Registered Address Switzerland: Domicile Services (2026)

Every company incorporated in Switzerland — whether an AG (Aktiengesellschaft) or a GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung) — must have a registered domicile (Sitz) located in Switzerland. This is not optional. It is a statutory requirement embedded in the Swiss Code of Obligations and governed by Art. 2 of the Handelsregisterverordnung (HRegV). The registered address is the address that appears in the Commercial Register (Handelsregister), on official correspondence, and in the company’s articles of association.

If you are incorporating a Swiss company from abroad, or if your existing company does not have a physical office in Switzerland, a professional registered address service is the standard and legally compliant solution. Lawsupport has provided registered address and domicile services from its Zug office at Grafenauweg 4 for over 18 years, supporting more than 1,000 company formations.

What Swiss Law Requires: The Registered Domicile

Under Swiss law, a company’s Sitz — its statutory seat — determines which cantonal Commercial Register authority has jurisdiction over that company, which canton’s courts have local competence, and which tax authority is the primary contact. The registered domicile address must:

• Be physically located in Switzerland
• Be verifiable and contactable (i.e., mail sent to that address must actually reach the company or a designated representative)
• Appear correctly in the Commercial Register entry and the articles of association

There is no requirement that the company carry out its day-to-day operations from the registered address. A company can be domiciled in Zug and operated entirely from London, Dubai, Singapore, or anywhere else. What matters is that the Swiss address is genuine — meaning that official correspondence sent there will be received and dealt with. A professional registered address service, with mail forwarding, satisfies this requirement.

What a Registered Address Service Provides

A registered address service — also called a domicile service or domiciliation service — gives your company a professional Swiss address for use in the Commercial Register and on official documents. It does not include a physical office, a desk, or a telephone receptionist. What it does include:

• A legitimate Swiss address (Grafenauweg 4, 6300 Zug, in the case of Lawsupport) listed in your company’s Commercial Register entry
• Mail receipt — all incoming correspondence addressed to your company at the registered address is received by Lawsupport’s team
• Scanning and digital forwarding — official mail (including Commercial Register notices, cantonal tax correspondence, debt collection office documents, court notices, and regulatory communications) is scanned and forwarded to you digitally, typically within 24 hours of receipt
• Physical forwarding on request — original documents can be sent by post or courier if required
• Annual confirmation of domicile for Commercial Register purposes

This service is everything your company needs to satisfy the Swiss domicile requirement — nothing more and nothing less.

Why Register in Zug

Zug is Switzerland’s most prominent business canton and the address of choice for internationally oriented Swiss companies. The reasons are well established:

Tax efficiency. Zug has among the lowest effective corporate tax rates in Switzerland — typically in the range of 11–12% combined (federal plus cantonal/communal), compared with 20–24% in higher-tax cantons. For holding companies, finance companies, and IP structures, the difference is material. See our cantonal tax comparison for detailed figures.

Reputation. Zug is recognised globally as a serious, well-regulated business address. For counterparties, investors, and banks, a Zug address carries weight. It signals that your company is registered in a jurisdiction with rule of law, strong banking infrastructure, and stable regulation.

Crypto Valley. Zug is the centre of Switzerland’s blockchain and digital assets ecosystem. For companies operating in crypto, DeFi, tokenisation, or Web3, a Zug address is not just convenient — it is often expected by ecosystem participants, exchanges, and institutional counterparties.

Proximity to infrastructure. Zug is 25 minutes from Zurich by train. Banking, legal, and compliance infrastructure is accessible without the costs of a Zurich address.

Grafenauweg 4, 6300 Zug is a professional business address in a well-regarded location. It is recognisable to Swiss authorities and international counterparties alike as a legitimate registered office address.

Registered Address vs. Operational Office: A Critical Distinction

The registered address and the operational office are two entirely separate concepts. Confusing them is one of the most common misunderstandings among foreign founders setting up Swiss companies.

