The UID register kept by the FSO is a central database used exclusively to identify enterprises. The data it contains are limited to the minimum necessary for identification.
All enterprises active in Switzerland are included in the UID register. Information on the enterprises can be accessed by the administration (UID services), by the enterprise itself and, to some extent, by the public.
The data contained in the UID register are divided into core and additional properties. Different access rights exist for these two categories. The core propertiescan be accessed by the public, the additional ones only by the administration.
An enterprise’s core properties consist of the name and address as well as information on whether the enterprise is registered in the commercial register or the VAT register. An additional name (e.g. a job title), which the enterprise itself can make known, is also considered to be a core property.
The core properties of enterprises that are registered in a public register (e.g. the commercial register) can always be accessed by the public in the UID register. Enterprises that are not registered in a public register can publish their core properties themselves.
Additional properties are used to identify UID entities more accurately. They provide information on the enterprises economic activity (NOGA code), the legal form and the language of correspondence. They also make it possible to register an alternative address. Only the administration has access to them.
The UID team compiles a newsletter for interested administrative units and enterprises.
The UID newsletter containing general information and the latest UID news is sent once or twice a year by email. You can subscribe to the newsletter in German, French or Italian here: FSO-Newsmail: "Unique Identification Number for businesses (UID)".
The technical UID newsletter is sent when adaptations and improvements are made to the UID application (in relation to new versions). It also provides information on any problems in the system and debugging. To receive the technical newsletter in German or French, please send an email to: uid-newsletter@bfs.admin.ch.
Please note that UID documentation is only available in German (DE), French (FR) and Italian (IT).
The following document is available:
From Monday to Friday
08.30–11.30 and 14.00–16.00
