Business–friendly environment

Are you looking for a place where your business can grow and thrive? Switzerland is one of the most competitive economies in the world. Companies benefit from the economic and political stability, European market access, a highly qualified workforce, pragmatic regulations, a competitive tax system, and an excellent infrastructure.

The business-friendly environment gives Switzerland a competitive edge: It makes the country faster and more flexible in adapting to new services and technologies and drives innovation. Companies get easy and direct access to local authorities thanks to the decentralized government structure. And unlike many European countries that have regularly seen large swings in support among the main national parties, Switzerland has remained an island of political and economic stability. 

Additionally, Switzerland employs a fiscal “debt-brake” rule that requires the federal government to balance its budget over the business cycle. With a debt ratio of 30%, Switzerland remains in excellent shape by international standards. Since the early 2000’s, Switzerland’s fiscal institutions have been successful in keeping the overall levels of taxation and spending at moderate levels.

Establish your company in no time

With attractive corporate structures, suitable business properties, efficient and non-bureaucratic permits, and authorizations combined with easy recruitment, you can set up your business in the Greater Zurich Area in record time. In Switzerland, the formation of a company takes two to four weeks from the submission of required documents to the date when the company is legally established. Depending on the canton and in more simple cases the time required can even be less. 

There are several options for establishing a business in Switzerland:

• Forming an unincorporated or incorporated company
• Setting up a branch office 
• Acquiring an existing company in Switzerland (either unincorporated or incorporated) 
• Formation of a joint venture (unincorporated or incorporated) 
• Forming a strategic alliance with or without equity interest

The choice of the appropriate corporate structures depends on many factors: the business in general, the time frame, legal and tax conditions, strategic goals etc. In this regard, the team of the Greater Zurich Area AG can support and connect you with the right partners. The SECO (State Secretariate for Economic Affairs) also provides a cost-efficient online desk for founding companies called “StarBiz”. The costs on consulting, establishment and notary vary depending on the corporate structure from under CHF 1000 up to CHF 10,000.