Is it possible to reserve a business name temporarily, while the paperwork is being completed by the notaire etc? If so, how and (most importantly) for how long (how many days) is the name reserved?

Many thanks for any help and guidance.

I am not sure there is a way to do that in Switzerland. You should check with the "registre du commerce cantonal" or "kantonalen Handelsregisteramt".

http://www.kmu.admin.ch/themen/00614...x.html?lang=fr

According to this:

http://www.vd.ch/fr/themes/economie/...ns-frequentes/

It is not possible to reserve a name.

Why do you want to do that? Sounds shifty to me. I hope it's not legal to use that name while it is temporarily reserved?

Thanks for the insult. The "why" was clearly stated in the OP: to reserve the name so that someone else doesn't take it first, while the paperwork is processed. That isn't necessary in a jurisdiction where a company can be formed in an hour (e.g. the US), but when the paperwork takes days or weeks, it seems to be a good idea.

If you haven't donme so already, register the name as a domain name under .ch .com etc ASAP.
That is done in minutes and you have some hold on some 'real estate' to do with a name and lower the chances of someone coming up with it also as would think that would be a first step by others to check the name online etc.

Have you checked the name isn't in use - there's a business names index:
http://zefix.admin.ch/zfx-cgi/hrform...th=366&amt=007

Thank you Glendyn; excellent advice on the domain name (and I have registered it in as a ".ch" and a ".com" name), and thanks for the Zefix link.

My experience is this:

1. Checked company names and domains
2. Reserved the domains
3. Had all founding documents notarized
4. The Company Registrar refused registration because someone else had meanwhile registered a somewhat similar name.

That happened because minor differences in domain names are unique, e.g. BestCo.com is not BestKo.com. But the Company Registrar refuses BestCo when there is already a BestKo somewhere in CH.

When researching pre-existence in zefix, remember to also search for sound-alikes.