Swiss Company Lookup: Free Search Tools and Practical Tips

Every Swiss company that is formally registered appears in at least one public database. Whether you need to confirm that a business partner actually exists, check who runs a company before signing a contract, or verify a UID number on an invoice, the data is accessible online. Most of it is free.

This guide walks through every method for looking up a Swiss company: the free official tools, the paid intelligence platforms, and the practical steps to verify legitimacy and run basic due diligence. For a broader overview of all available search methods and tools, see our dedicated comparison guide.

How Do You Look Up a Swiss Company?

You can find any Swiss company in under a minute using free government portals. The Swiss commercial register system is decentralised across 26 cantons, but federal tools aggregate the data into searchable portals. The fastest path to any company record follows three steps:

1. Start with Zefix. Go to zefix.ch and enter the company name or UID number. Zefix covers all 26 cantonal registers and returns the company’s legal form, registered office, UID, and status within seconds.

2. Click through to the cantonal register. Every Zefix result includes a direct link to the full entry in the relevant cantonal commercial register. The cantonal register shows directors, signing authority, share capital, the full purpose clause, and the complete history of changes.

3. Order a certified extract if needed. For legal, banking, or regulatory purposes, order a Handelsregisterauszug (register extract) from the cantonal register office. This is the only step that costs money (CHF 17-40).

For most everyday lookups, steps 1 and 2 are sufficient. You get the company’s core data without spending anything or creating an account.

How Can You Search by Name, UID, Person, or Address?

Swiss company data can be searched using four different identifiers. Each has its strengths.

By company name

The most common approach. Enter the full or partial company name on Zefix or a cantonal register portal. Partial matching works: searching “Novartis” returns all entities with that word in the name. For common names, apply canton or legal form filters to narrow results.

Tip: Swiss companies may be registered under German, French, or Italian names. If your first search returns nothing, try alternative language forms or abbreviations.

By UID number

The most precise method. Every registered entity in Switzerland has a Unique Identification Number in the format CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx. Enter it on Zefix or the UID register for an exact, single-result match. This is the best approach when you already have the UID from an invoice, contract, or correspondence.

By person name

Cantonal register portals allow you to search by the name of a director, board member, or authorised signatory. This is useful when you know who runs the company but not its exact name. Not all cantons support person-name search through their web interface, but the larger ones (Zurich, Bern, Zug, Geneva) do.

Moneyhouse also offers person-based search with broader coverage, showing all companies linked to a specific individual across cantons.

By registered address

Some cantonal portals and third-party tools allow address-based search. This is helpful when investigating a specific office location, for example to check how many companies are registered at the same address (a potential red flag if the number is unusually high).

Which Free Company Lookup Tools Are Available?

Three official, government-operated tools provide free access to Swiss company data. Each serves a different purpose.

Zefix (zefix.ch)

Zefix (Zentraler Firmenindex) is the federal search portal operated by the EHRA. It aggregates basic data from all 26 cantonal registers into one interface.

What you get for free:

• Company name, legal form, registered office, and UID number
• Status: active, in liquidation, or deleted
• Registration and deletion dates
• SOGC publication references
• Direct link to the full cantonal register entry

Limitations: Zefix does not show directors, signing authority, share capital, the full purpose clause, or GmbH ownership details. For those, click through to the cantonal register.

Best for: Quick verification, cross-canton searches, and name availability checks before registering a new company.

UID Register (uid.admin.ch)

The UID register is operated by the Federal Statistical Office and covers every enterprise that holds a UID, including entities not in the commercial register (such as sole proprietorships below the CHF 100,000 revenue threshold that registered for VAT purposes).

What you get for free:

• Company name and address
• UID number and VAT registration status (MWST/TVA/IVA)
• Legal form and economic activity code (NOGA)
• Whether the entity is active or closed

Best for: Verifying UID numbers, checking VAT registration status, and finding entities that may not appear on Zefix.

Cantonal register portals

Each of the 26 cantons operates its own online commercial register portal. These are the source systems that feed into Zefix, and they hold significantly more detail.

