{
  "$schema": "https://govschema.org/spec/v0.3/govschema.schema.json",
  "govschemaVersion": "0.3.0",
  "id": "ch/sg/handelsregisteramt/anmeldung-neueintragung-einzelunternehmen",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "title": "Switzerland (St. Gallen) Sole Proprietorship Commercial Register New-Registration Application — Anmeldung Neueintragung Einzelunternehmen",
  "description": "The Amt für Handelsregister und Notariate des Kantons St.Gallen's (Office for the Commercial Register and Notarial Affairs of the Canton of St. Gallen) paper application for registering a new sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) in the cantonal commercial register (Handelsregister). Opens Switzerland's Business Formation vertical: the federal EasyGov.swiss one-stop-shop wizard is a confirmed dead end (login-gated on its very first screen, no unauthenticated field-level equivalent), so — following this registry's established precedent of modelling a jurisdiction's own published unauthenticated fallback when the primary online channel is authentication-gated — this schema instead models one of several structurally similar cantonal commercial-registry AcroForm PDFs (Graubünden, Aargau, Lucerne, and Appenzell Ausserrhoden all publish close siblings of the same form). St. Gallen's own version was selected after directly comparing all five for field richness and self-documenting field names: it carries the most AcroForm widgets (50, versus 32-47 for the others) with the clearest field-name/label correspondence (e.g. `Firma`, `Sitz politische Gemeinde`, `Rechtsdomizil`), rather than the terser, less self-documenting names used by some siblings (e.g. Appenzell Ausserrhoden's `Feld1`/`zb1_zb`). This schema models the form's own three-page applicant-facing content in full: the firm name and registered-office block (including the conditional c/o-address for businesses without their own premises at the registered seat), the business-purpose description, the owner's personal details, an optional additional co-signatory with their signing-authority type, the optional UID/VAT-number declaration, the identity-document-copy checklist for each named signatory, the optional register-extract order, and the non-public contact/submitter block used when the person handling the filing (e.g. the owner personally, or a fiduciary/notary acting for them) needs to be reached. It does not model the form's own page-10 wet-ink signature requirement (signatures must be publicly authenticated in person by the Office, a notary, or a municipal administration under presentation of a valid identity document — not an applicant-entered field) or the cover instruction to mail the original by post. Filing this registration is a citizen/business action performed directly with the Amt für Handelsregister und Notariate; this schema does not file the registration itself, and the live source (sg.ch) is always authoritative. GovSchema is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of St. Gallen, or its Amt für Handelsregister und Notariate.",
  "status": "draft",
  "jurisdiction": {
    "country": "CH",
    "level": "subnational",
    "subdivision": "CH-SG"
  },
  "authority": {
    "name": "Amt für Handelsregister und Notariate des Kantons St.Gallen (Office for the Commercial Register and Notarial Affairs of the Canton of St. Gallen)",
    "abbreviation": "AHRN SG",
    "url": "https://www.sg.ch/recht/handelsregister-notariate.html"
  },
  "process": {
    "type": "filing",
    "language": "de"
  },
  "source": {
    "url": "https://www.sg.ch/content/dam/sgch/recht/handelsregister-notariate/einzelunternehmen/Anmeldung%20Neueintragung.pdf",
    "retrievedAt": "2026-07-16",
    "documentRef": "\"Anmeldung Neueintragung Einzelunternehmen\" — a 3-page fillable AcroForm PDF published unauthenticated by the Amt für Handelsregister und Notariate des Kantons St.Gallen."
