Registered Office and Local Representative in Liechtenstein
A registered office in Liechtenstein, set up the way the register reads it: seat, address and Repräsentant, provided by a licensed trustee.
- Repräsentant: a resident EEA national, PGR Art. 239
- Register entry of the address or Repräsentant CHF 30
- Provided by a licensed trustee
What the registered office service covers
We are the office that prepares a new Liechtenstein entity from the articles to the register entry; the address is part of that file. We collect the documents and prepare the register application. A licensed trustee under the Trustee Act (TrHG), named in your engagement letter, provides the address and the Repräsentant and files; the Office of Justice enters them.
Where the Government, or an office it designates, agrees, a delivery address can take the place of the Repräsentant. The service stops at the address and the representation towards the authorities. Buying an existing entity? See what the buyer of a pre-registered company receives on transfer.
What is included
Registered address
The licensed trustee provides a Liechtenstein address with street and house number, under its own engagement and due diligence.
Repräsentant under PGR Art. 239
A resident EEA national acts towards the authorities, as the PGR requires, with an authorisation limited to the acts you choose.
Zustelladresse, where the Government agrees
With the Government's consent, a domestic delivery address can replace the Repräsentant. We prepare the request.
Mail handling
Who reads authority letters and how they reach you is set in the trustee's engagement letter.
Contact person before IP authorities
For protecting a brand in Liechtenstein and abroad, the Markenschutzgesetz (MSchG) sets who must act for a foreign party.
Register changes
A new address or Repräsentant is a register change: we prepare, the licensed trustee or a notary files.
Four terms, side by side
Seat, address, delivery address and Repräsentant
Four terms of a registered office in Liechtenstein, as the PGR and the HRV set them
| term | what the rule says | what it changes in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Seat (Sitz) | Unless the statutes say otherwise, the place of the centre of the entity's administrative activity | A transfer of the seat within the country is applied for at the commercial register and has its own charge |
| Business address in the entry | In the cases the law names, the entry carries the business premises or the office of management, with street and house number (HRV Art. 52) | No source we read says whether a mail-forwarding address alone meets this, so we promise nothing |
| Zustelladresse | Entered with street, house number and the details needed for ordinary service; mail delivered to it counts as validly served | Undeliverable mail is a dissolution ground; it replaces the Repräsentant only with the Government's consent |
| Repräsentant | Domestic legal entities, registered Treuunternehmen and branches of foreign legal entities appoint an EEA national permanently resident in Liechtenstein (PGR Art. 239); authorised towards courts and authorities by law | Binds the entity beyond that only if authorised; the office alone does not sign contracts or open bank accounts |
Sources: PGR Art. 113, 239-241; Commercial Register Ordinance (HRV) Art. 52.
When an entity needs a registered office and Repräsentant
A domestic legal entity
It appoints a resident EEA-national Repräsentant, unless the Government accepts a domestic delivery address instead.
A registered Treuunternehmen
A registered trust enterprise falls under the same duty: a Repräsentant who is an EEA national resident in Liechtenstein.
A branch of a foreign legal entity
The branch appoints a Repräsentant; a foreign entity not yet registered here files with an extract from its home register.
A foreign-seated taxpayer or VAT payer
For registering for VAT with the Liechtenstein tax administration, the VAT Act (MWSTG) asks for a local representative; under the Tax Act (SteG) the tax office may ask too.
How the process works
No authority publishes a processing time for these steps, so we quote none.
Steps to a registered office and Repräsentant
Identify the arrangement
VCS prepares. The Government or its office decides on a release
Who acts: Client, licensed trustee
Engagement and AML onboarding
Who acts: Licensed trustee
Appoint the Repräsentant
Who acts: Client and trustee
Register entry
Fee CHF 30. Applicant may be called in person in an individual case
Who acts: Licensed partner or notary files; Office of Justice enters
Mail arrangement
Who acts: Trustee and client
Changes
Who acts: Licensed partner or notary files
Keeping the entry alive
Who acts: Trustee and client
Related mandates
Each under its own engagement
Identify the arrangement
You and the licensed trustee choose a Repräsentant, a delivery address or other representation; the Government or its office decides any release.
