St. Gallen is a highly developed economic area of
Switzerland, where local and foreign investments are sustained through a set of measures.
St. Gallen ranks as the
third most cost efficient Swiss region and it is known for business sectors such as: the precision industry (machine and electronics), ICT and renewable energies. Depending on the business sector that is of interest for foreign businessmen,
our team of consultants in company registration in Switzerland can provide personalized assistance and can represent investors with the specific requirements of the selected industry.
What are the main ways to start a business in St. Gallen?
The most common way to
open a company in Switzerland in the region of
St. Gallen is by registering a limited liability company or a
Swiss corporation. The first type of legal entity is generally addressed to small and medium-sized companies and for its incorporation, the investors should have an available capital of CHF 20,000.
The
Swiss corporation is usually employed by large companies and investors interested in starting this business form can request in-depth information concerning its characteristics from
our team of consultants in Swiss company formation. It can be formed with a single director and some of its main advantages are presented below:
- • it can be formed with 100% foreign ownership, which means that all the company’s shares can be owned by foreigners;
- • in this case, the company’s shareholders’ names do not have to be listed with the Public Registry;
- • although the legal entity is addressed to large companies, it can be formed by a single shareholder;
- • the company’s director can also be the person who has founded the company;
- • the registration procedure can be completed in a period of maximum five working days.
What are the main vehicles for foreign companies investing in St. Gallen?
As a foreign entity interested in expanding on the
Swiss market, other options are available. For example, a foreign company can
register a representative office in St. Gallen, with the mention that this entity is not created for trading purposes. A foreign entity can expand here through a branch office or a subsidiary, which allow the development of commercial activities.
The difference between the two is given by the liability and the management rights the parent company has towards the
Swiss office. Thus, a branch office is a dependent structure, while the subsidiary has to be incorporated by assigning one of the legal entities available under the
Swiss law. Investors are invited to
contact our team of specialists, who can assist on the procedure of
opening a company in Switzerland in the
St. Gallen region.