Structure your Swiss AG with confidence
Plan capital, shareholders, the board and signing powers in a guided incorporation workflow.
Your AG formation in brief.
With Firmbase you form your AG digitally as a cash incorporation. The share capital is at least CHF 100'000, of which at least CHF 50'000 must be paid in. You enter everything in the guided dialog; we review, notarise and file the AG for registration.
When the AG is the right choice
The AG plays to its strengths when outside capital is part of the plan. Shares transfer without a change in the commercial register. Investors join without appearing in public. And the board gives the company the formal frame institutional partners expect.
For a founder-led service business with no financing plans, that is often more structure than needed. The AG then only binds more capital and more formality. In that case the GmbH is the simpler choice, and the switch to an AG remains open later.
Registered capital and paid-in capital: two figures, one misunderstanding
An AG has registered share capital of at least CHF 100'000. At incorporation, at least CHF 50'000 must be paid in. That often turns into “an AG costs 50'000” — which is the wrong way round. The unpaid part is not a discount but a debt the shareholders owe the company.
That debt can be called in — at the latest when the company is in trouble. That is the worst possible moment. Founders who have the choice therefore pay in full. In the workflow you see both figures separately and decide deliberately.
The board seat is more than a title
Every AG needs a board of directors, and at least one authorised representative must live in Switzerland. Residence is what counts, not the passport. A Swiss citizen in Berlin does not meet the requirement — a foreign national living in Zug does.
The office carries responsibility that can become personal — for instance when social-insurance contributions go unpaid. Anyone who mandates an external person for the role pays for it recurringly, year after year. Price those costs into your structure before you incorporate.
Discretion — and its limits
Shareholders do not appear in the commercial register; to the outside, the AG shows only its board. For many founders that discretion is the reason to choose the AG.
It has limits. Internally the company keeps a share register. And anyone with a significant beneficial interest must report to the company. These duties are not public, but they are binding — and breaches have consequences. Set up the share register and the reports at incorporation, not later.
What your AG formation costs — and what's included.
How your AG formation runs.
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
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. The minimum proportion per share and total paid-in amount appear separately from registered capital.
No. This route creates a new AG. An existing GmbH seeking an AG structure should use the assisted legal-form conversion review.
As the payment at incorporation: yes. As the capital: no. The registered share capital is at least CHF 100'000, of which at least half must be paid in. The rest remains owed by the shareholders.
Yes, through the assisted conversion — the company stays the same legal entity. Firmbase reviews the case and handles the legal-form change as its own workflow.
The board runs the company and carries the non-transferable overall responsibility. That covers organisation, financial oversight and correct filings. In a one-person AG you are shareholder and board in one person.
To the outside, yes: shareholders do not appear in the commercial register. Internally there are limits — the company keeps a share register, and beneficial owners must be reported. The bank and the authorities do learn who owns the company.
You pay in at least half of the share capital at incorporation. The rest remains owed by the shareholders and can be called in later. In serious cases — such as bankruptcy — it falls due.
Ready for the next step?
You need around 20 minutes. Your details are saved automatically. You can pause at any time and continue later.