Engagement and AML onboarding
The licensed trustee providing the address runs its due diligence. We collect the identity and company documents.
Appoint the Repräsentant
You sign an authorisation limited to the acts you want. Beyond the authorities, the Repräsentant binds the entity only within it.
Register entry
The persons obliged sign; the licensed partner, a notary or the Repräsentanz files. The Office of Justice may call an applicant in person in an individual case. A new AG appoints its Repräsentant in the formation deed.
Mail arrangement
The engagement letter sets who reads authority letters and how fast. We found no statute that sets these conditions; the trustee's AML duties still apply.
Changes
A new Repräsentant or address is a register change, much like how a change of director in a Liechtenstein company is registered. We prepare the documents.
Keeping the entry alive
A lapsed Repräsentant or delivery address starts the ex officio procedure. For a missing Repräsentant, the demand gives at least two months.
Related mandates
VAT representative, tax representative, qualified board member and trademark address for service: each under its own engagement.
Ready to set up the address?
A Repräsentant or a delivery address: which fits your entity? Send us the structure; we prepare the plan.
Documents you supply and register fees
- Identity documents of the beneficial owner
- Company documents for the trustee's AML onboarding
- The signed engagement letter with the licensed trustee
- An authorisation for the Repräsentant, limited to the intended acts
- Signatures on the register application letter
- Readiness to attend in person if the Office of Justice calls
- For a foreign entity: an extract from its home register
The engagement letter lists the documents; the due diligence duties start at SPG Art. 5.
Official register charges
Official register charges, GbHr-GebV version 1 August 2024 (our fees and the trustee's are on request)
| act | official charge |
|---|---|
| Entry of a Repräsentant, Zustelladresse or further address | CHF 30 |
| Change or deletion of the same | CHF 30 |
| Transfer of the seat within the country, including entry of the new address | CHF 100 |
| Moving a domestic legal entity abroad | CHF 600 |
| Seat transfer from abroad | charged as a new registration; no separate figure |
Source: Commercial Register Fees Ordinance (GbHr-GebV), Annex 2.
Practical problems we answer plainly
Is a virtual address enough?
In the cases the law names, the register asks for business premises or the office of management. No source we read says a forwarding address alone passes.
An address without substance
A seat or place of effective management here means tax on the entire income. For advice on the taxation of a Liechtenstein structure, the licensed partner assesses your case.
A missed letter
Mail delivered to the registered delivery address counts as served; undeliverable mail is a ground for dissolution.
Why not any provider
Providing a seat or address for third parties is an activity under the Due Diligence Act (SPG). A new provider needs the trustee licence.
Registered address or board member
A Repräsentant does not satisfy PGR Art. 180a. The qualified board member is a separate mandate: see our nominee mandates service.
Lapse and dissolution
A lapsed address can end in dissolution and our liquidation service. Planning a move? See merging or converting a Liechtenstein entity.
How a lapse turns into dissolution
Question: Ground for an ex officio demand
Any one of four grounds
Condition: Business stopped and organs gone
Outcome: Ex officio demand by the Office of Justice
Condition: No Repräsentant and no delivery address
Outcome: Ex officio demand by the Office of Justice
Condition: Mail to the registered delivery address undeliverable
Outcome: Ex officio demand by the Office of Justice
Condition: Conditions of the qualified board member no longer met
Outcome: Ex officio demand by the Office of Justice
At least two months once the demand is sent. Where there is no delivery address and no Repräsentant, or no organs are left, the demand is published once in the official gazette. Ends in dissolution and liquidation ordered by the authority.
Start with a plan
Every registered office file starts with a plan of who provides what.
Why work with us
Laura Hofstetter prepares registered office files with the licensed trustee who provides the address. Laura is not a Rechtsanwalt, not a licensed trustee and not an Art. 180a mandate holder; the licensed trustee named in your engagement letter provides the address.
Frequently asked questions about a registered office in Liechtenstein
Is a virtual office address enough to satisfy the Liechtenstein registered office requirement?
In the cases the law names, the register entry carries the business premises or the office of management, with street and house number. The seat is the centre of the entity's administrative activity unless the statutes say otherwise. No source we read says whether a mail-forwarding address alone meets this, so we do not promise that it does.
Will the tax office treat a company with only an address as having no substance?
