SECO & Special Permits

Some Swiss activities need a permit beyond the commercial-register entry, and staff leasing is the common one. Hiring out workers (Personalverleih) or running a private placement agency requires a licence under the Recruitment and Hiring of Services Act (AVG): the cantonal labour office grants it, and SECO adds a federal licence wherever the activity crosses the border. The licence carries conditions, including a qualified responsible person, a clean commercial-register entry, and for cross-border work a security deposit.

These permits sit where company formation meets regulated activity, and they are easy to overlook until a client contract depends on one. The guides here set out who needs a staff-leasing or placement licence, the cantonal-and-federal split, and the deposits and conditions each approval carries.