Corporate Structures for Foreign Companies in Switzerland

A foreign investor faces a multitude of options on how to structure a market entry in Switzerland. As a rule, corporate foreign direct investments are structured either by setting up a corporate entity, usually in the form of a GmbH (limited liability company) or an AG (corporation) or by setting up a company branch (Zweigniederlassung).

The following explanations shall give an overview of the three most common corporate structures for foreign companies in Switzerland.