Your registered address is a legal requirement. It is where the company officially exists in the eyes of Swiss law, the Commercial Register, and the tax authorities. It does not need to be where anyone works.

Your operational office is where you actually carry out business activities — where your employees sit, where client meetings happen, where servers are located, where substance is generated. This can be anywhere in the world.

A foreign-owned Swiss AG, with no employees in Switzerland and all operations managed from abroad, can be perfectly legitimate. The company is registered in Zug (at Lawsupport’s address), has a nominee director in Switzerland to satisfy the statutory residency requirement, and conducts its commercial activities from whatever jurisdiction its principals are based in. This structure is common, legal, and entirely transparent under Swiss law.

The important caveat: regulated entities are a different matter. If your company requires a FINMA licence (banking, asset management, payment services, certain crypto activities), a mere registered address is not sufficient. FINMA imposes substance requirements — Swiss-resident management, genuine decision-making in Switzerland, physical infrastructure. For regulated entities, please contact us directly to discuss the appropriate structure.

Mail Handling: How It Works in Practice

Official correspondence received at your Zug registered address is handled as follows:

1. Mail is received at Grafenauweg 4, Zug by Lawsupport’s administrative team
2. All incoming items are logged
3. Documents are scanned and sent to you by secure email, typically within 24 hours of receipt
4. Time-sensitive items (court notices, tax assessments, debt enforcement documents) are flagged and communicated to you immediately
5. Physical originals are retained and can be forwarded by post or courier on request

This process ensures that your company is genuinely reachable at its Swiss registered address — which is precisely what Swiss law and the Commercial Register require.

What a Registered Address Is Not

To be direct: a registered address service is the legal domicile only. It does not include:

• A receptionist answering calls in your company’s name
• A dedicated phone number for your company
• A meeting room or co-working desk
• Secretarial or administrative staff
• A postal address for marketing purposes or parcel delivery

If you need any of these services — a Swiss phone number, meeting room access, or secretarial support in Zug — Lawsupport can arrange these through its Zug office network as an upgrade to the basic registered address service. These are billed separately. See our virtual office Switzerland page for details.

Cost of a Registered Address in Zug

A professional registered address service in Zug typically costs between CHF 500 and CHF 1,200 per year, depending on the provider, the level of mail handling included, and any additional services. Lawsupport’s fees are transparent and fixed annually, with no hidden charges for routine mail forwarding.

The registered address fee is separate from company formation fees and, if applicable, from nominee director fees. Most foreign-owned companies use both services together — see below.

Combining Registered Address with Nominee Director

Swiss law requires that at least one director (Verwaltungsrat for an AG; Geschaeftsfuehrer for a GmbH) be resident in Switzerland. This is a separate requirement from the registered domicile, but in practice the two services are almost always combined.

For a foreign-owned Swiss company, the typical compliance structure is:

Together, these two services give a foreign-owned Swiss company full statutory compliance — a Swiss address in the Commercial Register and a Swiss-resident director on the board. Neither service alone is sufficient; both are required.

If you are in the process of forming a company, both services are set up simultaneously at incorporation. The registered address is included in the articles of association and the Commercial Register application from day one. See our guides on company formation in Zug and company formation in Switzerland for the full formation process.

For an overview of all nominee and administrative services, see our nominee shareholder services page.

Setting Up a Registered Address: The Process

The process for establishing a registered address with Lawsupport is straightforward:

1. Engagement — you contact Lawsupport and confirm the company name, structure, and intended formation canton (typically Zug)
2. Documentation — you provide standard KYC documentation (passport, proof of address, source of funds declaration)
3. Service agreement — a domicile agreement is signed between Lawsupport and the company (or its founders, pre-incorporation)
4. Inclusion in formation documents — the Grafenauweg 4, Zug address is included in the articles of association submitted to the Zug Commercial Register
5. Annual renewal — the domicile service renews annually; Lawsupport notifies you in advance

If your company is already incorporated and you need to change your registered address to Zug, this requires a formal address change filed with the Commercial Register. Lawsupport can manage this process.

