Set up your Swiss company online – with a Swiss notary
GmbH or AG from CHF 390, valid in every canton, signed from anywhere in the world. Our AI assistant and our team in St. Gallen speak English.
Online Notariat is a public notary's office in St. Gallen, Switzerland. We notarise company formations and changes for companies in all Swiss cantons – at transparent flat fees, without intermediaries and, if you like, entirely online.
Founding a Swiss company requires a public deed executed by a notary. With us, you prepare everything in a conversation with our AI notary assistant, our notary reviews it personally, and you sign digitally with a qualified electronic signature (QES) – no trip to Switzerland and no apostille needed.
Deutschsprachige Besucher finden alle Informationen auf Firma online gründen und im Ratgeber.
English guides
Everything international owners need to know
Setting up a company
How to Set Up a Company in Switzerland as a Foreigner
No Swiss passport required: who can found a Swiss GmbH or AG, how to meet the Swiss residency requirement for one authorised signatory, how to sign from abroad without an apostille and what it costs.
GmbH or AG? Choosing the Right Swiss Company Type
Share capital, liability, privacy of owners, transfer of shares, management and audit: the key differences between the Swiss GmbH (LLC) and the AG (company limited by shares) – and which one fits your plans.
What Does It Cost to Set Up a Company in Switzerland?
Notary fee, commercial register fees, signature options and bank costs – a transparent breakdown for a Swiss GmbH or AG, with a worked example and typical timelines.
Setting Up a Swiss Company Without a Swiss Bank Account
Opening a capital deposit account is often the bottleneck for international founders. A contribution in kind – securities, receivables, participations or stablecoins – avoids it entirely.
Signing From Abroad: QES for Swiss Company Formation
With a Swiss qualified electronic signature (QES) you sign your incorporation documents on your smartphone – from anywhere, without a foreign notary or apostille. How it works, what it costs and when an apostille is still needed.
Changing your company
Amending the Articles of Association of a Swiss GmbH or AG
New company name, registered office, purpose or management: when an amendment needs a notarial deed, who has to sign, what the commercial register charges and how to do it entirely online.
Transferring Shares in a Swiss GmbH
Selling to a new partner, a co-founder leaving or succession: the written assignment, the consent of the partners' meeting, the commercial register entry – and why empty shells can no longer be sold.
Moving the Registered Office of a Swiss Company
New address in the same municipality, another municipality or another canton: which change needs an amendment of the articles, what is special about a change of canton and what it costs.
Closing your company
How to Liquidate a Swiss GmbH or AG
Resolution to dissolve, entry 'in liquidation', call to creditors, the one-year waiting period, tax clearance and deletion – the complete process, the resident liquidator rule and the costs.
Liquidate, Sell or Keep Dormant? Options for a Swiss Company You No Longer Need
Selling only works with a real business, a dormant company keeps costing money every year, and liquidation ends all obligations. An honest comparison – including the ban on trading empty shells since 2025.
Flat fees
Transparent prices – the same for everyone
All fees excl. VAT. Official commercial register fees are charged separately by the registry – typically CHF 450–600 for a new GmbH or AG.
GmbH (limited liability company)
CHF 390
Cash formation incl. notarial deed, all incorporation documents and commercial register filing.
AG (company limited by shares)
CHF 490
Cash formation incl. notarial deed, all incorporation documents and commercial register filing.
Formation with contribution in kind
CHF 950
GmbH or AG funded with assets instead of cash – no Swiss bank account needed. Plus licensed auditor CHF 500–700.
Fully digital signing (QES)
+ CHF 150
Sign on your smartphone from anywhere, no apostille. From the third signatory + CHF 50 per person.
Amendment of articles
CHF 400
Change of registered office, purpose, name or management – for the GmbH incl. transfer of shares.
Liquidation
CHF 400
Orderly liquidation of a GmbH or AG; optional publication of the call to creditors + CHF 100.
How it works
From the first chat to the commercial register
- 1
Tell us about your company
Our AI notary assistant collects all details in a conversation in English – company name, seat, purpose, capital, people. Around 10–15 minutes, available 24/7.
- 2
Notary review
Our notary checks everything personally. You usually receive all incorporation documents by e-mail within 24 hours.
- 3
Pay in the capital
Deposit the share capital on a capital deposit account at a Swiss bank – or use a contribution in kind instead.
- 4
Sign
Fully digital with a Swiss qualified electronic signature (QES), by post with certified signatures, or in person at our office in St. Gallen.
- 5
Notarisation and registration
We execute the deed within 24 hours of receiving everything and file with the commercial register. Registration usually follows within 5–8 days.
We speak English
AI assistant and team
The AI notary assistant guides you through the formation in English, around the clock. Our team in St. Gallen answers phone calls and e-mails in English, too.
Contact
Online Notariat, St. Gallen
Dufourstrasse 150, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
Phone +41 71 272 26 55 (Mon–Fri 8:00–17:00)
E-mail info@online-notariat.ch
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I set up a Swiss company if I live abroad?
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Yes. There is no nationality requirement for founders or shareholders. The company itself must, however, be able to be represented by at least one person resident in Switzerland – a managing director or board member, or a director – and it needs a registered office (legal domicile) in Switzerland.
Do you work in English?
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Yes. Our AI notary assistant conducts the whole conversation in English, and our team in St. Gallen answers calls and e-mails in English. The notarial deed and the articles of association themselves are drawn up in an official language of the canton where the company has its seat – usually German, or French in the French-speaking cantons – and we explain every document in English.
Is your notarisation valid if my company is not based in St. Gallen?
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Yes. A public deed executed by our notary in St. Gallen is valid for companies with their registered office in any Swiss canton. We file the application directly with the commercial register of the canton where your company has its seat.
How long does it take to set up a GmbH or AG?
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Under ideal conditions 7 to 14 working days in total: documents usually within 24 hours, notarisation within 24 hours after we have received the signed documents and the bank's capital deposit confirmation, and entry in the commercial register usually within 5–8 days (longer in some cantons).
Can you also handle changes and the liquidation of an existing company?
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Yes. Amendments of the articles – new name, registered office, purpose or management, for a GmbH including the transfer of shares – cost a flat CHF 400, and so does an ordinary liquidation. Both can be handled entirely online, with dedicated AI assistants for GmbH and AG.
What is not included in the flat fee?
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VAT on our fee, the official commercial register fees (typically CHF 450–600 for a new GmbH or AG, charged directly by the registry), any bank charges for the capital deposit account and – for a contribution in kind – the licensed auditor (around CHF 500–700, which we coordinate).
Ready to set up your Swiss company?
Start with our AI notary assistant – it speaks English, is available 24/7 and only needs a quick e-mail verification, no account.
Prefer a person? Our team in St. Gallen is happy to help in English: +41 71 272 26 55.
Flat fees excl. VAT; official commercial register fees are charged separately by the registry.