Recruiting in Switzerland does not always require setting up a company there. It does require knowing under which regime a foreign employer is allowed to file returns and pay contributions, and on what conditions.
Three routes generally exist: registration of the foreign employer with the local bodies, the use of an employer of record established on the spot, or the creation of a structure. The first is the least costly but presupposes a local correspondent able to file the returns in the language and to the calendar of the country; the second moves the employment relationship to a third party, which is not neutral in law. The choice is made in the light of the number of employees, the duration envisaged and what local law actually permits.
The choice of the form of presence opens the file, after which the employer affiliates to a compensation fund, which handles first-pillar and unemployment insurance contributions. That affiliation then governs most of the reporting calendar.
Occupational pensions require a contract with a pension institution for employees above the entry threshold, and failure to affiliate refers the employer to the substitute institution. Compulsory accident insurance is added, taken out with the body competent for the sector of activity.
Withholding tax at source is the most distinctive payroll feature: it applies to foreign employees without a settlement permit and to cross-border workers, with cantonal scales and reporting duties specific to each canton.
No rule requires a written employment contract as a matter of principle, but one is strongly advisable, particularly to fix the notice period. Check whether a collective employment agreement applies to the activity and whether it has been extended, which makes it binding regardless of membership.
Termination itself follows light formalities, yet notice periods and protection periods are mandatory. Check as well whether the employee must be covered by daily sickness benefit insurance, which the applicable collective agreement frequently requires and which is easily overlooked when a foreign template is reused.
In Switzerland, running payroll on behalf of third parties is reserved by law to no registered profession: any company may take it on. The absence of a legal barrier shifts the checking onto you, and that is why the network itself verifies the registration, the tax and social security standing and the insurance cover of every firm before listing it.
| Local wording | Issuing body | Validity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extrait du registre du commerce / Handelsregisterauszug / Estratto del registro di commercio (extrait certifié conforme)Certified commercial register extract Zefix est l'index fédéral gratuit permettant de retrouver l'entreprise et son numéro IDE, mais l'extrait certifié conforme est délivré par l'office cantonal du siège, et lui seul fait foi. L'extrait indique les personnes autorisées et leur mode de signature (individuelle ou collective à deux), point à contrôler avant toute signature de convention. | Office cantonal du registre du commerce ; index central Zefix, Office fédéral de la justice | 3 months Required | Official website |
| Numéro d'identification des entreprises (IDE/UID, CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx) et inscription au registre TVA (CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx TVA)Swiss business identification number (UID) and VAT registration L'IDE est l'identifiant unique de l'entreprise, vérifiable gratuitement dans le registre IDE. L'assujettissement à la TVA n'est obligatoire qu'au-delà de 100 000 CHF de chiffre d'affaires : un petit cabinet peut légitimement ne pas avoir de numéro TVA. Le registre des assujettis de l'AFC permet de le vérifier. | Office fédéral de la statistique pour l'IDE ; Administration fédérale des contributions (AFC) pour la TVA | 3 months Required | Official website |
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