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What is the company registry in Switzerland?
Central Business Names Index (Zefix) — maintained by the Federal Commercial Registry Office
Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) / Federal Registry of Commerce (FRC), Bundesrain 20, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
About Switzerland
The Switzerland Companies Registry is located in Bern.
Switzerland officially the Swiss Confederation is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. The main language of Switzerland is German which is spoken by 62.8% of the population with other languages such as French and Italian spoken by a small percentage. The local currency is the Swiss franc (CHF). The population of Switzerland is over 9.06 million.
Switzerland Economy
The Real GDP in Switzerland is in the region of $733.779 billion with a GDP per capita of $82,600. Switzerland economy growth has been bolstered by tourism, services, construction, and private consumption. The leading export commodities for Switzerland are gold, vaccines, packaged medicine, nitrogen compounds, base metal watches.
Main Trading Partners of Switzerland
The leading export and import partners for Switzerland are:
Exports: US 15%, Germany 13%, China 11%, Italy 6%, France 5%
Imports: Germany 21%, US 10%, Italy 8%, France 6%, China 5%
Switzerland Certificate of Incorporation
The Switzerland Certificate of Incorporation is issued by the local company register and we can provide a copy of this company incorporation certificate where available. A certificate of incorporation is a legal document that proves a company is registered with the local register and has met all the requirements to do so.
Switzerland Certificate of Good Standing
The certificate of Good standing is issued by the local Switzerland company registry. A Certificate of Good Standing (CGS) is an official document that confirms a company's legal compliance and good standing. The availability and information provided on the certificate of good standing will vary for each jurisdiction.
Reasons to obtain company documents
An extract from the Switzerland register can be used for many reasons including:
Background checks on potential Switzerland customers / suppliers
Litigation claims
Check potential employers
Wills and Probate
What information is free to view at Switzerland Company Registry?
In some jurisdictions certain information is free to view and in Switzerland the following information can be viewed free of charge:
Switzerland Company Name
Switzerland Address - Adresse
Switzerland Town - PLZ / Ort
Switzerland Legal Form - Rechtsform
Switzerland Canton/Region - Sitz
Switzerland Company Status - Status
Switzerland UID
Switzerland CH-ID
Switzerland EHRA-ID
Switzerland Auditor - Revisionsstelle
Do you need to register / sign up at the Switzerland Company Registry?
No, you do not need to sign up at the local Switzerland register to order, obtain and download registered documents.
Number of Registered Companies in Switzerland
There are over 1,200,000 companies registered in Switzerland.
Types of Companies in Switzerland
Businesses in Switzerland can be setup with several different types of companies which include:
AG (Aktiengesellschaft) SA (Société anonyme) SA (Società anonima) ≈ plc (UK) or Inc. (US). Min. share capital CHF 100,000. Bearer or registered shares, of a par value of min. CHF 0.01 each. Details of shareholders generally not publicly available (except for main shareholders and management shares of publicly listed companies).
GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) Sàrl (Société à responsabilité limitée) Sagl (Società a garanzia limitata) ≈ Ltd. (UK), LLC (US). Min. capital CHF 20,000. Registered shares only, of a par value of min. CHF 100 each. Name, address and share of each owner (and any changes) publicly recorded in the Official Register of Commerce
Stiftung / fondation / fondazione:≈ foundation
investment fund (Anlagefonds / fonds de placement / fondo di investimento)
Investmentgesellschaft mit festem Kapital / SICAF (société d'investissement à capital fixe) / SICAF (società di investimento a capitale fisso):≈ investment trust (UK), closed-end company (US)
Investmentgesellschaft mit variablem Kapital / SICAV (société d'investissement à capital variable) / SICAV (società di investimento a capitale variabile):≈ OEIC (open-ended investment company) (UK), open-end company (US)
Verein / association / associazione:≈ non-profit association
wIG (wirtschaftliche Interessengemeinschaft) / GIE (groupement d'intérêt économique) / gruppo di interesse economico:≈ EIG (economic interest grouping)
Einzelunternehmen / RI (raison individuelle) / ditta individuale:≈ sole trader (UK), sole proprietorship (US)
Gesellschaft "business entities"
partnerships (Rechsgemeinschaft / société de personnes / società di persone)
eG (einfache Gesellschaft) / société simple / società semplice:≈ partnership by contract
KolG (Kollektivgesellschaft) / SNC (société en nom collectif) / società in nome collettivo:≈ GP
KG (Kommanditgesellschaft) / SC (société en commandite) / società in accomandita:≈ LP
trading companies (Körperschaft / société de capitaux / società di capitale)
KomAG (Kommanditaktiengesellschaft) / SCA (société en commandite par actions) / società in accomandita per azioni:≈ publicly traded partnership (PTP)
GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) / Sàrl (société à responsabilité limitée) / Sagl (società a garanzia limitata):≈ Ltd. (UK), LLC (US)
AG (Aktiengesellschaft) / SA (société anonyme) / SA (società anonima):≈ plc (UK), Corp. (US/Can)
Genossenschaft / Scoop (société coopérative) / società cooperativa:≈ co-operative
Zweigniederlassung / succursale / succursale:≈ branch (of a company)
Can you order a Switzerland Apostille Certificate?
