Swiss Corporate Compliance

Swiss Resident Director —
Your Compliance Shield

Every Swiss GmbH or AG requires a director resident in Switzerland. Our licensed professionals satisfy this requirement while you maintain full operational control of your company.

Licensed by FINMA-exempt fiduciaries
100% operational control retained
Since 2019

Swiss Law Requires a Resident Director

Art. 814 OR (Swiss Code of Obligations)

Swiss corporate law is explicit: every GmbH (Sarl) and AG (SA) must have at least one director — a natural person — who is domiciled in Switzerland and authorized to represent the company. This is not optional. Without a resident director, your company cannot be validly registered at the commercial register.

This requirement exists to ensure that Swiss authorities always have a locally reachable representative for the company. Failure to maintain a resident director can result in deregistration proceedings initiated by the commercial register.

For founders based outside Switzerland, this creates an immediate structural problem. The solution is to appoint a professional resident director — a licensed Swiss fiduciary or lawyer who fulfills the legal requirement on your behalf while you retain all operational authority.

What the law requires you to have in place:

  • At least one director domiciled in Switzerland (Art. 814 OR for GmbH, Art. 718 OR for AG)
  • The director must have sole or joint signing authority registered at the commercial register
  • The director must be reachable by Swiss postal and legal authorities at a Swiss address
  • Any change in directorship must be notarized and filed with the commercial register
  • Annual financial statements must be signed by the director of record

What Our Director Does

Your appointed director handles all statutory obligations. Nothing more — your business decisions remain entirely yours.

Signs Official Documents

Executes required signatures on commercial register filings, official Swiss authority submissions, and statutory company documents on your behalf.

Board Meeting Attendance

Attends one formal board meeting per year (in person or by notarized proxy) as required by Swiss corporate law. Additional meetings can be arranged at the hourly advisory rate.

Maintains Legal Compliance

Monitors ongoing regulatory obligations and flags any changes in Swiss corporate law that could affect your company's standing with the commercial register.

Responds to Authority Inquiries

Acts as the point of contact for Swiss tax authorities (ESTV), SECO, and cantonal offices when official inquiries relate to the company's statutory status — not operational matters.

Provides Swiss Address

Their Swiss domicile address is registered at the commercial register as required by law, satisfying the residency obligation for all official correspondence from authorities.

Annual Report Signature

Signs the annual financial statements and submits them to the commercial register where legally required. Included in all plans at no additional charge.

What Your Director Does Not Do

Your operational autonomy is absolute. Our director fulfills a statutory role only — they have no authority over your business.

Boundaries of the Director's Role

  • Cannot access your bank accounts — No signatory authority over company finances. Your banking relationships are entirely your own.
  • Cannot make operational decisions — Hiring, client contracts, product decisions, and all business strategy remain exclusively with you as the beneficial owner.
  • Cannot represent you commercially — Does not negotiate deals, sign commercial contracts, or act as your agent in business transactions without a separate, specific power of attorney from you.
  • Cannot act without your written instruction — Every action taken under the director role requires explicit prior written authorization from you except for mandatory statutory acts.

All Our Directors Are Licensed Swiss Professionals

Every director in our network holds a Swiss professional license and carries personal liability insurance. No exceptions.

10+
Years average professional experience
50+
Companies currently managed per director
CHF 1M
Minimum professional liability insurance
100%
Swiss domiciled and registered
Senior Director — licensed Swiss fiduciary professional

Senior Director

Profile A

Licensed Swiss fiduciary with 14 years of experience in corporate domiciliation and GmbH/AG directorship. Specializes in structures for international entrepreneurs entering the Swiss market.

Swiss Fiduciary License Zug Canton GmbH / AG
Compliance Director — Swiss corporate law specialist

Compliance Director

Profile B

Corporate compliance specialist with dual expertise in Swiss and EU regulatory frameworks. Handles all authority correspondence and annual report submissions across multiple cantons.

Corporate Compliance Multi-Canton EU Regulatory
Corporate Secretary — Swiss commercial register specialist

Corporate Secretary

Profile C

Former commercial register officer with deep expertise in statutory filings and corporate governance documentation. Ensures every submission meets cantonal requirements precisely and on time.

Commercial Register Corporate Governance Notarization

Four Steps to Full Compliance

From first contact to a fully compliant Swiss company in five business days.

1

Choose Your Plan

Select Annual or Full Service. Submit your company details via our secure onboarding form.

Day 1
2

Sign Director Agreement

A tailored director service agreement is prepared and signed digitally via DocuSign. No notary required from you.

Day 1–2
3

Commercial Register Filing

Our team prepares and submits the director change to the Zug Canton commercial register with notarized signature.

Day 2–4
4

You Are Compliant

Registration confirmed. You receive the updated commercial register extract. Your company is fully compliant with Swiss law.

Day 5

Total timeline: 5 business days from signed agreement to confirmed registration

Transparent, All-Inclusive Pricing

No surprise invoices. No hourly billing ambiguity. One flat fee covers your statutory obligations.

Annual Plan

CHF 250 one-time setup CHF 89 /month

The essential plan covering all statutory director obligations required by Swiss law. Ideal for lean international structures with straightforward compliance needs.

  • Licensed resident director registered at commercial register
  • One board meeting attendance per year (proxy or in person)
  • Annual financial statement signature and filing
  • Response to official Swiss authority inquiries (statutory scope)
  • Swiss address for all official director correspondence
  • Commercial register change filing included
Get Started — Annual Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

Under Swiss law, a director can bear personal liability if they act negligently or breach their fiduciary duties. This is why our director service agreement precisely limits the scope of the director's role to statutory acts only. Our directors carry CHF 1M professional liability insurance and carefully review any document before signing. You indemnify the director for any liabilities arising from your operational decisions — this is standard practice and clearly documented in the agreement.
No. You retain 100% of your operational authority. The resident director's role is strictly limited by contract to statutory compliance acts — signing mandatory documents, attending the required annual board meeting, and responding to authority inquiries within that scope. They cannot access your bank accounts, make commercial decisions, or act as your representative without a separate, specific power of attorney issued by you.
Director replacement is handled entirely by our team. On the Full Service plan, replacement is included at no extra charge. On the Annual Plan, a standard change fee applies. We prepare all necessary documentation, arrange notarization, and file the change with the commercial register. Your company maintains continuous compliance throughout the transition — there is no gap in registered director status.
Yes, absolutely. Swiss law permits multiple directors with joint or individual signing authority. You can be registered as a co-director of your own company while our resident director fulfills the Swiss residency requirement. In fact, this is the most common structure used by international founders — you hold strategic authority as co-director, while our licensed professional satisfies the residency obligation.
Yes. Our resident director service is available for Swiss GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung / Sarl) and Swiss AG (Aktiengesellschaft / SA) structures. The statutory requirements differ slightly between the two structures — Art. 814 OR for GmbH and Art. 718 OR for AG — but our service satisfies the residency requirement for both. We will confirm the applicable structure requirements during onboarding.

Secure Your Swiss Director Today

Compliant in 5 business days. Full operational control retained. One flat monthly fee.

Licensed Swiss professionals  |  CHF 1M liability coverage  |  No long-term lock-in