To set up a GmbH in Zurich you need CHF 20,000 of fully paid-up capital, at least one shareholder and one person resident in Switzerland who can represent the company. The process goes through a blocked bank account, the notary and the commercial register. With your paperwork in order, registration usually takes 7 to 10 days.
What a GmbH is and when it suits you
The GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) is the Swiss limited liability company. Its big advantage is that it separates your personal assets from the company’s: if something goes wrong, you are liable with the company’s capital, not with your home.
Compared with the two other common options:
- Sole proprietorship (Einzelfirma). The simplest option, with no capital required, but you are liable with everything you own. It suits you if you work for yourself and the risk is low.
- Company limited by shares (AG). Requires CHF 100,000 of capital and involves more formalities. It suits you if you plan to raise large funding rounds or have many shareholders.
The GmbH sits in between: it protects your personal assets, requires less capital than an AG and its shareholders are listed in the commercial register. For most SMEs and many early-stage startups it is the most balanced option.
The requirements
- Share capital of CHF 20,000, fully paid up from day one. It can be contributed in cash or in kind (equipment, for example), but contributions in kind require more documentation.
- At least one shareholder. This can be a person or a company. You do not need several.
- One person resident in Switzerland to represent the company, as managing director (Geschäftsführer) or as a director with signing authority. If all shareholders live abroad, you must appoint someone who lives here.
The steps, in order
Choose the name and check it is available
The name must be clearly distinguishable from existing ones and include the legal form (GmbH). Before anything else, look it up in the central business name index (Zefix) to avoid surprises at the register.
Draft the articles of association
The articles set out the name, registered office, business purpose and capital. Templates exist, but it is worth adapting them: who decides what, and what happens if a shareholder wants to sell their shares or an investor comes in.
Open the capital deposit account
You pay the CHF 20,000 into a blocked account in the name of the company in formation. The bank issues a deposit certificate, which the notary needs, and only releases the money once the company is registered.
Sign at the notary
Forming a GmbH requires a public deed: there is no way around the notary. At the notary’s office you sign the articles of association and the deed of formation, which refers to the bank certificate.
Entry in the commercial register
You or the notary submit the documents to the commercial register of the Canton of Zurich. The company exists from the moment it is registered, not from the signing. With complete documents, the Zurich register usually processes the entry in 7 to 10 days; it takes longer near the end of the year, and for the entry to count in the current year the papers must arrive before 1 December.
Further registrations
- VAT (MWST): mandatory once your turnover exceeds CHF 100,000 a year.
- Social insurance (AHV): you join a compensation fund as soon as you have employees or pay yourself a salary.
- Accident insurance: mandatory for everyone employed in Switzerland.
Accounting from day one
A GmbH must keep full accounts. Starting in good order from day 1 saves you the most expensive job of all: rebuilding months of transactions at the end of the year.
Indicative timelines and costs
| Item | Indicative amount |
|---|---|
| Entry in the commercial register | CHF 420 |
| Zurich notary (deed of formation) | Between CHF 500 and CHF 4,000, plus VAT, depending on the work |
| Bank fees for the capital deposit account | Depends on the bank |
Since 2021, the federal fee for registering a corporation has been CHF 420. Some websites still mention CHF 600: that is the old rate. The notary charges according to a cantonal tariff; for a simple GmbH, expect the minimum of CHF 500 plus VAT.
Common mistakes
- Mixing the capital with your personal accounts. The capital belongs to the company. Paying personal expenses with it, or company expenses from your own account, complicates the accounts and can cause tax problems.
- Using generic articles of association without reading them. They work until a new shareholder or investor comes in. Then you find out nobody planned how a share is sold.
- Forgetting accident insurance. It is mandatory from your first employee, and not having it can prove costly if there is an accident.
- Waiting until the end of the year to sort out the paperwork. The first financial year is the one with the most unusual transactions: capital contributions, formation costs, first invoices.
Your checklist for setting up a GmbH
- Name checked in Zefix.
- Articles of association adapted to your case.
- A person resident in Switzerland to represent the company.
- CHF 20,000 paid into the capital deposit account and a certificate from the bank.
- An appointment with the notary.
- Entry in the commercial register.
- Registration with the compensation fund and accident insurance, if you have staff.
- VAT registration, if you exceed CHF 100,000 a year.
- Accounts open from day one.
If you like, we can do it with you: we prepare the articles of association, coordinate the bank and the notary, and get your accounts ready to go. Company formation comes at a fixed price.
Figures checked against official sources on 26 October 2026. They change every year, so confirm them before you act.