Incorporating an AG in Switzerland: Requirements, Costs and Process

The AG (Swiss stock corporation, Aktiengesellschaft) is the top tier of Swiss legal forms: maximum credibility, anonymous ownership and the best structure for investors. In return, it demands more capital and somewhat more formality than the GmbH (Swiss LLC). Here you’ll learn what the requirements are, how the process works and what incorporation costs in 2026.

The AG at a glance

Feature	Rule
Share capital	Min. CHF 100’000
Paid in at incorporation	Min. CHF 50’000 (or 20% per share)
Founders	Min. 1 (natural or legal person)
Governing bodies	Board of directors, general meeting, auditor (opt-out possible)
Residency requirement	Min. 1 person with signing authority resident in Switzerland
Commercial register entry	Mandatory, fee approx. CHF 600
Owner anonymity	Shareholders not published in the commercial register

Requirement 1: The share capital

For an AG you need share capital of at least CHF 100’000. The good news: you don’t have to raise the full amount immediately. At incorporation, at least CHF 50’000 must be paid in – the so-called partial payment (Teilliberierung; in addition, at least 20% of the nominal value of each share must be paid in).

As with the GmbH’s share capital, the same applies here: the money is not lost. After the commercial register entry, the capital is available to the company as working capital – for salaries, investments, marketing. With partial payment, however, note that as a shareholder you remain on the hook for the unpaid remainder.

Requirement 2: The governing bodies of the AG

The law prescribes three governing bodies for the AG:

Board of directors (Verwaltungsrat)

The board is the highest management body and bears non-transferable responsibility for overall direction, financial oversight and organization. A single person is sufficient – in small AGs, founder, board and management are often one and the same.

General meeting (Generalversammlung)

The general meeting is the supreme body of the shareholders: it elects the board, approves the annual accounts and decides on the use of profits. It must take place at least once a year – for a one-person AG this is a manageable formality, but it should be properly minuted.

Auditor – with opt-out

In principle, the AG needs an auditor. But as with the GmbH: with fewer than 10 full-time positions on annual average, you can waive the limited audit with the consent of all shareholders (opt-out). For almost all new companies this is the standard – it’s best to declare the opt-out right at incorporation, which saves several thousand francs a year.

Requirement 3: Residency in Switzerland

The AG must be able to be represented by at least one person with signing authority who is resident in Switzerland – typically a board member or a director. The shareholders themselves, however, may live abroad without any problem. For foreign founders without Swiss residence, there are service providers offering a domiciled board mandate.

The AG incorporation process

Incorporation proceeds in five steps:

1. Draft the articles of association: the articles govern the company name, registered office, purpose, share capital and organization. Formation providers supply proven templates; for special needs (multiple shareholders, transfer restrictions, shareholders’ agreement), legal advice is worthwhile.
2. Open a capital deposit account: you pay the share capital (min. CHF 50’000) into a blocked account at a bank. The bank issues the capital deposit confirmation.
3. Notarization: the incorporation is publicly notarized before the notary. The articles are adopted, the governing bodies elected and the deed of incorporation signed.
4. Commercial register entry: with the filing at the commercial register office, the AG comes into legal existence. The fee is around CHF 600.
5. Release of capital: after the entry, the bank releases the capital to the AG’s business account – and you’re ready to go.

From notarization to entry typically takes one to three weeks, depending on the canton.

What does incorporating an AG cost?

Cost item	Without deals	With partner deals
Notary / notarization	approx. CHF 800–1’500	often included
Commercial register	approx. CHF 600	approx. CHF 600 (sometimes covered)
Capital deposit account	approx. CHF 200–300	often CHF 0
Service fee / advice	approx. CHF 0–1’500	from CHF 0
Total (excluding share capital)	approx. CHF 1’500–3’500	from CHF 0 service fee

Without discounts, incorporating an AG thus costs around CHF 1’500 to CHF 3’500 – depending on the canton, notary’s office and complexity. Through formation providers with partner deals (bank, insurance, fiduciary), the service fee drops to as low as CHF 0, and in some cases notary and bank fees are covered too. Our provider comparison calculator shows you which provider is cheapest for your AG incorporation – or you can compare all providers directly on the comparison page.

On top of that comes the share capital of at least CHF 50’000 paid in – which, as described, remains with your company as working capital.

When to choose an AG over a GmbH?

The GmbH, with CHF 20’000 share capital, is significantly cheaper to set up – you’ll find the cost details in our article Forming a GmbH: costs in detail. So when is the AG worth it anyway?

Shareholder anonymity

With a GmbH, all shareholders appear publicly in the commercial register. With an AG, the shareholders remain anonymous towards the public – only the board of directors is visible externally. If you don’t want ownership stakes to be publicly viewable, choose the AG.

Investors and raising capital

Shares are easy to transfer and can be issued in different classes (e.g. voting shares, preference shares). For startups planning to take on investors, the AG is therefore the standard: capital increases, employee participation plans and financing rounds are structurally built for it. Venture capital investors in Switzerland invest almost exclusively in AGs.

Credibility

The AG signals substance. With larger B2B clients, in international business and with banks, it enjoys the highest standing of all legal forms.

Rule of thumb: if you’re planning for investors, want to hold your stake anonymously or are starting with larger capital needs – take the AG. If you’re founding alone or in a small team, running a services or trading business without financing rounds – the GmbH usually does the job, for half the capital.

Conclusion

Incorporating an AG in Switzerland is very plannable: CHF 100’000 share capital (at least CHF 50’000 paid in), a board of directors, one person with signing authority resident in Switzerland – and a clear process through articles of association, notarization, capital deposit account and commercial register. At around CHF 1’500 to CHF 3’500 in formation costs without deals, or from CHF 0 service fee with the right partner offers, it’s no financial sorcery either. Start with the comparison calculator and find the provider that gets your AG up and running most efficiently.