What you get for free:

• Everything on Zefix, plus:
• Full list of directors, board members, and authorised signatories
• Signing authority type (sole or joint)
• Complete purpose clause
• Share capital and structure
• GmbH quota holders with individual capital contributions
• Full chronological history of all registered changes
• Links to every SOGC publication

Limitations: You need to know (or find via Zefix) which canton the company is registered in. Interface quality varies by canton. Some smaller cantons have dated web portals.

Best for: Detailed company research, director lookups, and reviewing a company’s full corporate history. Our commercial register guide lists all 26 cantonal register websites.

What Do Paid Lookup and Intelligence Tools Offer?

Official registers provide corporate registration data. Paid tools add financial data, credit scores, ownership networks, and monitoring services.

Moneyhouse

The most widely used commercial intelligence platform for Swiss companies. Moneyhouse aggregates data from the commercial register with financial filings, credit assessments, and corporate network analysis.

Free tier: Basic company profile, address, legal form, directors. Paid plans: Credit reports (from CHF 9.80 per report), annual financial statements, payment behaviour data, corporate network maps showing connections between companies and individuals, and company monitoring alerts.

Best for: Credit checks before extending payment terms, supplier due diligence, and investigating corporate structures.

Creditreform

An established credit bureau serving the DACH region. Creditreform provides credit ratings, payment experience data, and business reports on Swiss companies. Its database covers over 500,000 Swiss enterprises.

Pricing: Per-report or subscription model. Business reports start at approximately CHF 30-50.

Best for: B2B credit decisions, debt collection intelligence, and supplier risk assessment.

Dun & Bradstreet (D&B)

The global business data provider maintains a Swiss database and assigns D-U-N-S numbers to Swiss companies. D&B reports include credit scores, financial summaries, corporate hierarchy mapping, and beneficial ownership data where available.

Best for: International due diligence where you need a standardised report format recognised globally, or when you need to link a Swiss entity to its parent company abroad.

Handelsregister.ch (commercial register aggregator)

A private portal that aggregates cantonal register data into a user-friendly interface. Basic search is free; premium features (monitoring, bulk downloads, API access) require a subscription.

Best for: Professionals who query the register frequently and want a streamlined interface with notification features.

What Is the Difference Between Free and Paid Data?

The table below shows exactly which data points are available from free official sources and which require paid services.

The practical rule: Free official sources cover everything you need to verify a company’s existence, legal form, directors, and capital structure. You only need paid tools when you want financial data, credit assessments, or corporate network intelligence.

How Do You Verify a Swiss Company Is Legitimate?

Before entering into a business relationship with a Swiss company, run through this checklist. Every step uses free, publicly available data.

Step 1: Confirm the company is registered

Search for the company on Zefix. If it appears with an “active” status, it is currently registered in the commercial register. If it does not appear at all, either the name is wrong, or the entity is not registered. An unregistered entity claiming to be a GmbH or AG is a red flag, because these legal forms only exist upon registration (OR Art. 643, Art. 779).

Step 2: Verify the UID number

If the company has provided a UID (CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx) on its invoices or website, enter it on uid.admin.ch. Confirm that the UID matches the company name and address. Mismatched UIDs may indicate a fraudulent invoice.

Step 3: Check the directors and signing authority

Click through from Zefix to the cantonal register entry. Verify that the person you are dealing with actually appears as a director or authorised signatory. If someone claims to represent the company but is not listed in the register, they may not have authority to bind the company legally.

Step 4: Review the share capital

For a GmbH, the minimum share capital is CHF 20,000. For an AG, it is CHF 100,000 (with at least 20% or CHF 50,000 paid in). A company registered at the bare minimum capital is not necessarily suspicious, but it is relevant for credit exposure decisions.

Step 5: Check the registration date

A company registered last month carries different risk than one registered 15 years ago. Newly formed companies are not inherently unreliable, but the length of the track record is relevant for due diligence.

Step 6: Look for red flags

• Status “in Liquidation” — the company is being wound down. Proceed with extreme caution.
• Frequent director changes — review the history of changes in the cantonal register. Rapid turnover in management can signal instability.
• Virtual office address — if the registered address is a known virtual office provider with dozens of companies registered there, the entity may have minimal physical presence in Switzerland.
• Opted out of audit — small GmbHs and AGs with fewer than 10 full-time employees can opt out of statutory audit (OR Art. 727a). This is common and legal, but means no independent financial oversight exists.

