What is the Difference Between Swiss Nominee Director and Resident Director?

A Swiss Resident Director is a company director who is officially registered with the Swiss Commercial Register and resides in Switzerland, as required by Swiss law. Every Swiss company must have at least one resident director with signatory authority to ensure compliance with local regulations and to represent the company legally.

A Swiss Nominee Director, on the other hand, is a third-party individual appointed to fulfill this legal residency requirement without being actively involved in the company’s daily operations. Nominee directors are often provided by corporate service firms to help foreign entrepreneurs meet the residency criteria while retaining full control of their business.

In short, the resident director is a legal necessity tied to residency, while the nominee director is a service-based solution that allows international business owners to establish a Swiss company without relocating themselves.