UK Certificate of Good Standing for use in Switzerland

11 December 2026

A UK Certificate of Good Standing for use in Switzerland may need an apostille, translation or another presentation step depending on the Swiss canton, bank, registry or adviser receiving it. Confirm the named recipient’s current checklist before ordering.

This Advice Centre guide is practical document information, not legal advice, an immigration opinion, a banking decision or a promise of foreign acceptance. Ask the named recipient for its current written checklist before ordering.

Short answer

A UK Certificate of Good Standing for use in Switzerland may need an apostille, translation or another presentation step depending on the Swiss canton, bank, registry or adviser receiving it. Confirm the named recipient’s current checklist before ordering. The safe approach is to identify the correct company, document, issue date and recipient requirement before paying for certification or delivery.

Start with Swiss recipient

A cantonal authority, bank, notary or fiduciary may ask for different documents and languages. Confirm whether it wants COGS, incorporation, articles, officer evidence or certified extract, plus issue age and apostille format.

What a COGS shows

It supports a UK registered-standing check. It is not proof of Swiss registration, tax residence, solvency, ownership or authority to sign. Separate evidence may be needed for a Swiss branch or regulated activity.

Language requirements

A recipient may prefer German, French or Italian. English may be accepted by a bank but not every authority. Ask whether translation must be sworn, certified or locally recognised, including apostille wording.

UK apostille stage

An eligible UK document can go through FCDO legalisation. Working figures are £45 paper, £35 e-Apostille, £40 Next-Day and £100 Restricted Urgent where eligible. This authenticates a document feature, not substantive acceptance.

Freshness

Ask for an exact age or event-based date. Roughly 90 days is a common habit, not a universal expiry. A name or officer change can make an old certificate unsuitable even if apostilled.

Index the pack

Give company number, legal name, issue date, apostille format, translation and purpose. Avoid calling it a Swiss good-standing certificate; describe the UK document accurately.

Practical checklist

• Use the exact registered company name, number and company type.
• Review the live Companies House record and recent filing history.
• Ask the recipient what the document must prove, how recent it must be and whether it accepts paper or electronic format.
• Confirm apostille, translation, embassy and courier requirements before paying.
• Keep the order confirmation, issued document and legalisation evidence together.
• Index the pack without claiming that a certificate proves ownership, solvency or authority unless it actually does.

Official fees and sources

Check the live GOV.UK guidance on ordering certified copies and certificates from Companies House before ordering. The current working figures for this batch are £22 for a standard Companies House certificate and £65 for a same-day certificate. These are official charges, not an agent’s full service price.

Where legalisation is needed, the live GOV.UK document legalisation guidance lists £45 for a paper apostille, £35 for an e-Apostille, £40 for Next-Day and £100 for Restricted Urgent where the relevant conditions apply. Certification, translation, courier, postage and any later embassy stage can be separate. Do not describe a provider as an FCDO partner unless current official terms expressly support that wording.

Freshness is a recipient rule

There is no universal 90-day legal expiry for every Certificate of Good Standing. About 90 days is a common recipient habit, but a bank, authority or counterparty may specify 30, 60, 180 days or a document issued after a particular filing. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature, seal or status; it does not refresh company information. Check the recipient’s written rule and the live Companies House record before presentation.

Questions to settle before payment

Ask the receiving organisation to confirm the exact document title, the legal entity, the maximum document age and the accepted delivery format. Ask whether it wants an original, a Companies House certified copy, a solicitor-certified copy or an electronic file. If the document will be used outside the UK, ask whether an apostille is enough or whether translation, embassy legalisation or local filing follows. Put the reply in the order file; a short written answer is more useful than an assumption based on a similar transaction.

Also check the practical hand-offs. Who will receive the certificate? Does the bank or authority need the complete pack uploaded in one session? Will it accept a scan for preliminary review and request originals later? Is a courier address different from the registered office? These details affect timing and can prevent a correctly issued document being sent to the wrong place. Keep tracking information and delivery confirmation with the final pack.

Keep the scope clear

A company certificate is one piece of evidence. It should not be described as a guarantee of incorporation history, ownership, financial health, tax compliance, authority to sign or permission to trade unless the document and recipient specifically establish that point. If a reviewer asks a question the certificate cannot answer, add the separate evidence it requests or obtain professional advice. Clear wording protects the client from relying on a document for a purpose it was never designed to meet.

Frequently asked questions

Does Switzerland always need apostille?

No. Confirm with the specific recipient.

Is English always accepted?

No. Requirements vary.

Does COGS prove Swiss tax residence?

No.

Is 90 days Swiss law?

No. It is a common habit.

Can Switzerland use e-Apostille?

Only if recipient and document route accept it.

UKCOGS can help coordinate the relevant document route. See the Certificate of Good Standing service, apostille and legalisation information, order page or request a quote. Service prices and delivery times are separate from official fees, and the receiving organisation makes its own decision.