  },
  "verification": {
    "method": "manual-source-review-v1",
    "lastVerifiedAt": "2026-07-16",
    "verifiedBy": "GovSchema Engineering (Standards Engineer)",
    "nextReviewBy": "2027-01-16",
    "notes": "GOV-3293 (\"GovSchema Standard Research\", follow-up to GOV-3288's scouting pass). Opens Switzerland's Business Formation vertical (5/6; Visa remains Switzerland's sole open vertical — sem.admin.ch's national-visa AcroForm PDF was screened this same cycle and found to be a field-for-field duplicate of the EU harmonized Schengen visa questionnaire already modelled many times in this registry, e.g. de/auswaertiges-amt/national-visa-application — not authored as a fresh source). Source re-fetched fresh this session with two independent plain HTTP GETs (no login/CAPTCHA/WAF gate): HTTP 200, 206,104 bytes both times, identical sha256 8f643f455e075e22ba76f9cb209a23f38395326b86150f9d9baab7fdbdc0a433. Extracted with pdfjs-dist v3.11.174 via getAnnotations() per page (50 /Widget annotations across 3 pages: 36 text fields, 8 radio-button options across 3 mutually-exclusive groups, 6 independent checkboxes) and getTextContent() for the surrounding prose/labels. All 50 widgets are accounted for in this schema's fields[]/documents[] below; none were dropped. Four sibling cantonal forms (Graubünden, Aargau, Lucerne, Appenzell Ausserrhoden) were fetched and widget-counted for comparison (32-47 widgets each, all structurally similar but with terser/less self-documenting field names) before selecting St. Gallen's as the richest, clearest source. See VERIFICATION.md for the full extraction record, the widget-to-field mapping, and disclosed judgment calls (notably: the two 'Kopie eines gültigen Ausweises' text fields are modelled as identity-document-holder-name fields paired with the corresponding documents[] entries, and the four independent 'Am besten erreichbar?' checkboxes are modelled as four boolean fields rather than a single enum, since the source AcroForm genuinely allows multiple simultaneous selections)."
  },
  "maturity": {
    "level": "structural-reference",
    "criteria": {
      "structuralReference": true,
      "verifiedSchema": false,
      "agentReadySchema": false,
      "executionTestedSchema": false
    },
    "method": "maturity-self-assessment-v1",
    "assertedBy": "GovSchema Engineering (Standards Engineer)",
    "assertedAt": "2026-07-16"
  },
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "fields": [
    {
      "name": "companyName",
      "label": "Firma",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The proposed name (Firma) of the sole proprietorship. The sole proprietor's family name must be included in the firm name, per the form's own instruction directly beneath this field.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 1 \"Firma\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 200
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "registeredOfficeMunicipality",
      "label": "Sitz (politische Gemeinde)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The political municipality (Gemeinde) that is the registered office (Sitz) of the business.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 2 \"Sitz (politische Gemeinde)\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "registeredOfficeStreetAndNumber",
      "label": "Rechtsdomizil — Strasse, Nr.",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The street name and house number of the business's legal domicile (Rechtsdomizil) at its registered office. A post-office box alone is not accepted as a legal domicile, per the form's own instruction.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 3 \"Rechtsdomizil\" — \"Strasse, Nr.\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 200
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "registeredOfficePostalCodeAndCity",
      "label": "PLZ, Ort",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The postal code and locality (PLZ, Ort) of the business's legal domicile.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 3 \"Rechtsdomizil\" — \"PLZ, Ort\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 100
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "domicileType",
      "label": "c/o vs. eigene Räumlichkeiten",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Whether the business's legal domicile is held via a third-party domicile holder (c/o) or via its own premises (eigene Räumlichkeiten, e.g. owned or rented). If the business has no own legal domicile at the stated registered office, a c/o domicile holder must be named and must submit a declaration granting the domicile — see the `domicileHolderDeclaration` document below.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 3, radio group \"Gruppe1\" — \"c/o\" / \"eigene Räumlichkeiten (z.B. Eigentum, Miete)\"",
      "validation": {
        "enum": [
          "C_O",
          "OWN_PREMISES"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "domicileHolderAddress",
      "label": "(c/o-Adresse)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "domicileType",
        "equals": "C_O"
      },
