First launched in 2015, the .swiss internet domain has been made gradually available and may now be acquired by anyone in Switzerland, including private individuals. Conditions have been set to reserve the allocation of domain names to those entitled to them and in order to limit misuse.
When the domain .swiss was launched in 2016, it could only be allocated to businesses in the commercial register that have their registered office and administrative premises in Switzerland; public authorities and other organisations governed by public law; and Swiss associations and foundations.
This restriction has now been removed; private individuals and sole proprietorships not entered in the commercial register, such as lawyers, architects and health therapists, will be able to apply to register a .swiss domain name.
This extension of the use of the domain name was approved by the Federal Council on 2 June last year. The revision of the Ordinance on Internet Domains (OID) to this effect came into force on 1 January 2024.
To obtain the .swiss domain name, applicants must contact an accredited registrar or one of their resellers. Contrary to the established practice for other internet domains, they must meet certain conditions in order to obtain a .swiss domain name. The domain name applied for by a private individual or unregistered business must in principle contain one or more surnames or other names registered in the civil register. Legal entities must also be able to demonstrate an objective connection to the .swiss domain name. For example, the domain name applied for must contain the name of the entity entered in the commercial register or its brandname. In order to limit misuse, certain domain names cannot be allocated in the .swiss domain, or only under certain conditions.
Further detailed information about the .swiss domain, in particular on the conditions and registration procedure, can be found on the websites www.nic.swiss et www.dot.swiss.
Last modification 06.03.2024
