UID / IDE — the business identifier CHE-XXX.XXX.XXX

The UID (Unternehmens-Identifikationsnummer in German) — IDE (numéro d'identification des entreprises in French), IDI in Italian — is the unique identifier of every Swiss economic entity. For the newcomer: it is the Swiss equivalent of the French SIREN or an EU VAT number, in the form CHE-XXX.XXX.XXX. The VAT number is nothing more than this UID with an MWST suffix.

History — the 2011 UID reform

Before 2011, a Swiss company juggled several disjoint numbers: commercial register number, VAT number, statistical number, AHV employer number. The Federal Act on the Business Identification Number (UIDG), in force since 2011, created a single unifying identifier assigned by the FSO.

At the end of the transition period (2014), the VAT number was reformatted: it is no longer a standalone number but the UID with an MWST/TVA/IVA suffix. This unification greatly simplified B2G exchanges, e-invoicing and PEPPOL identification.

Before 2011 | A Swiss company carried several disjoint numbers: commercial
           | register number (HR/RC), VAT number, statistical number, AHV
           | employer number. No single unifying identifier.
           |
2011       | The Federal Act on the Business Identification Number (UIDG)
           | enters force. The FSO assigns each entity a unique UID/IDE:
           | CHE-XXX.XXX.XXX.
           |
2014       | End of the transition period: the UID/IDE becomes the reference
           | identifier. The VAT number is reformatted as UID + MWST/TVA/IVA
           | suffix.
           |
2016-2020  | The UID/IDE takes hold in federal B2G, e-invoicing, the QR-bill
           | and PEPPOL exchanges (ICD 0183).
           |
2021-2026  | Public UID Register and API: online lookup of the UID, VAT
           | status and commercial-register entry.

Governance — FSO and the UID Register

The Federal Statistical Office (FSO / BFS) assigns and manages the UID via the UID Register (uid.admin.ch), available online and by API. Each relevant administration (FTA/ESTV for VAT, cantonal commercial-register offices, AHV compensation) feeds and consumes the UID in its domain. It is the pivot of Swiss business identity.

Schema — structure and check digit

The UID consists of the country prefix CHE followed by 9 digits, the last being a check digit computed by weighted modulo-11:

Structure of the UID / IDE
==========================

  CHE-123.456.789
  │    │
  │    └─ 9 digits: 8 random digits + 1 check digit
  └────── fixed country prefix "CHE" (Confoederatio Helvetica)

Functional suffixes:
  CHE-123.456.789 MWST   → VAT-registered (German)
  CHE-123.456.789 TVA    → VAT-registered (French)
  CHE-123.456.789 IVA    → VAT-registered (Italian)
  CHE-123.456.789 HR/RC  → entered in the commercial register

Check digit (9th digit = check digit):
  Weights [5,4,3,2,7,6,5,4] over the first 8 digits, sum mod 11;
  result 10 = invalid UID, 11 → 0.

PEPPOL: schemeID = 0183  (CH:UIDB)
  e.g. 0183:CHE123456789

UID vs commercial register vs VAT number

Usage — invoice, PEPPOL, e-gov

• On the invoice: the UID/IDE and the VAT number (UID + MWST) are mandatory elements on the side of a VAT-registered supplier.
• PEPPOL: ICD 0183 (CH:UIDB) to address a Swiss entity in cross-border flows with the EU.
• E-gov: the UID is the pivot of federal and cantonal e-services (EasyGov, returns, public procurement).
• Verification: the UID Register lets you check the validity of a UID and a partner's VAT status.

Common pitfalls

• Confusing UID and VAT number. The UID alone does not prove VAT liability; you need the MWST/TVA/IVA suffix and an active status in the UID Register.
• Wrong PEPPOL format. The PEPPOL EndpointID is written without dots or spaces (0183:CHE123456789), not CHE-123.456.789.
• Ignoring the check digit. A UID whose 9th digit fails the mod-11 sum is invalid — many integrations skip this check.
• Assuming register entry. All entities have a UID, but not all are entered in the commercial register (sole proprietorships below the threshold).

Cross-links

• Switzerland hub — full view
• VAT — VAT no. = UID + MWST
• Federal B2G — use of the UID
• Outside EU / ViDA — PEPPOL ICD 0183
• UID Register (FSO)
• Fedlex — UIDG