Register your Swiss company online
The guided path to your own company — entered online, reviewed by us, accompanied to the register entry.
Your Swiss company formation.
With Firmbase you form your Swiss GmbH or AG digitally. You enter the details in a guided dialog. We review them — in particular whether the company name is available and permissible. And whether the purpose fits: not too narrow, not too broad, professionally worded. We then prepare the incorporation documents and handle notarisation and commercial-register filing — for one flat fee. A free consultation for your questions is included, and we accompany the whole process closely. Enquiries are free and non-binding.
Sole proprietorship, GmbH or AG?
If you start alone, at manageable risk or as a side business, the sole proprietorship often fits best. The GmbH fits once private and business assets should be separate; it needs less capital and stays lean. The AG fits when investors or financing rounds are planned; its shareholders stay anonymous to the outside. For a GmbH or AG, at least one authorised signatory must live in Switzerland. We review international setups in an assisted process.
How long does formation take?
From entering your details to the entry in the commercial register, it typically takes one to four weeks. Three factors drive the duration. Your preparation and cooperation, the canton where the company is registered — and most of all the bank. It runs the capital-payment account; queries there often cause delays. Start the bank conversation early. And if you still need a business address: Firmbase offers a registrable domicile in Baar ZG.
What your formation costs — and what's included.
From choosing a name to the commercial-register entry.
Each step shows who acts, how long it takes — and what you have at the end.
Enter online
A guided dialog takes you through your formation step by step.
- Duration
- approx. 20 min
- Who
- You
Review & documents
We review your details and release the incorporation documents — within one working day.
- Duration
- up to 1 working day
- Who
- Firmbase
Capital payment
You open the capital-payment account, pay in the capital and send us the paperwork.
- Duration
- 3–10 working days
- Who
- You and your bank
Notarisation
With the signed papers, we carry out the notarisation of the incorporation deed at the notary.
- Duration
- 1 appointment, approx. 30 min
- Who
- Firmbase
Commercial register
We file the company with the commercial register and monitor the entry through to publication.
- Duration
- 3–10 working days
- Who
- Commercial registry
GmbH, AG or sole proprietorship — at a glance.
Still undecided? The choice of legal form comes first in every formation. Here are the key facts on the sole proprietorship, GmbH and AG — with strengths and drawbacks.
GmbH: Lean, founder-led, a lower capital threshold.
- CAPCHF 20'000.00 share capital, paid in full.
- VISShareholders appear by name in the commercial register.
- GOVA managing director — a lean governance structure.
- COSTLower capital threshold and less day-to-day formality.
- FITFounder-led SMEs and service businesses.
- MINUSOwnership changes are more formal and publicly visible; weaker credit standing than an AG.
AG: Investor-ready, an institutional presence.
- CAPCHF 100'000.00 share capital, at least CHF 50'000.00 paid in at the start.
- VISShareholders are not visible in the commercial register.
- GOVA board of directors — stronger governance for investors.
- FLEXShares transfer easily — investors join more easily.
- FITInvestor-ready structures and later financing rounds.
- MINUSHigher capital threshold and slightly more formality.
Sole proprietorship: The simplest start — you and your business are one.
- CAPNo minimum capital, no notarisation.
- VISRegistration is voluntary; mandatory from CHF 100'000 in annual revenue.
- GOVNo corporate bodies — you run and decide alone.
- FITSolo starts and side businesses with manageable risk.
- MINUSYou are personally liable without limit — including private assets.
The same for GmbH and AG
- LIABOnly the company assets are liable — owners are not personally liable.
- REPAt least one authorised signatory resident in Switzerland.
- AUDITYou may waive the statutory audit up to ten full-time positions.
Frequently asked questions
You pay one flat fee to Firmbase — including the incorporation documents and the notarisation. Third-party costs are separate: registry and bank fees, plus signature certifications.
You enter the details online, pay in the capital and sign the incorporation documents. We review everything, handle the notarisation and file the company for registration.
You need a company name with a purpose and seat, at least one owner and the share capital. You enter these details in the guided workflow; we review them before notarisation.
Yes. You enter the details online in the guided dialog; we handle notarisation and filing. Supported cases are cash incorporations of a GmbH or AG — contributions in kind are reviewed first.
From entry to the register entry, it typically takes one to four weeks. Some providers count only single stages — we count the whole distance from your side. The bank with the capital-payment account influences the pace most.
Yes — foreign owners can hold a Swiss GmbH or AG. At least one authorised signatory must live in Switzerland, though. Because permits, representation and banking interact, we review international setups in an assisted process.
When liability, clients or growth call for it — not at a fixed revenue figure. A GmbH costs money every year, for bookkeeping, annual accounts and its own tax return. In return it separates your private assets from the business. And it reads as more established to larger clients.
Yes. Once the company is registered, the blocked capital is released and becomes ordinary company assets. You may pay salaries, rent or equipment with it. What is not permitted is simply paying it back to yourself.
Yes. Every company needs a legal domicile in its canton of seat, entered in the commercial register. If you do not have your own address, Firmbase offers a domicile in Baar ZG.
After registration, the practical steps follow. The capital-payment account becomes a normal business account; VAT assessment and bookkeeping come next. Firmbase supports these steps too.
Ready for the next step?
You need around 20 minutes. Your details are saved automatically. You can pause at any time and continue later.