Applying for the correct licence

In many cases, persons intending to form an enterprise in Liechtenstein need a business licence or a business registration. The industries which do not need a business licence, but must submit special formation documents include:

• Financial service industry
• Lawyers, legal agents
• Recruitment / staffing
• Construction industry
• Freight and passenger transport
• Interprets
• Doctors / Health Professions
• Trade in remedies, with raw materials for medicines and with poisons
• Veterinarians / Animal Health Professions
• Peddlers
• Operation of railways
• Mediators
• Conducting money games
• Trade in the production of weapons and ammunition as well as the operation of shooting ranges
  For all other industries, a business licence is mandatory. For additional information on business licences  see here.

Financial services industry

For the formation of an enterprise, financial service providers need a licence issued by the competent authority, the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority (FMA). Banks and investment undertakings must not be formed in any form other than as companies limited by shares or European companies (SE). In certain cases, the FMA can grant exceptions.

The following enterprises are formed via the FMA. The specific requirements are described on the FMA website

Banking Division
Banks and investment firms
Payment institutions
Electronic money institutions

Insurance and Pension Funds Division
Insurance undertakings
Insurance intermediaries
Pension schemes
Pension funds

Securities and Markets Division
Management companies and funds under the IUA
Management companies and UCITS under the UCITS Act
Asset management companies
Alternative investment fund managers under the AIFM Act

Other Financial Intermediaries Division
Trustees and trust companies
Auditors and auditing companies
Persons according to 180a Act
Patent lawyers and patent law firms
Persons subject to due diligence according to Art. 3, (3) DDA

Providers of private job placement services / providers of temporary employment services

If the activity as a provider of private job placement services or as a provider of temporary employment services is carried out on a self-employed basis, a licence will be required. The licence will be granted by the Office of Economic Affairs. The application must be filed together with the following documents.

• Lease or evidence of title including a floor plan
• Passport copy
• Up-to-date original extract from the judicial records, not older than three months
• Up-to-date original extract from the register of pledges covering the period of the past three years, not older than three months
• Up-to-date original certificate of residence, not older than three months (if the place of residence is abroad)
• Copy of the identity document for foreign nationals (in case of foreign nationality and place of residence in Liechtenstein)
• Proof of sufficient professional qualifications
• Proof of the lodging of a deposit (only applicable to temporary employment services)
• Proof of the actual and managerial position of the responsible person in the company (e.g. in the form of an employment contract)

Construction industry

The application for a licence to carry out a profession governed by the Act on Construction Professions (for a company resident and active in Liechtenstein) must be filed with the Office of Economic Affairs. The following professions are deemed construction professions:

• Architects
• Civil engineers
• Site managers
• Building physicists
• Fire protection experts, fire protection consultants
• Electrical engineers
• Electricians
• Energy consultants
• Façade and metal construction engineers
• Geologists
• Geomatic engineers
• Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and sanitary engineers
• Heating technicians
• Landscape architects
• Lighting designers
• Ventilation and air conditioning technicians
• Development planners
• Sanitary technicians
• Environmental engineers
• Surveyors

The following documents must be filed together with the completed application for a licence for the profession concerned:

• Proof of professional qualifications: Diplomas and job references 
• Passport copy of the sole proprietor or of the managing director/general manager/general manager of the legal entity
• Up-to-date original judicial records certificate of the sole proprietor or of the managing director/general manager of the legal entity, not older than three months 
• Up-to-date confirmation that there is no pledge against the sole proprietor or managing director/general manager of the legal entity covering the period of the past three years (original, not older than three months)
• If the applicant is a legal entity: Employment contract between the legal entity and the managing director/general manager with indication of the level of employment 
• If the applicant is a legal entity and already existed (no new formation): Up-to-date confirmation that there is no pledge, covering the period of the past three years (original, not older than three months)
• If the applicant is a legal entity: Up-to-date extract from the commercial register, not older than three months
• Copy of the identity document for foreign nationals, if the sole proprietor or the managing director/general manager of the legal entity holds a foreign nationality and has his/her place of residence in Liechtenstein: 
• Up-to-date certificate of residence (original, not older than three months), if the sole proprietor or managing director/general manager of the legal entity has his/her place of residence outside of Liechtenstein
• Proof of the existence of a third-party liability insurance with a minimum coverage of 1.5 million francs
• Proof of a domestic permanent establishment: Lease or evidence of title (e.g. extract from the land register) with floor plan
• All documents must be filed in German, and any diplomas, certificates of abilities and proofs of employment worded in a foreign language (if any) must be translated and officially certified
• If a licence for an additional profession is applied for, no evidence regarding the permanent establishment or the business liability insurance will be necessary

Freight and passenger transport

Any enterprise that intends to carry out transports of goods or passengers on a commercial basis needs a transport operator licence issued by the Office of Economic Affairs.