How Do You Look Up Directors and Beneficial Owners?

Directors and board members

Every director (Geschäftsführer for a GmbH, Verwaltungsrat for an AG), managing officer, and authorised signatory is recorded in the cantonal commercial register. The entry shows:

• Full name and domicile (city and country, not street address)
• Role (director, president, member, secretary)
• Signing authority: sole (Einzelunterschrift), joint to two (Kollektivunterschrift zu zweien), or other arrangements
• Date of appointment

This data is publicly accessible through the cantonal register portal at no cost. To find all companies associated with a specific person, use Moneyhouse’s person search, which cross-references directorships across cantons.

Beneficial owners

Swiss commercial registers do not record beneficial owners. This is a key limitation. The person listed as a director or shareholder may be acting on behalf of someone else.

For a GmbH, the register lists every quota holder (direct owner) and their capital contribution. This gives you the direct ownership structure. However, if a quota holder is itself a holding company, you would need to trace ownership further up the chain.

For an AG, neither shareholders nor beneficial owners appear in any public register. The AG maintains an internal share register (Aktienbuch), but this is private. Under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), Swiss companies must identify their beneficial owners, but this information is only shared with banks and regulated financial intermediaries, not the public.

For thorough beneficial ownership research, especially for AG structures or multi-layered holding arrangements, you will likely need to engage a professional fiduciary or use commercial due diligence services.

How Do You Use Company Lookup for Due Diligence?

Running a company lookup is a standard part of business due diligence in Switzerland. Here are the most common scenarios and what to check in each.

Before signing a contract

Verify that the counterparty exists, is active, and that the person signing has authority to do so. Check the cantonal register for the signatory’s name and whether they hold sole or joint signing authority. If the contract requires joint signatures and only one person signs, the contract may not be binding on the company (OR Art. 718a for AG, OR Art. 814 for GmbH).

Before entering a partnership

Beyond basic verification, review the company’s purpose clause to confirm the partnership falls within its stated business activities. Check the capital structure and registration date to gauge the company’s stability. Consider ordering a credit report from Moneyhouse or Creditreform for financial health data.

Before making a significant payment

Verify the UID on the invoice against the UID register. Confirm the company’s bank details separately through official channels. Invoice fraud involving spoofed company identities is not uncommon; a quick register check can prevent losses.

Before an acquisition or investment

For transactions involving equity, a basic register search is not enough. You need:

• A certified register extract (the legal baseline document)
• Full review of the articles of association (request from the company)
• Financial due diligence using audited accounts or Moneyhouse data
• Beneficial ownership verification through the company’s bank or a professional adviser
• A check against SECO sanctions lists and FINMA enforcement actions

Due diligence checklist

How Do International Company Searches Work?

If you are based outside Switzerland and need to look up a Swiss company, all the tools described above are accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. Zefix, the UID register, and most cantonal portals work internationally without restrictions.

Coordinating with foreign registers

When a Swiss company has international operations, you may need to cross-reference its data with foreign company registers. Common scenarios:

• A Swiss company with a foreign parent: The Swiss commercial register records branch offices of foreign companies, including the parent company’s name and home jurisdiction. To verify the parent, search the relevant foreign register (e.g., Companies House in the UK, Handelsregister in Germany, SEC EDGAR in the US).

• A foreign company with a Swiss subsidiary: If you know the Swiss entity’s name, search Zefix. If you only know the foreign parent, Moneyhouse or D&B can help trace the Swiss subsidiary through corporate network data.

• Cross-border due diligence: For foreign entrepreneurs verifying Swiss counterparties, or Swiss companies verifying foreign partners, combine Swiss register data with the equivalent foreign register. No single portal covers all jurisdictions.

Useful foreign company registers

For companies registering in Switzerland from abroad, the Swiss commercial register will be the primary record of the new entity. Foreign registers only become relevant when tracing the parent company or verifying cross-border relationships.

How We Verified This Information

Every lookup method described in this guide has been tested against live data on Zefix, the UID Register, and individual cantonal register portals including Zurich, Zug, and Geneva. Data field availability was confirmed by cross-referencing actual company entries across all three official platforms. Fee information reflects the current cantonal fee schedules published by each Handelsregisteramt. The verification steps are reviewed by Florian Rosenberg, who routinely performs company lookups and due diligence checks as part of his fiduciary practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I look up a Swiss company for free?

