Basic information on the UID

Short portrait

On January 1, 2011, Switzerland created the basis for the nationwide introduction of a uniform and unique company identification with the Federal Law on the Company Identification Number (UIDG). The company identification number (UID) used for this purpose forms a central element in the future basic structure of e-government in Switzerland. At the same time, a central and partially publicly accessible business register went into operation. Together with the UID, this register contains the most important identification features of companies, such as the name/company name and the official address of the registered office.

Aim and purpose

The UID enables unique identification of companies so that information can be exchanged easily and securely in administrative and statistical processes. This leads to a simplification of the traffic of companies with the administration (B2G / G2B), between companies (B2B) and within administrative units (G2G). In Switzerland, since its introduction, the UID has successively replaced all company identifiers previously used in public administration. There is a maximum period of five years available for this, which means that companies will need a UID from January 1, 2016 for dealings with Swiss authorities at all levels (federal, cantonal, municipal).

Responsibility

The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in Neuchâtel is in charge of the UID. At www.uid.ch, the FSO provides extensive information on UID in Switzerland.

For further information on the UID as well as its issuance, the Office of Statistics (AS) is at your disposal (T: +423 236 69 37 / lur@llv.li).

Auskunftsstellen für spezifische Anfragen in Bezug auf die UID