🇨🇭How to verify a supplier in Switzerland
To verify a supplier in Switzerland, look the company up for free in the official Zefix (central business name index) + cantonal commercial registers and confirm it is registered and currently active. The registry returns registered name, UID, registered seat, legal form, and a link to the cantonal register with purpose and signatories.
The official registry
- Registry
- Zefix (central business name index) + cantonal commercial registers
- Company ID
- UID (CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx)
- Cost
- Free basic lookup
- Active status
- The cantonal register shows whether the entity is active or in liquidation; the UID can be checked in the federal UID register (uid.admin.ch).
- Switzerland is outside the EU, so there is no VIES check; the UID register is the equivalent official confirmation.
Verify it in four steps
1. Open the Zefix (central business name index) + cantonal commercial registers
Zefix (central business name index) + cantonal commercial registers is the official government record of companies in Switzerland. Basic name or number search is free.
2. Search the exact legal name or ID
Search the supplier's registered name or its UID (CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx). If the name does not match cleanly, treat it as a red flag, it may be a trade name, a different entity, or wrong.
3. Confirm it is active, not struck off
The cantonal register shows whether the entity is active or in liquidation; the UID can be checked in the federal UID register (uid.admin.ch).
4. Check it makes what it sells
A real factory carries a manufacturing activity code and a consistent trade history; a middleman reselling everything is the most common mismatch.
This is a factual pointer to public records, not legal advice. For the full method, see the 7 checks that separate a real supplier from a scam.
We do this check for you
On every Switzerland company we list, we show what the open record says, each linked to its free public source so you can re-check it yourself, no paid badge. And we go past the big directories to the local and craft makers who are too small for them but real, then verify and sort them, so you find genuine Switzerland suppliers, not just the loudest.
Questions
Is checking a Switzerland supplier free?
Yes. A basic name or number lookup in the Zefix (central business name index) + cantonal commercial registers is free. Some full official extracts are paid, but confirming a company exists and is active costs nothing.
What ID does a Switzerland company have?
Its UID (CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx). Ask the supplier for it, then confirm it in the Zefix (central business name index) + cantonal commercial registers and check the registered name matches.
How do I know a Switzerland supplier is a real manufacturer, not a reseller?
The registry's activity code is the tell: a manufacturing code means a real maker, a wholesale or retail code means a trader. Switzerland is outside the EU, so there is no VIES check; the UID register is the equivalent official confirmation.