Recommendation of the Liechtenstein authorities

The Federal Law on Business Identification Numbers (UIDG) is partially applicable in Liechtenstein due to the customs treaty with Switzerland. As of January 1, 2016, the UID is a prerequisite in dealings with Swiss authorities such as the Federal Customs Administration (FCA). In order to preserve the sovereignty of Liechtenstein as well as for reasons of data protection, the automatic assignment of a UID to companies domiciled in Liechtenstein by a Swiss authority or the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) is not possible. So it is the responsibility of Liechtenstein companies to apply for a Swiss UID in due time.

To make this as simple as possible, the Liechtenstein National Administration (LLV), in cooperation with its Swiss partners, devised a modern procedure by means of an electronic application form, which is provided free of charge to companies domiciled in Liechtenstein. The application is submitted to the Office of Statistics (AS), the body responsible for the UID in Liechtenstein. The AS will forward the required information to the FSO for the generation of a UID. Any subsequent changes to the core characteristics can be submitted to the AS.

The UIDG stipulates that a UID must be used in contact with Swiss authorities at all levels (federal, cantonal and municipal) from 2016. The uniform and unique identification of a company that this makes possible is prompting administrations, among others, to base their customer management on this system. For example, the FCA is already adapting its customs customer administration system. The Swiss private sector is also examining the customer management systems it uses in relation to the benefits of the UID.

Much of the Swiss private sector counts Liechtenstein companies among its clients because of the customs and currency union and the resulting close ties to the Swiss economic area. UID-based customer management can lead to simplifications in B2B on both sides of the Rhine. In Switzerland, initial tendencies in this direction have already been noted.

The Liechtenstein authorities therefore recommend applying for the Swiss UID and agreeing to its publication in the UID register.

Form Application for a Swiss Company Identification Number (UID)