Permit changes & new activities

Switzerland does not have one general business license that clears every activity. The review starts with the sector, services, location and operating model. Company registration, social-insurance registration and tax obligations are separate from activity-specific permits. We map the relevant requirements before the business commits to a launch.

Yes. Controlled goods can include software and technology as well as physical products. Review the classification, destination, recipient and intended use before a cross-border transfer, including an electronic transfer where relevant. Sanctions require a separate check; an ordinary commercial purpose does not by itself resolve these questions.

No. The relevant canton and municipality determine the applicable hospitality rules, and the requirements can also depend on alcohol sales, opening hours and the premises. Training or examination requirements should be checked locally. Food-safety, building and fire-safety obligations can sit alongside the operating permission.

These involve different routes. Practitioners and facilities can need cantonal permissions, with qualification recognition and professional-register requirements where applicable. Medicines and pharmaceutical operations raise Swissmedic requirements. Medical devices generally follow conformity-assessment and market-surveillance rules rather than the same product-authorization procedure used for medicines. The precise activity sets the scope of review.

Identify the products and whether the business trades, purchases scrap, melts, assays or holds assets for customers. Precious-metals-control, AML and customs requirements need separate assessment. Some activities require permission or registration with the Central Office for Precious Metals Control. SRO membership alone should not be assumed to cover the entire operation.

The delivery channel does not decide whether an activity is regulated. An online platform still needs review of the service, products, customers and territories involved. Selling regulated goods or arranging regulated services can raise permission and conduct requirements even where there is no shopfront or customer visit.

Check the specific profession or activity, the permit’s scope and any applicable market-access or recognition rules. A second location may require a further approval, notification or premises review. Neither nationwide coverage nor a completely new license should be assumed without examining the relevant regime.

Only where the applicable regime provides a route and its conditions are met. Check the permitted activity, duration and conditions in the actual decision. A pending application, an informal conversation or a permit for another purpose does not establish a general right to begin operating.

Changes to the responsible person, ownership, address, branches, activities or financial-security arrangements can affect the permit. We review the proposed change before implementation and identify any notification, amended documents or additional application required.

Assess the permit implications promptly and establish who can lawfully oversee the activity during the transition. We help prepare the authority communication, replacement evidence and any necessary continuity measures. The appointment should not be left unaddressed until a routine review.

Not automatically. A new establishment, particularly in another canton, can require its own permission. We examine the legal entity, location and functions of the branch before it starts operating and coordinate the relevant cantonal requirements.

That is a change in the regulated activity and may require an additional permit workstream, financial security and different contracts. We review the employer model, management arrangements and launch dependencies. Existing placement documents should not simply be relabeled for leasing.

Cross-border activity needs a fresh review of the direction, worker and employer relationships. Additional SECO authorization may be required, and some arrangements are prohibited. We also identify employment and immigration questions that a staffing permit does not resolve.

The answer depends on the transaction and the identity of the permit holder. A share acquisition, asset transfer and new operating company are not equivalent. We review the planned structure and authority requirements before the parties assume the permission will continue unchanged.

Staffing permits are generally of unlimited duration, but their conditions must continue to be met. Changes and reporting duties still need attention. We can help establish a review calendar for responsible persons, security, documents and relevant authority requirements.

The authority can require action and, depending on the circumstances, restrict or withdraw permission. We assess the issue, urgent operating implications and evidence needed for remediation. Early, accurate review helps management plan the response and any necessary authority communication.

Yes. We can review the request, organize relevant records, prepare the agreed legal response and track corrective actions. The scope depends on whether the matter is routine supervision, a permit amendment or a more serious proceeding requiring a distinct mandate.

We can begin by mapping the proposed regulated activity and identifying the relevant authority and expertise. Once the route is established, further advice or application work is separately scoped. The existing staffing permit does not provide a general authorization for unrelated activities.

A focused notification differs from a new activity assessment or full application. We first review the proposed change, existing file and authority requirements, then agree the deliverables and fee. Official charges and specialist work are identified separately.