Liechtenstein
Inside the EEA and in a customs union with Switzerland
Liechtenstein is a member of the European Economic Area, so free movement of goods, services, people and capital and most internal-market law apply — but it is not an EU member and not in the Union's customs union. Instead it forms a customs and monetary territory with Switzerland: the Swiss franc is the currency and Swiss customs administers clearance. Income tax is low and the service-provider network dense, but compliance is as strict as in any financial centre.
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Setting up a company
Setting up a company and tax are the part of the profile you cannot assemble elsewhere in an afternoon. The rest of the page is open.
- ·Legal forms
- ·Minimum capital
- ·Director and residence
- ·How long registration takes
- ·What to watch for
Taxes
Setting up a company and tax are the part of the profile you cannot assemble elsewhere in an afternoon. The rest of the page is open.
- ·Corporate income tax
- ·VAT
- ·Double taxation treaty
What it makes and needs
Precision engineering, dental technology, construction tools and specialised industrial components.
Given the size of the market, the country is of interest as a seat for a structure and as a way into Switzerland rather than as an outlet in itself.
Money and payments
A monetary union with Switzerland; the franc is freely convertible and unrestricted.
Importing into their market
A customs union with Switzerland: goods from the EU clear through Swiss customs, even though EEA law governs product rules.
As an EEA member it applies harmonised European rules, so CE marking is valid.
Bringing their goods into the EU
As part of the EEA it enjoys free movement of goods with the Union; customs formalities nevertheless exist because of the customs union with Switzerland, and Swiss administration handles them.
Practical matters
German is the official language; English is common in the financial sector.
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A visa, legalising a document, an invitation letter, the commercial attaché before a trade fair — these only go through a mission. Below are the official registers rather than transcribed addresses: missions move and consular hours change several times a year, so a link to the register stays current where a transcript would not.
Where a country has no mission in Bratislava or Prague it is usually accredited from Vienna, Berlin or Warsaw — the register says which.
Every figure names the authority that published it and the date the line was last worked on. This is not legal or tax advice — verify a figure with the named source before you act on it.