Virtual Office Upgrade Options

If your operational needs expand and you require a more substantial Swiss presence — without committing to a dedicated office lease — Lawsupport can arrange the following through its Zug office network:

• Swiss phone number with call answering or voicemail in your company’s name
• Meeting room access at Grafenauweg 4, Zug, bookable by the hour or day
• Secretarial support for administrative tasks, correspondence, and document handling
• Business address for correspondence (distinct from the Commercial Register domicile, for marketing materials, website, etc.)

These services are available as add-ons to the registered address service and are priced separately based on usage. Contact us to discuss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Swiss company have its registered address at a service provider’s office?

Yes. This is standard practice and entirely legal. The Commercial Register does not require that the registered address be the company’s own office. What is required is that the address is in Switzerland and that mail sent there reaches the company. A professional registered address provider such as Lawsupport satisfies this requirement through documented mail forwarding procedures.

Is a registered address the same as a virtual office?

Not exactly. A registered address is a specific legal concept — the domicile address listed in the Commercial Register and the articles of association. A “virtual office” often refers to a broader package that includes phone answering, meeting rooms, and secretarial services. Lawsupport’s registered address service covers the legal domicile requirement. Virtual office add-ons are available separately.

Can I use a Zug registered address if my company is not in the technology or finance sector?

Yes. Any Swiss company — regardless of industry — can use a Zug registered address. The canton does not restrict its registered address infrastructure to particular sectors. Zug’s favourable tax rates and reputation apply to all companies domiciled there.

Do I need a registered address and a nominee director, or just one of them?

In most cases, you need both. The registered address satisfies the domicile requirement (Art. 2 HRegV). The nominee director satisfies the residency requirement for the board (Art. 718 CO for an AG; Art. 814 CO for a GmbH). A foreign-owned company with a Swiss address but no Swiss-resident director on the board does not meet the residency requirement. Lawsupport provides both services and can package them together for new formations.

How quickly can a registered address be set up?

For new company formations, the registered address is established as part of the formation process and is included in the Commercial Register entry from the date of incorporation. For an existing company changing its registered address to Zug, the timeline depends on the Commercial Register processing time, typically two to four weeks. Lawsupport manages the entire process.

Does the registered address affect which canton taxes my company?

Yes. The canton of the registered domicile (Sitz) is normally the primary taxing authority for the company. By registering in Zug, your company benefits from Zug’s corporate tax rates, which are among the lowest in Switzerland. However, if the company has substantial operations or employees in another canton, that canton may also claim taxing rights on a proportional basis.

Can I change my registered address from one canton to another?

Yes. A change of registered domicile requires an amendment to the articles of association (approved by shareholders), filing with both the departing and receiving cantonal Commercial Registers, and updating all official documents. The process typically takes three to six weeks. Tax implications of the move should be reviewed before proceeding.

What happens to my registered address if I liquidate the company?

The registered address remains in effect throughout the liquidation process. During liquidation, official correspondence — including creditor notices and tax authority communications — continues to be delivered to the registered address. Lawsupport maintains the domicile service until the company is formally struck off the Commercial Register.

Is a registered address in Zug suitable for a GmbH and an AG equally?

Yes. Both the AG and the GmbH have identical requirements for a Swiss registered domicile under the Code of Obligations. There is no distinction in how the registered address functions for either entity type. See our guides on AG formation and GmbH formation for entity-specific details.

Can multiple companies share the same registered address?

Yes, and this is common practice. Many companies are domiciled at the same professional address — this is standard for domicile service providers and does not create any legal issue. Each company has its own distinct Commercial Register entry, its own mail handling, and its own domicile agreement.

For the legal basis of the registered domicile requirement, see Art. 2 HRegV on Fedlex. The Zug Commercial Register office publishes registration procedures at zg.ch Handelsregisteramt. For corporate tax rates by canton, the Federal Tax Administration (ESTV) publishes annual comparisons.