Start a Franchise Business in Switzerland

In Switzerland, a franchise business is agreed upon by a franchiser and a franchisee with both required to follow a franchise agreement. Opening a franchise business in Switzerland(like starting hotel business or crypto) - follows similar rules and registration regulations as any other type of business and requires both the franchisee and franchiser to follow rules set out in the Code of Conduct written and provided by the Swiss Franchise Association.

In Switzerland, there are no definitions outlining the terms for franchising, although the code above holds most rules and regulations which are to be followed. We have more information on this available on our website. You can also contact one of our consultants for further information on legal requirements and Swiss business registration.

Stated above, there are no set laws in place which control and regulate the operations of franchising in Switzerland, although there are the company registration and incorporation procedures, which are required to be followed by all businesses. There are also a number of other regulatory bodies which outline laws for Swiss franchising companies. These regulations include:

• The Swiss Code of Obligations;
• The Swiss Civil Code;
• The Swiss Intellectual Property Laws;
• The Swiss Unfair Competition Act;
• The Swiss Act on Cartels and other Competition Restraints.

In Switzerland, there is legislation which outlines a non-existence of distinction between a franchising business with one franchisee or a number of franchisees. This means that there are no specific rules for either one and that both must follow the same regulations and codes.

Switzerland's franchise laws allow for foreign investors to launch franchises in the country with little to no restriction, making the entire process fairly simple.

There are however certain business operations within franchises which may require licences, permits and other authorisation from regulatory bodies which must be followed. These approvals can be issued by local regulators. Activities or operations which are most likely to require additional permits and approval are; banking, insurance, healthcare and gambling activities. We have agents available to assist with which operations need which approval and how to go about obtaining permits with regards to these activities.

In order to form a franchise in Switzerland, the process of registering and legally firing the business can be complete through franchise agreements with foreign companies. There are also other ways to do this, such as setting up a branch or a subsidiary in Switzerland.

We have a team of expert agents who are able to assist with providing in-depth and technical information regarding business formation and development in Switzerland. Feel free to get in touch with them for further help.