Questions and answers on setting up a company in Switzerland
The key questions on setting up a GmbH, an AG or a sole proprietorship, answered briefly. With Hoop, incorporation is digital: no appointment with a notary, an authority or an identification service, and no letters by post.
Legal form and requirements
Which legal form fits: sole proprietorship, GmbH or AG?
In a sole proprietorship you are personally and fully liable, and no minimum capital is required. The GmbH and the AG are corporations: as a rule, only the company’s assets are liable for its debts. A GmbH often suits smaller companies with few partners, an AG suits several shareholders, investors or a later transfer of shares. → Choosing a legal form
Which legal forms can I set up with Hoop?
You set up a GmbH, an AG or a sole proprietorship directly in Hoop. For other legal forms, such as associations, we support you on request. → Incorporation with Hoop
How much capital does a GmbH or AG need?
A GmbH needs share capital of at least CHF 20,000, fully paid in at incorporation. An AG needs share capital of at least CHF 100,000; at least 20 per cent of each share and at least CHF 50,000 in total must be paid in. → Setting up a GmbH · Setting up an AG
Legal basis: Art. 773 CO, Art. 777c CO, Art. 632 CO
How many people do I need to set up a company?
A GmbH or AG can be set up by a single person. At least one person resident in Switzerland must be able to represent the company, for example as managing director or board member.
Legal basis: Art. 718 CO, Art. 814 CO
Can people living abroad set up a Swiss company?
Yes, provided at least one person with signing authority lives in Switzerland. To incorporate with Hoop, every signing person needs a qualified electronic signature via DeepID. The supported ID documents and countries of residence are listed in the DeepCloud overview.
Legal basis: Art. 718 CO, Art. 814 CO
Can an existing company set up a subsidiary?
Yes. A company can itself be the founder of a GmbH or AG. In Hoop, you take over its master data from the commercial register and define roles and permissions per person.
Can I also set up a sole proprietorship with Hoop?
Yes. A sole proprietorship must register in the commercial register once its annual turnover reaches CHF 100,000; below that, registration is optional. No public deed is required.
Legal basis: Art. 931 CO
Process and duration
How does incorporation with Hoop work?
You enter the legal form, company name, registered office, purpose, capital and the people involved; everyone identifies online. You then request the capital deposit account within the process and pay in the capital. Hoop drafts the articles of association and the deed of incorporation, notarisation takes place without being physically present, and Hoop files the application with the commercial register office. → Set up a company with Hoop
How long does it take to set up a GmbH or AG?
Preparation in Hoop takes a few hours once all details and the capital are ready. After that, the processing time of the cantonal commercial register office applies, usually a few working days until registration. → Incorporation in under 24 hours
What do I need for incorporation?
Details on company name, registered office, purpose, capital and the people involved, an ID document per person for online identification, and a capital deposit account. Hoop guides you through everything and drafts the documents automatically. → Documents for incorporation
Do I need a fiduciary or a lawyer?
No. Hoop guides you step by step and our support team helps with questions about the process. Hoop does not replace legal or tax advice; if you need it, we are happy to recommend a professional. → Incorporation without a fiduciary
Is Hoop a government authority?
No. Hoop is a private software provider. Registration is carried out by the competent cantonal commercial register office; you can also file the application there yourself. The official fees are the same in both cases; Hoop’s service is charged in addition.
Notarisation, identification and signature
Do I have to go to a notary to incorporate?
No, not in person. Incorporating a GmbH or AG requires a public deed; with Hoop, it happens without you being physically present: you sign a power of attorney with your qualified electronic signature, and a representative signs the articles of association and the deed of incorporation before the notary. You identify online with DeepID and certify your own signature for the commercial register with your qualified electronic signature. → Notarial requirements · Online or at a notary?
Legal basis: Art. 629 CO, Art. 777 CO, Art. 32 CO, Art. 21 CRO
How does online identification work?
Each person identifies online with a passport or ID card via the integrated DeepID service and receives the qualified electronic signature. No appointment with an identification service or a bank is needed. The supported documents and countries of residence are listed in the DeepCloud overview. → Digital identification explained
Is an electronic signature legally valid for incorporation?
Yes. In Switzerland, the qualified electronic signature (QES) is equivalent to a handwritten signature. With Hoop, everyone involved receives the QES directly within the process. → Signing online
Legal basis: Art. 14 CO
Do signatures have to be certified?
Not by a notary. The commercial register requires certified signatures of the persons with signing authority; anyone with a qualified electronic signature can confirm their own signature. Hoop handles this within the process: certification is included, with no extra cost per person as is usual for certification by a notary, and no trip to the municipality or a notary.
Legal basis: Art. 21 CRO
Capital and bank
What is a capital deposit account?
The founders pay the share capital into this account. The bank confirms the deposit for the notarisation and releases the money once the company is entered in the commercial register. → Opening the capital deposit account online
Legal basis: Art. 633 CO
Do I have to open the account with a specific bank?
No. You can choose any Swiss bank. With UBS and YAPEAL, you request the capital deposit account directly within the Hoop process, without a separate bank appointment.
Who cannot use a capital deposit account with YAPEAL?
YAPEAL excludes incorporations involving US persons, people or funds from countries on the FATF lists, and more than ten founders. In these cases, use UBS or another bank.
Costs
What does incorporation cost?
The fees of the commercial register office under the federal fee ordinance, the cost of the public deed, any bank account fees, and Hoop’s service. Hoop shows you every item before you submit.
What is included with Hoop?
Data entry, online identification, the qualified signatures including signature confirmation, the articles of association, the deed of incorporation, the commercial register application and its electronic filing, and support from Switzerland. The fees of the commercial register office and the public deed are added separately.
After incorporation I receive invoices for register entries. Do I have to pay?
Usually not. After publication in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, private companies often send offers that look like official invoices. Only the commercial register office charges official fees. → Address book scams
After incorporation
What do I need to do after incorporation?
Typically: registering with the AHV compensation office, VAT from CHF 100,000 in turnover, bookkeeping, the share register or register of capital contributions, and reporting the beneficial owners to the transparency register. → Obligations after incorporation
Is the share register set up at the same time?
Yes. When you incorporate with Hoop, the share register or register of capital contributions is created at the same time, and you keep it in the same app afterwards. → Questions on share register and transparency register
