Information about Living in Switzerland

If you want to live in Switzerland with no activity within the country. Switzerland grants residence permits very selectively. But if you or your spouse has a EU passport, becoming a Swiss resident has just become easier. See if you would qualify:

• Have a EU passport
• Be retired (no day-to-day responsibilities)
• Have an annual income of over CHF50'000
• Live in Switzerland for at least 180 days (some exceptions possible if in good faith)

Switzerland you can live in Switzerland with your spouse, financially dependent descendants and ascendants (children, parents, grand-parents, nephews, nieces, great-grand-children, etc.)

• Become a Swiss taxpayer
• Buy Swiss real estate without restrictions
• Move within Switzerland without restrictions
• Immediately a special CE permit valid for 5 years
• Enjoy one of the highest quality of life in the world
• Be located only an hour from London, Paris or Milan
• Benefits:  You can live in Switzerland with your spouse and your children under 18
• Benefit of a lump sum taxation
• You can buy or rent a house

We offer you a 'one-stop-shop' solution for your retirement in Switzerland. We make the whole process hassle-free, just tell us what you need and we'll get it.

• Application for residence permits to the municipal, cantonal and federal authorities
• We take care of all Swiss taxes
• Help with selecting the area that best matches your needs
• Home search (buying and renting, both houses and apartments)
• Assistance in import your personal items, works of art, cars, pets or wine cellar
• We can set up all Swiss insurances (medical, house, car, etc.)
• Personalized assistance for electricity, telephone, Internet access, a satellite dish, etc.

Many foreigners choose to live in Switzerland, although often for very different reasons. Some come to work, as qualified workers or not, while others seek political asylum or wish to study, invest or retire in Switzerland. Their individual needs in terms of relocation consulting vary according to their reasons for settling in Switzerland. Our company offers services for the following categories:

1. Wealthy people who wish to retire in Switzerland

By wealthy we mean having at least the equivalent of one million Swiss francs in liquid assets to a person's name:

• Be over 55 years old* (if you are younger, there is another solution)
• Be retired (no day-to-day responsibilities)
• Have an annual income of over CHF100'000
• Live in Switzerland for at least 180 days a year
• Demonstrate some ties to Switzerland

*If you are younger than 55, you won't fit in the standard residence permit to retire in Switzerland. However, there's a variation on this program through which you can obtain the same residence permit by making an investment in a local company. The characteristics of such an investment are:

• You must invest in a company in the canton where you want to live
• Your investment has to finance the growth of the company
• You can either invest as a loan or as an equity investment, or a mix of both
• Your investment should last as long as you remain in Switzerland
• The company cannot be listed on a stock exchange
• You cannot invest in a bank account, an apartment or a bogus company, but in a real company with employees

The rationale is that by investing in a company that needs financing to grow, you help creating jobs in Switzerland. In return many canton will grant you a residence permit. The other conditions applicable to the standard residence permit to retire in Switzerland still hold:

• Be retired (no day-to-day responsibilities)
• Have an annual income of more than CHF100'000

We can assist you during the whole process, including the location and screening of investment opportunities, and of course with the residence permit and canton selection. Please note that this program is not available in every canton.

2. Entrepreneurs and investors who wish to set up business and live in Switzerland

The minimum size of a successful project is calculated in terms of job creation – employment for at least one Swiss created within the first year. Do you want to set up your business in Switzerland, form a Swiss corporation?

• Our specialty is helping you obtain the authorizations you need and making your transition as smooth and easy as possible.  Switzerland is yours! With an unrivaled quality of life and a very competitive economy, Switzerland has already attracted countless international businesses, large and small. You can take advantage of it as well, to the benefit of your whole family and all your employees.

Swiss Real Estate - House Search

• Save time and hassle - we'll help you find the perfect house or apartment in Switzerland. Check our special webpage on readily availabe Swiss property cleared for foreign ownership.
• We offer this service in the cantons of Zurich, Ticino [Lugano, Ascona, Caslano], in the Engadine [St. Moritz, Davos, Flims, Laax, Arosa, Klosters, Malans, Mastrils, Igis, Obersaxen], The Bernese Oberland [Gstaad], the Matterhorn Region [Zermatt].
• You can begin immediately by contacting us to discuss your housing needs in more details to make an efficient search. To find out more about Swiss real estate and what we can do for you, read our sections below about renting and buying.

I am interested in
buying property in Switzerland

Renting or Buying Real Property, House, a Condominium or Apartment in Switzerland

When moving to Switzerland, most people begin by renting a house or an apartment. Renting is a good choice for many reasons:

• Apartment leases are easy to cancel
• Swiss law protects tenants rights in a way you would not believe
• There are many top quality apartments and houses available for renting
• Over 70% of the Swiss population rents

Good rental property is hard to come by and never stays long on the market. Against a fee, we can also arrange to enlist the help of a local specialist to show you available homes and apartments for rent that fit your specific needs. We will discuss and review the lease terms with you before you sign anything, arrange for deposits, etc. For a rental property search, we charge a commission of CHF1'000.00 in form of a retainer fee up-front, or one month's rent whichever is greater.

