01 · Contact-person mandate
Swiss address-for-service for foreign applicants.
Required under MSchG art. 42 for foreign trademark applicants and under PatG for foreign patent applicants. CHF 290/year. Available also as a regulatory contact mandate for FINMA, SECO and cantonal authorities.
02 · Three mandate types
Trademark, patent, regulatory.
Trademark address-for-service
Required under MSchG art. 42 when a foreign applicant files a Swiss trademark with no Swiss residence. We act as your Zustellungsdomizil before IGE. CHF 290/year.
Patent address-for-service
Equivalent requirement under PatG (Federal Patents Act) for foreign patent applicants before IGE. Same flat fee CHF 290/year.
Regulatory contact mandate
For other regulatory authorities (FINMA, SECO, cantonal authorities) where a Swiss contact person is required. Quoted on request, typically CHF 600–2,400/year depending on activity volume.
03 · Pricing
Annual flat fee per mandate type.
| Service | Our fee | Market range |
|---|---|---|
| Address-for-service (trademark / patent applicants) | CHF 290 / year | CHF 300–600 |
| Regulatory contact mandate (FINMA / SECO / cantonal) | from CHF 600 / year | CHF 800–2,500 |
| Single ad-hoc forwarding (per item) | CHF 50 | CHF 50–150 |
04 · Mandate scope
Receive, notify, forward, remind.
- Designated Swiss address registered with the relevant authority
- Receipt of all official correspondence on your behalf
- Notification within 24 hours of any incoming mail
- Forwarding (scan or physical) to your designated address worldwide
- Drafting of acknowledgement responses where formally required
- Annual reminder of registration / renewal dates so deadlines never slip
05 · Process
Mandate request → designation → active mandate → renewal.
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01
Mandate request
You send the entity name, jurisdiction (foreign), trademark or patent application reference, and the worldwide address for forwarding. 1 working day.
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02
Designation filing
We file the address-for-service designation with IGE (or the relevant authority). Included in the annual fee for new applications, billed separately if added to an existing registration.
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03
Active mandate
Mail received and notified within 24 hours. Forwarding by scan (default) or physical post on request.
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04
Annual renewal
Reminder 60 days before renewal. Mandate continues unless terminated by you or by us with 30 days notice.
06 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
When is a Swiss address-for-service legally required?
For foreign trademark applicants without a Swiss residence: under MSchG art. 42, the IGE will not communicate with you directly and requires a Swiss representative for service. The same applies for foreign patent applicants under PatG. For corporate registered offices (Sitz of an AG / GmbH) the requirement is different — you need a real Swiss registered office, not just a service address (see /services/registered-address/).
How does this differ from a registered office (Domizil)?
A registered office (Sitz) is the legal address of a company under company law. A Zustellungsdomizil / address-for-service is purely the address an authority communicates with for a specific procedure (trademark, patent, regulatory). One is statutory infrastructure for the company itself; the other is a procedural anchor for a specific authority. Many foreign applicants need the address-for-service but no registered office (they have no Swiss company).
Does CHF 290 cover all my trademark filings?
CHF 290 per year covers one trademark application or registration. Additional trademarks under the same applicant are CHF 100 each per year (subject to a CHF 590 cap regardless of trademark count). For a foreign applicant managing 5+ Swiss marks the mandate makes sense via a portfolio retainer — quote on request.
How fast do you forward incoming mail?
Within 24 hours of receipt. Default is scan-and-email; physical forwarding is available at CHF 50 per item or as part of a higher-tier mandate. For time-sensitive deadlines (responses to office actions) we proactively flag the deadline so you don't miss it.
What happens if I miss a deadline because of mandate failure?
Our mandate carries professional liability cover. If a missed deadline is attributable to our error (delayed forwarding, failure to notify) we cover the replacement-filing cost and any extension fee. Genuine deadline-management failures by us are rare; in 2024–2025 we had zero such events across our mandate book.
Can I appoint someone other than a lawyer as my address-for-service?
Technically yes — Swiss law does not require the representative to be a lawyer. In practice, IGE and other authorities prefer a known professional address (lawyer, fiduciary or specialist firm). A casual address (private individual, mailbox service) carries higher risk of missed deadlines.
07 · Get started
Send the applicant name and the matter.
One-line brief: applicant legal name, jurisdiction, trademark/patent reference (if existing), forwarding address. We confirm and file the designation within 24 hours.