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France: providing services and travelling for business
Guidance for UK businesses on rules for selling services to France.
Living in the USA
Information about moving to, living or retiring in the USA – including visas, working, healthcare and driving.
Trade with Liechtenstein
How you import from and export to Liechtenstein
UK trade with the United States: Impact of tariffs on imports and exports of goods
A closer look at the goods the UK trades with the United States in the context of trade tariffs.
Simplified rates for bringing personal goods into the UK
Find out about the simplified rates of customs and excise duty used when you declare your personal goods online.
Establish own business in Switzerland as a foreigner
Foreigners are generally not disallowed from founding a company in Switzerland. However, a distinction is made between persons from EU/EFTA-states and citizens of third countries.
Persons from EU/EFTA countries
Citizens of EU/EFTA countries (currently still excluding Romania and Bulgaria) are allowed to make themselves self-employed in Switzerland. According to the free movement of persons agreement, persons who do not have a residence permit (C-permit) are also allowed to found a company—the five-year residence permit (B-permit) is sufficient. To register in Switzerland, the planned business activities have to be declared and proven. Documents to provide this proof can be—among others—the following: commercial register entry, VAT-number, business plan, professional register entry, proof of social insurance as a self-employed person, and books of account. Further information is provided by the cantonal migration offices.
Persons from third countries
Persons from non-EU/EFTA states wishing to be self-employed in Switzerland have to live up to standards of labour law. Only C-permit holders or people married to such or Swiss citizens have a legal right to be self-employed in Switzerland. All other persons have to request a permission from the respective administration. Furthermore, these persons have to convince the authorities that the planned company will have a “sustainable positive effect on the Swiss economy.” It is preferable to hand in a fully worked-out business plan. If the request is granted by the administration, the applicant receives a short-term permit for citizens of third-party states (L-permit).
In general, this permit is limited to twelve months and may only be extended for another twelve months. A new labour law examination is conducted by the administration each time the permit is extended.