Buying Real Estate in Switzerland

Buying is also a possibility. We suggest at this point to first consult our exclusive offers listed on our foreign ownership approved property web page segment concerning available properties in the cantons of Valais, the Engadine [Graubünden], Ticino, Zurich and Geneva. All you need is to tell us which property interests you. We take care of the rest. To enlist our services just contact us by phone, fax or email or make an appointment. This should enable us to assess your housing needs better. Check this out.

Creating a company in Switzerland

• Schweizerisches Obligationenrecht (Swiss Code of Obligations) Bundesgesetz über Schuldbetreibung und Konkurs (Swiss Federal law on Debt Collection and Bankruptcy)
• Bundesgesetz über die direkte Bundessteuer (Federal Law on Direct Taxation)
• Bundesgesetz über Banken und Sparkassen (Swiss Federal Act on Banks and Savings Associations)
• Bundesgesetz über Anlagefonds (Federal Act on open ended Investment Companies)
• Bundesgesetz über das Internationale Privatrecht (Federal Act on Private International Law)

• Aktiengesellschaft (AG) - Stock Company
• Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH) - Limited Liability Company
• Swiss Holding Company
• LLC - Limited Liability Company

Submission to the Commercial Register of the following documentation:

• Public Deed of Incorporation executed before a Notary Public
• Articles of Incorporation
• Confirmation by a Bank that the share capital is held in an account
• Consent to act forms signed by the proposed directors
• Declaration of the applicants
• Application to the Commercial Register covering the above documentation, and including the notarized signature of the person appointed to represent the company.

Aktiengesellschaft: AG [German] - SA [French Société Anonyme - Ialian: Societá Anonima]

• Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung: GmbH [German] - S.a.r.l [French: Société avec responsabilité limitée] - S.a.r.l. [Italian: Societá con responsibilitá limitata].

• AG: None
• GmbH: information is available in the commercial register. Bank character references on the beneficial owners must be provided to the local representatives/trust management company.

• AG: This type of limited liability company has a minimum authorized share capital of CHF100'000, of which all of it has, in practice, to be issued and fully paid up. When the share capital exceeds CHF250'000 a capital duty of 1% is payable on the amount over CHF250'000.
• GmbH: The minimum authorized capital is CHF20'000 but the company does not have shares; instead, the owners’ equity participation is registered in the Commercial Register. CHF10'000 must be paid up on incorporation.

• AG: Registered shares made out to the name of the shareholder, bearer shares and preference shares. Class B shares possible
• GmbH: Equity participations only.

• AG: Yes, if capital fully paid-in
• GmbH: No

• AG: On incorporation the minimum number of shareholders is three
• GmbH: On incorporation the minimum number of founders is two

• AG, Aktiengesellschaft: CHF100'000.00
  The share capital for a corporation must be fully paid-in prior to the filing (name search included) of incorporation. These funds remain blocked in an escrow account during the entire filing and registration process.
• The full share capital will be freely disposable after the corporation has been duly registered with the Federal Commercial Registry followed by the publication of the company with a listing of all of the company's directors including their full names and addresses of residence, in the 'Swiss Journal of Commerce' ('Schweizerisches Handelsamtsblatt').

Trusts - Trust Settings

Using a trust to own the shares of a Swiss company can result in very substantial tax and non-tax related advantages which will accrue both on death and during the lifetime of the trust settler. These advantages may include:

• Saving of inheritance tax: On death, the inheritance tax which would normally be assessed on the value of shares would generally be eradicated.
• Asset Protection: Assets placed into trust are generally beyond the reach of creditors who might arise as a result of financial difficulties, divorce proceedings, litigation, etc.
• Avoidance of probate: A trust provides a means whereby assets can be smoothly passed on to the next generation without the disruption, delays substantial costs, loss of confidentiality associated with the probate procedure which necessarily follows when assets are bequeathed by will.
• Continuity: Trusts provide a means whereby assets can continue to be administered in accordance with the wishes of the settler after his death, so the weak can be protected from others and the spend-thrift can be protected from himself.
• Lifetime tax savings: During lifetime, substantial income and capital gains tax advantages may result from setting up the trust.
  
  Using the service of one of our licensed trust companies, we are pleased to act as trustee for a suitably drafted discretionary trust and the cost of this service would be from US$2,400 (for setting up the trust deed) and from US$2,000 per annum (for the provision of trustee services).