Nominee Director
in Switzerland.

Under Swiss law, all directors bear certain legal duties of care and loyalty. A nominee director has the same formal responsibilities as any other board member. However, the fiduciary agreement clearly allocates management responsibility to you as the beneficial owner. Our nominees maintain professional liability insurance and operate within strict compliance frameworks. The nominee will not approve transactions that are unlawful or that could expose them to personal liability.

Signatory arrangements are flexible. In most cases, the nominee is registered with the bank as a signatory (which Swiss banks often require for the account-opening process) but with a collective signature requirement — meaning both you and the nominee must approve transactions above a certain threshold. For day-to-day operations, you typically have sole signatory power. The exact arrangement is defined in the fiduciary agreement.

Yes. The fiduciary agreement includes a pre-signed resignation letter. You can replace the nominee at any time by holding a shareholders' meeting to appoint a new director. This is common when a client relocates to Switzerland and no longer needs a nominee, or when they want to appoint a different person. The transition takes approximately 1-2 weeks to process through the Commercial Register.

The nominee director's name is publicly visible in the Commercial Register, as required by law. The beneficial ownership information is not publicly accessible but must be maintained in the company's share register and is available to authorities upon request. Switzerland has transparency requirements under anti-money laundering regulations, so the identity of the beneficial owner must be properly documented and disclosed to the company's bank.

Nominee director fees are billed annually and depend on the complexity of the company structure and the scope of duties. A standard engagement for a holding company or dormant entity starts from CHF 3,000 per year. Active trading companies with more frequent signatory requirements may incur higher fees. Contact us for a personalised quote.

Yes. The nominee attends the annual formal board meeting as required by Swiss corporate law. Additional meetings can be arranged as needed. Board resolutions can also be passed by circular resolution (written consent) without a physical meeting, which is common practice for routine matters.

Swiss law does not require a formal company secretary role as in common law jurisdictions. However, the nominee can take on administrative functions such as maintaining the share register, preparing board minutes, and handling Commercial Register filings — effectively serving as the corporate governance point of contact.

Our nominees are qualified professionals with backgrounds in law, finance, or corporate governance. They hold Swiss residence permits, are registered with local authorities, and have experience serving on boards of Swiss companies across multiple industries. Alex Rohrer personally selects and supervises all nominees.

Yes. Some company structures benefit from having two or more Swiss-resident directors — for example, when collective signatory authority is required by the bank or when the company needs to demonstrate greater Swiss substance for tax or regulatory purposes. We can provide multiple nominees as needed.

If you obtain Swiss residency, you can replace the nominee director with yourself. The nominee will resign per the pre-signed resignation letter, and you will be appointed to the board via shareholders' resolution. We handle all Commercial Register filings for a seamless transition.

Yes. Every Swiss company must have both a registered office address and at least one Swiss-resident representative. Most clients combine our nominee director service with our registered office at Seefeldstrasse 69, 8008 Zurich for a complete compliance package.

Yes. Nominee directorships are fully legal in Switzerland and are widely used by international businesses. The arrangement is governed by a fiduciary agreement under Swiss contract law. The nominee is registered in the Commercial Register as a formal board member, fulfilling the residency requirement of Art. 718 para. 4 of the Code of Obligations.