Home UID (CHE number) Switzerland
Switzerland UID (CHE number) validator
How the UID (CHE number) format works
- Format
- "CHE" + 9 digits with a weighted mod-11 check digit (CHE-XXX.XXX.XXX)
- Example
- CHE100155212
Things to watch for
- The optional MWST/TVA/IVA VAT-register suffix sometimes shown after a UID is not part of this check — only the CHE prefix + 9-digit body + check digit are validated
- Checksum only — a pass doesn't confirm the business is currently active in the UID register
- This check runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you type is stored or transmitted
^CHE[0-9]{9}$The UID (Unternehmens-Identifikationsnummer) is the single identifier Switzerland assigns to every business, association, and public authority operating in the country — company or sole proprietorship alike — written as “CHE” followed by 9 digits, for example CHE-100.155.212. It’s issued and maintained in the UID register run by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, and it’s used across federal, cantonal, and municipal systems — tax, social insurance, the commercial register, and more — instead of the separate numbers each of those systems used to hand out independently.
One number to replace many
Before the UID was rolled out between 2011 and 2014, Swiss businesses were tracked by disconnected identifiers, most visibly the numbers assigned by each of Switzerland’s 26 cantonal commercial (trade) registers. The UID consolidated those into one federal number that follows a business regardless of canton, replacing the old fragmented cantonal register numbers as the primary way federal and cantonal systems cross-reference the same entity.
Why the check digit exists
The 9 digits after “CHE” aren’t arbitrary: the first 8 are each multiplied by a fixed weight and reduced mod 11 to produce the 9th, check digit. A single mistyped or transposed digit almost always breaks that calculation, catching the error before the number is filed or entered into a supplier record.
What this check doesn’t cover
This tool validates the CHE prefix and 9-digit body only. When a UID is shown with an MWST, TVA, or IVA suffix (Switzerland’s VAT-register marker in German, French, and Italian respectively), that suffix isn’t part of this checksum. A pass here confirms the number is mathematically well-formed — not that the business is currently active in the UID register.
Scope: this page and tool cover UID/CHE format and checksum validation only — not live registration or VAT status.
Content last reviewed 2026-08-09.
UID (CHE number) FAQ
What does the UID replace?
Before a phased 2011-2014 rollout, Swiss businesses were tracked by separate numbers from each canton's commercial register and other federal systems. The UID consolidated these into a single CHE number used consistently across federal, cantonal, and municipal registers.
Is the UID the same as a Swiss VAT number?
Not exactly. A UID is often shown with an MWST, TVA, or IVA suffix (German, French, and Italian for VAT) when the business is VAT-registered, but that suffix isn't part of the CHE + 9-digit + check-digit structure this tool validates.
Does a valid checksum mean the business is currently registered?
No. This tool only confirms the 9 digits pass the weighted mod-11 formula used to generate a valid CHE number — it doesn't query the UID register, so it can't confirm the business is currently active.