Table of contents:
| Legal consultations | Language services |
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| Domiciliation | Glossary |
Our services
Boundless Consultancy offers a range of services above and beyond legal advice. Our aim is to make all your procedures as hassle-free as possible by providing everything you might need in one place.
Legal consultations
Need more detailed information about your rights and obligations in your specific situation? Contact us to arrange a free 45-minute consultation or book online directly, letting us know briefly what you need help with so that we can select the best adviser for you. This first consultation comes with no strings attached and no obligations – it will allow us to give you basic advice and ascertain whether we can help you going forward. We believe in honesty and transparency: if we know that we can’t solve your problem, we will tell you this upfront. If you do choose to pursue the matter, any consultations or time we spend on your case beyond this first consultation will be charged at a fixed rate, unless you buy an annual subscription (see below).
Great news if you’re applying for asylum in Switzerland or have already been granted refugee status – we will give you all the consultations you need, completely free of charge.
Language services
We know that not speaking the local language represents a major obstacle for many migrants trying to complete legal procedures or access benefits, which is why we offer translation, editing and drafting services. Our qualified and experienced native English translator is on hand should you need any documents, letters or forms translating from or into French or Italian – just contact us to let us know what you need. Moreover, our legal advisers speak a range of languages and will be happy to help you understand any documents not available in your language or to draft documents in an official Swiss language.
Note that for some legal procedures, translations of official documents such as birth or marriage certificates must be performed and certified by a sworn translator approved by the authorities – find one here or check the website of your canton.
Domiciliation
Small businesses who would like a business address without the expense of renting an office have the option of paying a small domiciliation fee to register their company at one of our addresses. We will receive and forward all mail that the business receives and may be able to offer other specific services on request – contact us for more information.
Glossary
Here you can find explanations and translations of some terms that come up often in Swiss administrative procedures. Where applicable, we provide the terms in French and German for information.
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English |
French |
German |
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Obligatory insurance covering medical expenses relating to work-related illnesses and any accidents, whether work-related or not. |
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Switzerland’s agreement with the EU granting citizens of EU and EFTA countries access to live and work in Switzerland, and vice versa. |
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| Civil registry office. |
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Semi-autonomous region of Switzerland; the largest administrative division. Each canton is divided into communes/municipalities. |
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| Cantonal population/migration office. |
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The lowest administrative division in the three-tier Swiss system (Confederation – Canton – Commune). This term can also be used refer to the entity (local authority) rather than the geographical area. |
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The default matrimonial property regime, where each spouse owns their personal property and assets acquired before marriage, while assets earned during the marriage and shared. |
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Someone who works in Switzerland but lives in a neighbouring country. |
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Social welfare benefits paid to all parents, including child benefit and, in some cantons, birth and adoptions allowances. |
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| Federal act on compensation for loss of earnings in the event of service, maternity or paternity. |
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| Federal act on disability insurance. |
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Bundesgesetz über die Invalidenversicherung (
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| Federal act on insurance against accidents. |
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| Federal act on supplementary benefits. |
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The law governing contracts. |
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| Federal act on unemployment insurance. |
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| Federal act on vested benefits. |
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| Federal act on workplace pensions. |
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The highest power for administrative matters, such as appeals against decisions on visas and permits. |
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The seven-member council that functions as Switzerland’s head of state. The presidency rotates between the members on an annual basis, but the president has no more power than the other members; he or she is merely the member who represents the Federal Council in an international context. |
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| Federal family allowance act. |
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| Federal health insurance act.
The term is also often used to refer to the obligatory minimum insurance itself (in contrast to complementary insurance) rather than to the actual law. |
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| Federal labour code. |
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| Federal state pension act. |
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A type of company formed of two or more individuals who bear full liability. |
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A matrimonial property regime whereby all assets are shared except items strictly considered personal property by law. |
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The document granted to the staff of international organisations and their families in place of a residence permit. |
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| Loss-of-earnings compensation for people performing national service. |
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Erwerbsersatzordnung (EO) |
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In some cases, this means strictly a non-EU country; however, in the Swiss context, EFTA countries are usually subject to the same agreements as EU countries. |
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Obligatory state pension. The acronym AVS/AHV may be used to refer to the contributions or the pension received, as well as to the first-pillar system in general. |
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The office responsible for supporting job seekers. |
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Obligatory workplace pension, to which both the employer and the employee make monthly contributions. |
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A matrimonial property regime whereby each spouse retains complete ownership of all their existing assets and those earned during the marraige. |
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The company of a single, self-employed person working alone. |
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Einzelunternehmen |
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Additional benefits provided on top of AVS and AI payments to cover living costs, as provided for by the LPC/ELG. |
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The first type of optional private pension, contributions to which are tax-deductible and which can be used against a mortgage. |
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The second type of optional private pension, which is more flexible than a 3a pension but doesn’t offer the same tax advantages. |
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