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Zug · Switzerland

Swiss residence permit calculator for company founders

Work out what a Swiss residence permit through your own company actually costs, and how long it takes — in about two minutes.

If you hold an EU/EFTA passport, setting up or buying a Swiss company and running it gives you a straightforward five-year residence permit. For UK, US and other non-EU founders the permit is assessed case by case. This tool uses real figures from our own casework, not numbers scraped off the internet.

You get concrete numbers on the last screen. This is not a data-collection form — we tell you the budget and the timeline, and we are honest when a case needs a closer look.

Which passport do you hold?

This is what decides how the permit works.

Are you moving on your own or with family?

This does not change the permit budget — family members follow later through family reunification.

The company itself

Register a fresh AG, or take over a ready-made one.

The business

This helps your adviser and, for non-EU passports, the permit case. It is not turned into a fee here.

Expected annual turnover

Where do we send your figures?

Your budget and timeline are calculated on the very next screen — we also send the full breakdown to you.

We reply on WhatsApp within one business day. No spam, no newsletter.

Submitting does not create a client engagement; your information is treated as strictly confidential (revDSG / GDPR). See our Privacy Policy.

Where will you live?

Only counted if you will rent. Rough Zug market rents.

Health insurance

Mandatory in Switzerland. Rough monthly premium for the main applicant.

Office and registered address

Every Swiss company needs a registered address. A physical office is your choice.

What would you like to go through with an adviser?

Pick any — we prepare these before we call you.

How the permit works — and why the passport matters

EU/EFTA nationals. Under the free-movement agreement you may live and run your own Swiss company. Once you show a genuinely active business — an entry in the commercial register, real activity, recognition by the social-security compensation office and proof of means — you receive a five-year B residence permit. There is no economic-interest test.

UK, US and other non-EU nationals. Owning or buying a Swiss company does not by itself grant a permit. The canton and the federal authorities look at whether the business genuinely benefits Switzerland — a real plan, substance, activity. Permits are granted case by case and are not automatic. We assess whether your case is realistic before you spend anything, and we say so plainly if it is not.

What goes into the budget

  • Company setup — notary, commercial register and paperwork for a new AG, or the price of a ready-made company from our weekly list.
  • A Swiss-resident director — required by law; we provide one for CHF 4,900 a year.
  • A registered address — CHF 1,800 a year on our domicile, or your own office.
  • Share capital — an AG is CHF 100,000, of which at least CHF 50,000 is paid in to register. This is your own money and stays in the company as working capital, not a fee to us.
  • Living costs — housing and mandatory health insurance, if you do not already have them.
  • Bookkeeping — scoped separately, because it depends entirely on how much the company actually does.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a Swiss residence permit by opening a company?

If you are an EU/EFTA national, yes — running a genuinely active Swiss company gives you a five-year residence permit with no economic-interest test. For UK, US and other non-EU nationals, the company alone is not enough: the authorities assess the business case by case, and a permit is not guaranteed.

How long does it take?

Two things add up: preparing the company (about two weeks for a ready-made AG, or roughly 1.5–2 months to register a new one) and the migration office processing your permit. We show an indicative timeline in the calculator and confirm the current Zug processing time with you directly.

How much money do I need?

Beyond the setup and running costs the calculator lists, budget the AG share capital: CHF 100,000, of which at least CHF 50,000 is paid in to incorporate. That capital is yours and stays in the company. The calculator gives you a first-year figure tailored to your answers.

Is it different for UK and US citizens?

Yes. Since Brexit the UK is treated as a non-EU country, the same as the US. For both, a Swiss company does not automatically grant a permit — the case is assessed for genuine economic substance and benefit to Switzerland. We tell you honestly whether your plan is likely to succeed before you commit.