Yes. The federal Zefix portal (zefix.ch) lets you search every registered company across all 26 cantons at no cost. You can search by company name, UID number, or registered office. Cantonal commercial register portals also offer free online search with more detail, including directors, signing authority, and capital structure. The only cost arises when you need a certified register extract, which runs between CHF 17 and CHF 40 depending on the canton.

How do I find out who the directors of a Swiss company are?

Search for the company on Zefix (zefix.ch), then click through to the cantonal commercial register entry. The cantonal register lists every director, board member, and authorised signatory, together with their signing authority (sole or joint). This information is public and free to access online. For a GmbH, you will also see the names and capital contributions of all quota holders. For an AG, shareholder names are not publicly available.

What is the fastest way to verify a Swiss company exists?

Go to zefix.ch and enter the company name or UID number. If the company is registered in any of the 26 cantonal commercial registers, it will appear in the results with its legal form, registered office, UID, and status (active, in liquidation, or deleted). The entire process takes under 30 seconds. For additional confidence, check that the company's status is 'active' and cross-reference the UID on uid.admin.ch.

Can I find beneficial owners of a Swiss company in public records?

Not directly. Swiss commercial registers do not record beneficial owners. For a GmbH, you can see the quota holders (direct owners) in the cantonal register, but beneficial owners behind those holders are not disclosed. For an AG, neither shareholders nor beneficial owners appear in public records. Companies must maintain internal registers of beneficial owners under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), but these are not publicly accessible. Banks and regulated entities can request this information through formal due diligence channels.

How do I look up a company if I only know its registered address in Switzerland?

Some cantonal register portals and commercial aggregators such as Moneyhouse support address-based searches. On the UID register at uid.admin.ch, you can search by street address and postcode to find companies registered there. If you only know the city, start with Zefix and apply the canton filter to narrow results. An unusually high number of companies at a single address may indicate a virtual office provider, which is legitimate but worth noting in due diligence.

Can I look up a Swiss company's financial statements for free?

Not through any official government database. Unlike Germany or the UK, Switzerland does not require private companies to file annual accounts with the commercial register. Financial statements remain private unless the company publishes them voluntarily. Listed companies must comply with SIX Exchange Regulation disclosure rules. For unlisted companies, Moneyhouse and Creditreform occasionally have financial data for larger firms that have made it public, but this is not systematic. Detailed financials require engaging the company directly or using professional due diligence services.

What is the fastest way to find the registered address of a Swiss company?

Search by company name or UID on Zefix (zefix.ch) for the municipality and canton, then click through to the cantonal register for the full street address. Alternatively, the UID register at uid.admin.ch shows the full registered address directly. Both are free and return results within seconds. The registered address (Sitz) is the legal domicile of the company, not necessarily where operations are conducted, though in most cases they coincide.

Is it legal to look up information about a Swiss company without their knowledge?

Yes. The Swiss commercial register is a public database by design. Anyone may search it, download data, or order certified extracts without notifying the company. This is a fundamental principle of Swiss commercial law: OR Art. 933 establishes that registered facts are publicly known and can be relied upon by third parties. There is no legal requirement to inform a company that you have looked it up, searched for its directors, or ordered an extract of its register entry.

How do I find all companies registered at the same address in Switzerland?

Several commercial aggregators, particularly Moneyhouse, support address-based search and show all companies listed at a specific address. The cantonal register portals of larger cantons (Zurich, Zug) also support address searches. A high concentration of companies at one address — sometimes hundreds — typically indicates a virtual office or domiciliation service, which is a legal and common practice in Switzerland, particularly in financial centres like Zug and Geneva. This alone is not a red flag, but it is worth noting when assessing a company's operational substance.

What is the difference between a company's registered office and its operational address?

The registered office (Sitz) is the legal address recorded in the commercial register — the address that determines which cantonal register is responsible and which canton's courts have jurisdiction. The operational address is where the company actually conducts its business. These may differ: a company might have its registered office in Zug for tax reasons but operate from an office in Zurich. The commercial register only records the registered office. Operational addresses may appear in the purpose clause or on the company's website but are not part of the register record.