Moving a company is not simply a matter of updating the address on the door. Depending on where the business moves, its Commercial Register details and other records may need to be updated. So, which notifications are required when a company moves in Switzerland?
Your client is moving: what needs to be notified?
The first question is whether only the business address changes or whether the company’s registered office changes as well.
If a company remains within the same political municipality, the change will generally concern its address. If it moves to another political municipality or canton, however, its registered office changes. This may require additional corporate steps.
For fiduciaries, law firms, notaries and corporate consultancies, making this distinction at the beginning helps determine the documents and procedures required.
Beyond the Commercial Register: who else may need the new address?
The relevant Commercial Register is a central part of the process. Depending on the company’s circumstances, other authorities and organisations may also need to be informed.
These can include tax authorities, social security bodies and VAT-related authorities, as well as banks, insurers, clients, suppliers and contractual partners.
A move from one canton to another can involve additional coordination because responsibilities may shift between authorities.
A clear checklist can therefore help advisers identify the relevant parties and manage notifications in a logical order.
When a move becomes a registered office change
The key distinction is whether only the address changes within the same political municipality or whether the company moves its registered office to another political municipality. If the registered office remains unchanged, the move will generally constitute an address change. A move to another political municipality, however, constitutes a change of registered office.
For Swiss limited companies (AGs) and limited liability companies (GmbHs), the registered office forms part of the articles of association. A change of registered office therefore requires the articles to be amended and the necessary corporate steps to be completed. The applicable statutory formalities must also be observed.
Depending on the legal form and specific circumstances, resolutions, updated corporate documents and other formal steps may be necessary. If the move results in a change of Commercial Register district, the company must be registered at its new registered office.
For advisers, this can involve collecting information from clients, preparing documents, coordinating the necessary resolutions and signatures, and registering the change with the Commercial Register.
This is where a structured digital process can help reduce repetitive administrative work.
From notification to registration: simplifying the workflow with Hoop
Hoop helps fiduciaries, law firms, notaries and corporate consultancies manage Commercial Register changes for their clients through a structured digital process.
Instead of coordinating information through multiple emails and document versions, key steps can be brought together in one workflow. Required information can be collected, documents prepared and subsequent stages managed more consistently.
This creates a clearer experience for clients while reducing manual coordination for their professional advisers.
Is one of your clients moving premises or changing its registered office? Identify the required notifications early and use Hoop to manage the corresponding Commercial Register change digitally and efficiently.
This blog article does not constitute legal advice. It is provided “as is” and makes no claim to completeness or accuracy. Hoop provides no warranty and accepts no liability in relation to its content; to the extent permitted by law, any such warranty and liability are excluded. Use is at your own risk and legal advice should be sought where necessary.