The following proofs of the holder of the licence or the managing director/general manager must be included in the application:

• Persons with place of residence in Liechtenstein: Copy of the identity card or passport copy, an extract from the judicial records and an extract from the debt collection register
• Foreign persons with place of residence in Liechtenstein: In addition, a copy of the identity document for foreign nationals issued by the Principality of Liechtenstein must be included
• Persons with place of residence outside of Liechtenstein: Copy of the identity card or passport copy, extract from the judicial records, extract from the debt collection register and certificate of residence of the place of residence, Certificate on the completed professional examination “Transport” of the managing director/general manager 
• Evidence of lease, purchase or title for the parts of the permanent establishment
• Location plan (at a scale of 1:200 or 1:500) of the permanent establishment with forecourt and/or parking area

Interpreter’s licence

The Office of Economic Affairs is competent for granting the licence. In order to be admitted, the person concerned must be able to speak and write the German language and the foreign language concerned.
 

• Proof of professional training
• Proof of professional experience
• Passport photograph
• An extract from the register of judicial records and from the register of pledges (original, not older than three months)
• Copy of the passport

Veterinarians and veterinary health professionals

Any person intending to work as a veterinarian, as an alternative animal health practitioner, as an animal physiotherapist or as an animal homeopath needs a licence issued by the Food and Veterinary Office.
 

A veterinarian with place of business in Liechtenstein must include the following proofs in his/her application for a veterinarian’s licence:

• A passport copy
• Evidence of professional competence by providing proof of professional training
• Extract from the judicial records
• Evidence of the fulfilment of the health requirements by means of a medical certificate
• Certificate issued by an insurance undertaking on the taking out of a business liability insurance (coverage of at least 3 million francs, or of 5 million francs for specialised veterinarians)
• Proof of suitable premises and facilities by means of map copies and extract from the land register or lease (where applicable, designation of the employer if the activity is not carried out on a self-employed basis).

The application for a licence as alternative animal health practitioner, as animal physiotherapist or as animal homeopath must include the following proofs:

• A passport copy
• Professional competence by providing proof of professional training
• Extract from the judicial records
• Evidence of the fulfilment of the health requirement by means of a medical certificate
• Evidence of the taking out of a business liability insurance by means of a certificate issued by an insurance undertaking (coverage of at least 3 million francs)
• In order to provide evidence of professional competence, the applicant must have had professional training of a high quality which is recognised by the Food and Veterinary Office
• Passing of an exam carried out or recognised as equivalent by the Food and Veterinary Office in the following areas: diagnosis of animal diseases and legislation relating to animal diseases, medicines and animal protection.

Health professionals

Any person intending to exercise a health profession on a self-employed basis needs a licence issued by the Office of Public Health. Health professions include:

• Pharmacists
• Physicians
• Opticians
• Chiropractors
• Dental hygienists
• Druggists
• Occupational therapists
• Dieticians
• Midwives
• Laboratory diagnosticians
• Speech therapists
• Medical masseurs
• Naturopaths
• Osteopaths
• Qualified nursing professionals
• Physiotherapists
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Dentists
• Medical associations
• Health profession associations

In addition to the provision of evidence of professional qualifications, additional requirements must be met or further evidence (e.g. a third-party liability insurance in a specific amount) must be provided, depending on the relevant profession.

Peddlers

Any person intending to trade in goods from door to door needs a licence issued by the Office of Economic Affairs Application form file the following documents.

• Identity card or passport copy (the document must be valid)
• Valid identity document for the itinerant trade
• Extract from the judicial records (original, not older than three months)
• Up-to-date evidence of residence (not older than one year)
• Up-to-date extract from the commercial register (certified copy, not older than three months), if the applicant does not engage in an activity on a self-employed basis

Statutory basis (German only)