The c/o address: when a Swiss company must use it, and why
On a commercial register extract, some company addresses include the mention "c/o". It is not a matter of presentation: it follows a precise rule.
Every company entered in the Swiss commercial register (registre du commerce) has a registered office — a municipality — and, in that municipality, an address where it can be reached. Many new companies, and most of those set up from abroad, have no office of their own yet. A third party hosts them instead, and that is where the “c/o” mention comes in.
What does “c/o” mean in a company address?
“c/o” stands for care of. In an address, it shows that the company can be reached at the premises of another person or business, known as the domicile provider (domiciliataire). The registered address then reads in this order:
- the company’s name;
- “c/o” followed by the domicile provider’s name, an accounting firm for example;
- the domicile provider’s street, number, postcode and town.
When must a company be registered c/o?
The rule is set out in the Commercial Register Ordinance (ordonnance sur le registre du commerce). A company with its own premises and its own administrative staff in the municipality of its registered office has its domicile there: its address is entered without any mention. A company without them must have the person who provides its address entered in the register, with the “c/o” mention.
Entering an address provided by a third party as if it were the company’s own would be inaccurate, and the register does not accept it.
Is a letterbox or PO box enough?
No. The Federal Commercial Registry Office makes this clear: a letterbox, a PO box or an electronic mailbox is not a domicile. Authorities and customers must be able to reach the company in person, so administrative services must be provided at the address, by the company itself or by its domicile provider.
What does the register ask of the domicile provider?
On registration, the commercial register asks for the domicile provider’s written consent, confirming that it hosts the company at its address. The “c/o” mention then appears on the register extract, which anyone can look up. If the arrangement ends, the company registers its new address.
How we can help
No premises in the canton yet? We can provide your company with a registered address at our office in Villars-sur-Glâne, entered with the “c/o” mention as the law requires. Behind that address is an accounting and tax firm with its own offices and team. We then work with you on the company’s accounts, VAT and taxes.
A question about your company’s address? Call us and we will arrange a meeting.
+41 26 303 36 69