Swiss UID Number: What It Is, When You Get One, and When to Use It

Quick answer

The Swiss UID number is the enterprise identification number used by public authorities to identify businesses in Switzerland. It starts with CHE and is followed by nine digits.

For freelancers and sole proprietors, the practical questions are usually these:

• Do I get one automatically? Usually once your business is recorded by a Swiss authority connected to the UID register.
• Is it the same as the VAT number? Not exactly. Your VAT number is your UID plus the suffix MWST, TVA, or IVA.
• Do I need it on every invoice? Only if you are VAT registered. If you are not subject to VAT, you generally should not add a VAT suffix.

This guide explains the difference in plain language.

Why the UID exists

Swiss authorities introduced the UID to reduce the number of different identifiers used across administration. According to the Swiss SME portal, every company active in Switzerland has been assigned a UID since January 2011, and since January 1, 2014 the UID has also been the identifier used for the Trade Register and for VAT.

That sounds abstract, but the benefit is simple: instead of juggling separate reference numbers for different offices, a business can be identified with one core number.

UID vs VAT number: the distinction that trips people up

This is where many freelancers make mistakes.

The UID is your enterprise identifier.

Your Swiss VAT number is the UID with a suffix:

• CHE-123.456.789 MWST
• CHE-123.456.789 TVA
• CHE-123.456.789 IVA

The Swiss Federal Tax Administration is explicit here: the English suffix VAT is not allowed as the official Swiss VAT suffix on invoices. In practice, the UID and VAT number look almost identical, which is why people often use the terms loosely. But when you prepare invoices or tax forms, the distinction matters.

Also important: Swiss UID is not the same as an EU VAT ID

Swiss official guidance also notes that the Swiss UID and the EU VAT identification number are different systems. If you work with EU clients, do not assume that a Swiss UID automatically works like an EU VAT ID.

A detail many freelancers miss

The Swiss SME portal states that sole proprietorships without a Trade Register entry are still published in the UID register. In those cases, the business name is generally shown as the self-employed person's first name and surname. A fantasy or brand name may appear only as an additional name.

That matters if you:

• invoice under a brand-style business name,
• want customers to find you in the register,
• or expect the UID register name to mirror your website or logo.

If you are a solo freelancer, the official register may look more personal and less branded than you expected.

How to check a UID number

You can verify a Swiss UID in the official UID register. This is useful when:

• checking your own published details,
• confirming a supplier or client,
• verifying whether a business is VAT registered,
• or making sure the legal name matches the entity you are invoicing.

For freelancers, this is also a simple way to catch small but annoying mistakes before they show up on invoices or contracts.

If you are not VAT registered

You may still have a UID, but that does not automatically mean you should present yourself as VAT registered.

In practice, a freelancer below the Swiss VAT threshold should focus on clean invoice basics:

• legal name or business name used correctly,
• address,
• invoice date,
• invoice number,
• clear description of services,
• amount due,
• payment terms.

If you are unsure whether a VAT suffix belongs on your invoice, check your VAT status first rather than copying what a larger company does.

If you are VAT registered

Then the invoice should use the VAT number format based on your UID, with MWST, TVA, or IVA as suffix.

This is the version that matters for Swiss VAT compliance.

Practical rule

Think of it like this:

• UID = who your business is
• VAT number = how your business appears for Swiss VAT purposes

They are related, but they are not interchangeable in every context.