Switzerland and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Switzerland since 11 March 1973
- Issued by
- The cantonal chancellery (Staatskanzlei) of the canton where the notary practises
- Language
- German, often accepted as it is
- Register
- Cantonal Handelsregister (online)
- Tax treaty
- Signed 2010, in force 2011 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- Free trade agreement, 1973
- In the Netherlands
- 685 companies controlled from Switzerland in 2024, 610 in 2021 (+12.3%), about 53,000 jobs, €53 billion turnover, 3.4% of all 19,995 foreign-controlled companies (CBS, 9 October 2026)
- Moving here
- Free movement agreement between Switzerland and the EU
Documents from Switzerland
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Switzerland.
Proof of address in Switzerland, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Swiss notary. In some cantons, a public official acts as notary.
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. The cantonal chancellery (Staatskanzlei) of the canton where the notary practises. The Federal Chancellery in Bern only handles federal documents. The apostille costs 15 to 30 Swiss francs (CHF) per document. It takes 3 to 7 working days, by post or in person. Swiss embassies abroad are unable to issue apostilles.
Good to know. The same rule as for Germany applies to documents in German. Documents from the French and Italian cantons need a sworn translation. The extract shows only the directors of a public company (AG). For its shareholders, add an excerpt from the share register.
If a company from Switzerland becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Cantonal Handelsregister. You can search all cantons through the national company search (Zefix). Order a certified extract from the cantonal register office. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between Switzerland and the EU
The European Union (EU) is Switzerland's main trading partner, and Switzerland is the EU's fourth-biggest. In 2025, trade in goods amounted to over €362 billion, 7% of total EU trade in goods.
In 2025, pharmaceutical and chemical products, machinery and appliances, and pearls, precious stones and metals were among the main goods traded in both directions. EU imports also included optical and photographic instruments, and EU exports included motor vehicles.
Trade in services grew by around 6.2% year-on-year to €273 billion in 2025. The EU's foreign direct investment in Switzerland reached €777 billion in 2024, and Swiss investment in the EU totalled €629 billion.
Trade relations are based on the Free Trade Agreement of 1972 and sectoral agreements of 1999 and 2004. A broad package of new agreements, signed in Brussels on 2 March 2026, will simplify trade in goods such as medical devices and food products once ratified.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Sources: European Commission [1].
Your next step from Switzerland
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