident insurance (UVG/LAA)
• Register for VAT if annual turnover exceeds CHF 100,000
• Maintain accounting records for 10 years
• File your opting-out with the commercial register before the financial year starts, if you qualify
• Report beneficial owners to the Transparency Register

Can You Open a Corporate Bank Account?

Yes — and your Swiss company makes it easier, not harder.

You can open a corporate account in most countries with a Swiss company behind you. We have banking connections in dozens of jurisdictions. Which one fits depends on you: some banks want an in-person visit, higher capital, and references; others don't. Get in touch and we'll match you to the right one.

Switzerland AG Formation With Offshore Protection

One price. Everything in the box.

Formation package: US$7,900. Your package includes:

1. Government Registration Fee (first year)
2. Registered Office Address (first year)
3. Registered Agent Services (first year)
4. Company Secretarial Maintenance
5. Certificate of Incorporation
6. Memorandum & Articles of Association
7. Appointment of 1st Directors
8. Consent Actions of the BOD
9. Share Certificates
10. Register of Directors
11. Register of Officers
12. Register of Shareholders
13. FREE phone and email consultations

Buy any of our company formation products and you get free support from our lawyers for your day-to-day management questions. Order your Swiss company with or without a bank account.

More Swiss options: Switzerland GmbH  |  Swiss Trust Company  |  Swiss Offshore Banking  |  How to Set Up a Company in Switzerland

FAQ

• Can a foreigner start a business in Switzerland?

  Yes. Any person aged 18 or over can form a company in Switzerland, and Swiss nationality is not required. Foreign nationals can own 100% of the shares. The one condition: at least one director or authorized representative with signing authority must be domiciled in Switzerland. That can be a professional resident director we appoint for you. You'll also need a registered office address. If you intend to actively manage the business from inside Switzerland, you'll need work and residence permits — owning is not the same as living there.

• How much does it cost to form and renew a Switzerland company?

  Our AG formation package is US$7,900, which covers government registration, registered office, registered agent, and your full incorporation document set for year one. On top of that you deposit your share capital: CHF 100,000 for an AG, of which CHF 50,000 must be paid in before registration. Government fees start at 240 CHF, with commercial register fees of roughly CHF 550. Renewal runs annually and covers your registered office, registered agent, and secretarial maintenance. Contact us for a firm quote on your structure.

• How long does Swiss company formation take?

  Plan on 2–3 weeks end to end. Documents are drafted and notarized first, then filed with the commercial register, which typically completes registration in one to two weeks depending on the canton. Bank account opening can add time on top, since some banks require an in-person visit.

• What is the minimum share capital for a Swiss company?

  For an AG (S.A.), the minimum is CHF 100,000, of which at least 20% — and no less than CHF 50,000 — must be paid in before incorporation. For a GmbH (Sàrl), the minimum is CHF 20,000, fully paid. Branches of foreign companies have no capital requirement. Capital goes into a temporary capital deposit account and is released to your corporate account once you're registered.

• Are bearer shares still allowed in Switzerland?

  No. Amendments to the Swiss Code of Obligations that entered into force on 1 November 2019 abolished bearer shares in principle, implementing recommendations from the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. Since 1 May 2021, bearer shares survive only where a company has equity securities listed on a stock exchange, or where the shares are structured as intermediated securities deposited with a Swiss custodian. All other bearer shares were converted to registered shares. Shareholder privacy in a Swiss AG now comes from the fact that shareholders are not published in the commercial register — only directors are.

• Does a Swiss AG need an audit?

  It depends on your size. An ordinary audit is required if you exceed two of three thresholds — CHF 40 million turnover, CHF 20 million balance sheet total, or 250 full-time employees — in two consecutive financial years, or if you are listed or prepare consolidated accounts. Everyone else falls under the lighter limited audit by default. If you have no more than 10 full-time employees on annual average and all shareholders consent, you can waive the audit entirely under Art. 727a(2) of the Swiss Code of Obligations. Since 1 January 2025 this opting-out cannot be applied retroactively — it must be filed with the commercial register before the financial year it covers begins.

• How does Switzerland regulate offshore corporations?

  Switzerland pairs business-friendly policy with real oversight. Companies fall under federal and cantonal law and must meet international standards. FINMA supervises financial activity to prevent money laundering. Switzerland has implemented OECD information-exchange standards and is not on tax haven blacklists. Companies must keep proper accounting records and file annual financial statements. From 1 October 2026, in-scope entities must also report beneficial owners to a federal Transparency Register that is accessible only to authorities and AML-regulated intermediaries — not the public.

• What are the tax benefits of a Swiss company?

  Combined effective corporate tax rates run from about 11.85% in Zug to 19.60% in Zurich, with a Swiss average near 14.4%. Holding companies may claim participation exemption, which reduces or eliminates tax on qualifying dividend income, plus no federal tax on capital gains from qualifying participations. Switzerland has concluded double taxation agreements with over 100 countries, preventing the same income being taxed twice across borders. Some cantons add tax holidays, R&D deductions, and a Patent Box regime for IP income.

• What are the reporting and compliance obligations?

  You must keep proper accounting records for 10 years and file annual financial statements. Corporate tax returns go in at both federal and cantonal level each year. VAT registration is mandatory once annual turnover exceeds CHF 100,000, at the standard rate of 8.1%. You must hold annual general meetings and minute them. Switzerland has implemented the Common Reporting Standard, and anti-money laundering rules require due diligence and verification of beneficial owners. Audit scope depends on your size — see the audit question above.

• Do I need to travel to Switzerland?

  Usually not for the incorporation itself — documents can be prepared and filed by your representative, and your Swiss-resident director covers the local requirement. Local company meetings can be attended by proxy. Bank account opening is the exception: some banks require an in-person visit. Ask us before you book anything, as bank policy changes regularly.

• Can Offshore Protection create a company for me?

  Yes. Offshore Protection has been establishing companies around the world for nearly three decades. We handle legal and corporate services including company formation, Swiss trust companies, financial licenses, and bank accounts in dozens of countries. Get in touch to find out more.

Ready to Register Your Swiss Company?

A Swiss AG gives you what cheap havens can't: low tax, real limited liability, full foreign ownership, and a name that banks respect. One shareholder. One resident director. Treaties with over 100 countries so your income isn't taxed twice. And a jurisdiction nobody blacklists. The 2026 transparency rules reward founders who get their paperwork right early — so don't wait.