A legal person with its seat or place of effective management in Liechtenstein is taxed on its entire income. No source we read says whether an address alone creates a seat. We state the criterion; the licensed tax adviser named in your engagement letter assesses what it means for your company.
Who is liable if the Repräsentant misses a deadline or a letter?
Mail delivered to the registered delivery address counts as validly served, and mail that cannot be delivered there is a ground for dissolution. The Repräsentant is liable to the entity for damage it culpably causes through its activity, like an agent (PGR Art. 242(1)). The engagement letter sets who reads letters from the authorities and how fast.
Can the Repräsentant sign contracts or open a bank account for my company?
Only if the entity authorised it. By law the Repräsentant acts towards the courts and authorities and receives service. Beyond those contacts it binds the entity only within the authorisation given. The office alone does not sign contracts or open bank accounts, so the authorisation should list exactly what you want.
Can a Zustelladresse replace a Repräsentant, and who has to agree?
The duty to appoint a Repräsentant can lapse with the consent of the Government, where other representation is sufficient or a domestic delivery address is named. The Government may delegate this decision by ordinance to an office, which then decides on its own. Whether it fits your entity is decided case by case.
What happens if the address provider stops working or the mail cannot be delivered?
A missing Repräsentant without a delivery address, and mail that cannot be delivered to the registered delivery address, are separate grounds for dissolution by the authority. For a missing Repräsentant the demand gives at least two months. With no delivery address and no Repräsentant, or no organs left, the demand is published once in the official gazette.
Does a foreign company with a Liechtenstein branch need a Repräsentant?
Yes. Branches of foreign legal entities must appoint an EEA national permanently resident in Liechtenstein as Repräsentant. A foreign entity not yet entered in the domestic register files its Repräsentant or delivery address together with an extract from the foreign register. We collect that extract and prepare the filing for the licensed partner.
Is a registered address the same as a qualified board member?
No, these are two different mandates. The Repräsentant is a resident EEA national acting towards the authorities. The qualified board member under PGR Art. 180a holds a Trustee Act licence, or a licence under the Art. 180a supervision act treated as equal, and manages and represents the company. If the Art. 180a conditions lapse, dissolution by the authority follows.
Why can an unlicensed firm not simply provide the address?
Providing a seat, business, postal or administrative address for third parties is an activity under the Due Diligence Act. Providers under an old trade licence continue only until it lapses, so a new provider needs the trustee licence. A licensed Liechtenstein trustee therefore provides the address; we prepare the file and coordinate.
Do I need a separate representative for VAT?
Yes, if the company is a taxable person with no domicile or business seat in Liechtenstein. It must appoint a representative who has one there. This is a separate mandate under its own engagement, handled by the licensed partner. Our VAT registration page covers the notice and the representative in detail.
What does the register charge for entering, changing or moving the address?
The register charges CHF 30 to enter a Repräsentant, delivery address or further address, and CHF 30 to change or delete one. A seat transfer within the country, including the new address, costs CHF 100, and moving a domestic legal entity abroad CHF 600. A seat from abroad is charged as a new registration.
How do I change the Repräsentant or the address later?
A new Repräsentant or a new address is a register change. The persons obliged sign the application letter, and the licensed partner, a notary or the Repräsentanz files it; the register charges CHF 30. A transfer of the seat within the country must also be applied for at the commercial register.
Do I have to appear in person when the details are filed electronically?
Normally not. The application letter is signed and filed with the supporting documents. For an electronic application, the Office of Justice may require physical presence only in an individual case, where it suspects missing legal or business capacity, missing authority to represent, or identity abuse or forgery. Be ready to attend if called.
Who is the official contact person in trademark and patent matters?
It depends on the party. In trademark proceedings, parties from an EEA state or Switzerland need a domestic address for service, and others act through a Liechtenstein lawyer or patent attorney. Patent attorneys are licensed for IP representation, and lawyers may also act. The licensed partner is named in the engagement letter.
Request a registered office plan
Tell us about the entity; we prepare the plan for the licensed trustee.
+423 210 0003 (Legal department) · Monday to Friday 10:00-18:00 · Rietstrasse 42, 9490 Vaduz · info@company-in-liechtenstein.com