01 · Shelf company
A clean Swiss GmbH or AG, ready to operate today.
Pre-registered, dormant, with paid-in capital intact. From CHF 9,900 for a generic Mantel; from CHF 190,000 for an SRO/VQF-licensed entity. Share transfer notarised and filed with the Handelsregister within days, not weeks.
02 · Three variants
Plain Mantel, aged Mantel, or SRO-licensed.
Plain shelf GmbH or AG
Dormant company with paid-in capital, clean balance sheet, no trading history. Use when you need a Swiss legal person now and a fresh formation timeline (2–6 weeks) is too long. From CHF 9,900.
Aged shelf company
Same as plain but with several years of registered history. Useful when banks or counterparties weigh entity age. Pricing depends on age — quote on request, typically CHF 15,000–35,000.
SRO / VQF-licensed Mantel
Pre-licensed company with active SRO or VQF membership for crypto / financial-intermediary activity. Saves the 2–5 month licence-application timeline. From CHF 190,000.
03 · Pricing
From the cheapest plain Mantel to a licensed SRO entity.
| Service | Our fee | Market range |
|---|---|---|
| Mantelkauf / shelf company, no licence | from CHF 9,900 | CHF 10,000–50,000 |
| Mantelkauf VQF / SRO-Gesellschaft | from CHF 190,000 | CHF 250,000–500,000 |
| Share Transfer + Handelsregister filing | CHF 1,900 | CHF 2,000–5,000 |
| Preliminary structuring analysis (if you are unsure) | CHF 3,900 | CHF 5,000+ |
Fees excl. MWST. The shelf-company purchase price is fixed; share transfer and Handelsregister filing are additional. SRO-licensed Mantels are quoted on request once we know the licence scope and the entity\'s history.
04 · What you receive
A clean dossier, not just an entity.
- Clean entity (no trading history, no employees, no creditors)
- Paid-in share capital intact (CHF 20,000 GmbH / CHF 50,000 minimum AG)
- Articles of association ready to amend to your purpose
- Original Handelsregister extract + commercial register dossier
- Last audited (or attested-as-dormant) balance sheet
- Share transfer deed and Handelsregister change-of-ownership filing
05 · Process
From candidate selection to operational entity.
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01
Identify a candidate
We send 2–3 candidate Mantels matching your canton preference, age and capital structure. Each comes with the full dossier for your due diligence.
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02
KYC / source-of-funds
Mandatory under Swiss AML rules. UBO ID, source-of-funds for the purchase price, business purpose for the entity.
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03
Share purchase
Notarised share transfer deed. Purchase price escrowed until closing. Same-day if both parties are organised.
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04
Handelsregister update
Change of board, change of registered office (to your chosen canton if needed), articles amendment. 2–5 working days at the registry.
06 · FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Why buy a shelf company instead of forming a new one?
Speed. A new GmbH typically takes 2–4 weeks, an AG 3–6 weeks. A shelf company is operational on the day the share transfer is filed. Useful when a counterparty, tender or licence application requires an active legal person now.
Are shelf companies legal in Switzerland?
Yes. The Federal Court has confirmed Mantelkauf is permitted, with the constraint that the entity must not have been dissolved or used to circumvent fresh-formation requirements. We deal only in clean, dormant entities that meet that test.
What is the difference between a "no licence" Mantel and an "SRO" Mantel?
A no-licence Mantel is a generic GmbH or AG ready for any non-regulated business activity. An SRO Mantel is a company that already holds membership in a self-regulatory organisation (VQF, SO-FIT or PolyReg) for AML purposes — required for crypto, exchange and payment-services businesses. The price difference reflects the licence value: roughly CHF 9,900 vs CHF 190,000+.
Will I inherit any liabilities from the previous owner?
Theoretically yes — a company is the same legal person regardless of ownership. In practice we sell only entities that have been dormant since formation, with attested balance sheets confirming no operating activity. The share purchase agreement includes warranties and an indemnity from the seller for pre-closing exposures.
Can I change the company name and registered office after purchase?
Yes. Both can be changed via an extraordinary general meeting and a Handelsregister filing. Typical cost: CHF 200 office fee plus CHF 800 for our work. Allow 2–5 working days at the registry.
How are SRO-licensed Mantels priced?
The price reflects the cost and time saved on a fresh SRO application (which is itself CHF 9,900 for the application fee and 2–5 months of calendar time, plus the company-formation step). For a buyer with a launch date in mind, the premium is paid for the shortened timeline. We can also support a fresh SRO membership if budget is the priority — see /specialised/sro-license/.
07 · Get started
Tell us the use case.
Send the intended business activity, target canton, age preference, and whether you need a regulated licence. We send 2–3 candidate Mantels with full dossiers within 24 hours.