# Swiss official gazettes: where and how legal notices are published _Guide · Updated 2026-10-17_ In Switzerland the same information may appear in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce (SOGC), in a cantonal gazette, or in both. This guide explains who publishes what, which deadlines follow and how to miss nothing. ## In short - The SOGC (FOSC in French, SHAB in German, FUSC in Italian) publishes the commercial register and, together with the cantonal gazette, debt-enforcement and bankruptcy notices. - Each canton has its own gazette: FAO in Geneva, Amtsblatt in Zurich or Bern, Foglio ufficiale in Ticino. Most are available on amtsblattportal.ch. - The publication date is decisive: claims deadlines in bankruptcy (SOGC, art. 35 DEBA), effect of a commercial register entry (art. 936a CO), comments on a building permit (30 days in Geneva, art. 3 LCI). - Between 17 September and 16 October 2026, Publicus recorded more than 47,000 official publications, including more than 8,300 for the canton of Geneva alone. ## The SOGC: the federal gazette The Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce is the Confederation's publication organ for business law. Commercial register entries are published there electronically and take effect upon publication (art. 936a para. 1 CO). Notices under the Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy Act also appear there, at the same time as in the cantonal gazette; publication in the SOGC governs the calculation of deadlines (art. 35 para. 1 DEBA). ## The cantonal official gazettes Each canton publishes its own gazette: the Feuille d'avis officielle (FAO) in Geneva, the Amtsblatt in Zurich, Bern or St. Gallen, the Kantonsblatt in Basel-Stadt or Lucerne, the Foglio ufficiale in Ticino, the Journal officiel in Jura. They carry cantonal notices: building permits, estates, court notices, government decisions, elections, legislation. In Geneva the FAO is published continuously Monday to Friday, except public holidays (art. 2 RFAO). Most other cantons publish on the amtsblattportal.ch platform operated by SECO. ## Who publishes what? - Commercial register: SOGC (art. 936a CO). - Debt enforcement and bankruptcy: SOGC and cantonal gazette (art. 35 DEBA). - Building permits: cantonal gazette, under cantonal law (Geneva art. 3 LCI; Zurich § 314 PBG). - Property transactions: under cantonal law; in Geneva every acquisition is published in the FAO with its price (art. 157 LaCC). - Estates: public calls to heirs (art. 555 CC) and to creditors in an inventory, with a deadline of at least one month from the first publication (art. 582 CC). ## Why the publication date matters Legal deadlines run from the official publication, not from when you learn about it: one month to file a claim in a bankruptcy (art. 232 DEBA), ten days to request the liquidation of a bankruptcy suspended for lack of assets (art. 230 DEBA), 30 days to comment on a building permit application in Geneva (art. 3 LCI). Reading every edition by hand is possible but slow: more than two thousand notices per working day across Switzerland. ## How to monitor the official gazettes - By hand: check fao.ge.ch, amtsblattportal.ch and the SOGC every day and search for the names you care about. - With Publicus: set keywords (person, company or UID number, address, parcel, procedure or permit number) or activate a whole category; every new publication is read and you receive an email alert linking to the official source. - Publicus covers the SOGC and the official gazettes of 24 cantons; Vaud and Thurgau are covered through the SOGC only. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the difference between the SOGC and the FAO? The SOGC is the federal gazette (commercial register, debt enforcement and bankruptcy). The FAO is the official gazette of the canton of Geneva, which also publishes cantonal notices: building permits, property transactions, court notices. ### Where can I find a German-speaking canton's Amtsblatt? Most cantons publish their Amtsblatt on amtsblattportal.ch, the platform operated by SECO. Publicus reads that platform for 23 cantons, and fao.ge.ch for Geneva. ### Is Publicus an official source? No. Publicus is an independent monitoring service. The text published by the authority prevails, and every alert links to it. ## Official sources - [DEBA, art. 35 — Notices in the SOGC and the cantonal gazette](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/11/529_488_529/en) - [CO, art. 936a — Publication of commercial register entries](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/27/317_321_377/en) - [CC, arts. 555 and 582 — Public calls](https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/24/233_245_233/en) - [RFAO (GE), art. 2 — Publication schedule of the Geneva Official Gazette](https://silgeneve.ch/legis/data/rsg_b2_10p01.htm) - [LaCC (GE), art. 157 — Real-estate transactions](https://silgeneve.ch/legis/program/books/rsg/htm/rsg_e1_05.htm) - [LCI (GE), art. 3 — Building permits](https://silgeneve.ch/legis/program/books/rsg/htm/rsg_l5_05.htm) - [Amtsblattportal — official gazettes platform (SECO)](https://amtsblattportal.ch) **Let Publicus read the official gazettes for you** Choose what you follow and Publicus writes to you as soon as it is published. Free 7-day Starter trial, no credit card. > Informational content, not legal advice. Publicus is not the official source within the meaning of the law: the text published by the authority prevails, and deadlines run from the official publication. --- Live page: https://publicus.ch/en/guides/feuilles-officielles-suisses Other languages: [FR](https://publicus.ch/guides/feuilles-officielles-suisses) · [DE](https://publicus.ch/de/guides/feuilles-officielles-suisses) · [IT](https://publicus.ch/it/guides/feuilles-officielles-suisses) > Publicus is not the official source within the meaning of the law. The legally binding publications remain those of the cantonal authorities and the SOGC.