The register was established under the Federal Act on the Transparency of Legal Entities and the Identification of Beneficial Owners (Bundesgesetz über die Transparenz juristischer Personen und die Identifikation der wirtschaftlich berechtigten Personen), which entered into force on 1 October 2026.

The register contains information on individuals who ultimately control Swiss legal entities, as well as foreign entities with certain links to Switzerland. Such control may be exercised, in particular, through ownership interests or voting rights.

Legal entities subject to the Act are required to register and subsequently report changes concerning their beneficial owners. Transitional periods ranging from one month to two years, depending on the category of entity, have been established for initial registration.

Registration is free of charge and is carried out electronically through the government's EasyGov platform. Before its launch, the system underwent several stages of testing involving approximately 2,500 companies that voluntarily provided information about their beneficial owners.

The register is maintained by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice. A dedicated unit within the Federal Department of Finance is responsible for verifying the accuracy, completeness and currency of the information it contains. The register is not publicly accessible: access is provided for designated public authorities, financial intermediaries and advisers in connection with their anti-money laundering obligations.

Alongside the launch of the register, amendments to the Federal Act on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Bundesgesetz über die Bekämpfung der Geldwäscherei und der Terrorismusfinanzierung) entered into force. These amendments extended customer due diligence requirements and other anti-money laundering obligations to certain high-risk advisory services, including those related to real estate transactions, the establishment of legal entities and the organization of their activities.