Yes, Switzerland agreed to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. Therefore, Switzerland accepts the Apostille Certificate for Switzerland Company Registry Search Documents in place of any further legalisation process.
Switzerland signed up to the Hague Convention on 11th March 1973.
What is the language(s) of the Switzerland Company Registry?
The Switzerland Company Register is in German, French, Italian & English languages.
Switzerland Embassies, high commissions and consulates
Switzerland has 104 embassies abroad, as well as 232 consulates and 20 other representations.
Bern, the federal capital of Switzerland, hosts 88 embassies, and in addition there are a total of 172 consulates and another five representations located in Switzerland.
Switzerland Site Visits
Our network of global private investigators / process severs means we offer site visits throughout all of Switzerland. Our local partner is based in Geneva which enables us to do site visits throughout all of Switzerland including Zurich, Bern, Suisse, Fallanden and Ticino. Our agents can make discreet enquiries at the location to confirm if company currently trades at the address and take photographs along with any other special requests.
Switzerland Country Rating
The current bond ratings for Switzerland from the major credit bureau(s) is listed below. Rating factors include the current account balance, debt payment history and timeliness, banking and financial operations, future economic outlook, and national economic strength.
Switzerland Moody's rating: Aaa (first obtained in 1982)
Switzerland Standard & Poors rating: AAA (first obtained in 1988)
Switzerland Debt Collection
Creditreform provides an Switzerland Debt Collection service on a No Win No Fee basis. All debts are pursued by our local office/partner in the country/jurisdiction where the debtor is located including Switzerland.
Switzerland Skip Tracing
We provide private investigation services for all countries/jurisdictions including Switzerland. Our specialist Switzerland skip tracing service operates through our network of PI agents worldwide where we can trace individuals current addresses.
Switzerland Business Credit Reports
Creditreform provides Switzerland Business Credit reports on all companies and businesses registered in Switzerland. The report will include all available information and a credit rating/score. To request a recent sample credit report please contact us.
Switzerland Company Document Agency FAQs
1. What documents/extracts are available in Switzerland?
The extracts / documents available will vary depending on the jurisdiction and company type. If you can provide details on the company we can check availability to confirm what extracts are available and provide quote.
2. What is the difference between a company extract and a credit report?
A company extract provides official information/documentation which can include where available such as a company's registration, directors, and share capital. A credit report provides information about a company's finances, ownership and credit worthiness.
3. Is shareholder information available in Switzerland?
The availability of shareholder information depends on the jurisdiction, company type and local legislation.
4. Are financial statements available in Switzerland?
Financial information is usually required to be filed at the local register but is not always publicly available. Financial information is more publicly available in Europe compared to other regions globally where there is not always a legal requirement.
5. What is the cost to obtain company extracts?
The cost of obtaining company extracts varies depending on the jurisdiction, access to the local register and the delivery speed required. We will always provide a no obligation quote before proceeding.
6. What is the delivery time to obtain company documents?
The delivery time to obtain company documents depends on the jurisdiction and access to the local register. We will always provide the documents by email where possible to speed up delivery.