      "description": "The name and address of the domicile holder (Domizilhalter/in) granting the business a legal domicile (c/o-Adresse) at the registered office, when the business has no legal domicile of its own there.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 3, c/o-Adresse text field",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 300
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "businessPurpose",
      "label": "Zweck",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "A brief, generally understandable description of the business's activity (kurze, allgemeinverständliche Umschreibung der Geschäftstätigkeit), written across up to 8 ruled lines on the form.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 4 \"Zweck\" (8 ruled lines, fields \"Zweck 1\"–\"Zweck 8\")",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 720
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerFamilyName",
      "label": "Name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The family name of the sole proprietor (Geschäftsinhaber/in).",
      "sourceRef": "Section 5 \"Personalien des Geschäftsinhabers bzw. der Geschäftsinhaberin\" — \"Name\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerGivenNames",
      "label": "Vorname(n)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The given name(s) of the sole proprietor.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 5 \"Personalien des Geschäftsinhabers bzw. der Geschäftsinhaberin\" — \"Vorname(n)\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerHometownOrNationality",
      "label": "Heimatort/Staatsangehörigkeit",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "For a Swiss citizen, the sole proprietor's place of origin (Heimatort — the commune of citizenship, distinct from place of birth or residence); for a foreign national, their nationality (Staatsangehörigkeit).",
      "sourceRef": "Section 5 \"Personalien des Geschäftsinhabers bzw. der Geschäftsinhaberin\" — \"Heimatort/Staatsangehörigkeit\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerResidenceAddress",
      "label": "Wohnort (Adresse)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The sole proprietor's residential address.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 5 \"Personalien des Geschäftsinhabers bzw. der Geschäftsinhaberin\" — \"Wohnort (Adresse)\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 300
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "signatureAuthorityType",
      "label": "Unterschrift",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The signing-authority arrangement for the business: sole signature by the owner alone (Einzelunterschrift), joint signature by two persons (Kollektivunterschrift zu zweien), sole procuration (Einzelprokura), or joint procuration by two persons (Kollektivprokura zu zweien). A joint arrangement requires naming an additional co-signatory below.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 6 \"Unterschrift\", radio group \"Gruppe2\"",
      "validation": {
        "enum": [
          "SOLE_SIGNATURE",
          "JOINT_SIGNATURE_BY_TWO",
          "SOLE_PROCURATION",
          "JOINT_PROCURATION_BY_TWO"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "additionalSignatoryFamilyName",
      "label": "Name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "signatureAuthorityType",
        "in": [
          "JOINT_SIGNATURE_BY_TWO",
          "JOINT_PROCURATION_BY_TWO"
        ]
      },
      "description": "The family name of the additional person with signing authority (Weitere Zeichnungsberechtigte), required when the signature arrangement is a joint one.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 6 \"Weitere Zeichnungsberechtigte\" — \"Name\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "additionalSignatoryGivenNames",
      "label": "Vorname(n)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "signatureAuthorityType",
        "in": [
          "JOINT_SIGNATURE_BY_TWO",
          "JOINT_PROCURATION_BY_TWO"
        ]
      },
      "description": "The given name(s) of the additional co-signatory.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 6 \"Weitere Zeichnungsberechtigte\" — \"Vorname(n)\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "additionalSignatoryHometownOrNationality",
      "label": "Heimatort/Staatsangehörigkeit",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "signatureAuthorityType",
        "in": [
          "JOINT_SIGNATURE_BY_TWO",
          "JOINT_PROCURATION_BY_TWO"
        ]
      },
      "description": "The additional co-signatory's place of origin (Heimatort) if a Swiss citizen, or nationality (Staatsangehörigkeit) if a foreign national.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 6 \"Weitere Zeichnungsberechtigte\" — \"Heimatort/Staatsangehörigkeit\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "additionalSignatoryResidenceAddress",
      "label": "Wohnort (Adresse)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "signatureAuthorityType",
        "in": [
          "JOINT_SIGNATURE_BY_TWO",
          "JOINT_PROCURATION_BY_TWO"
        ]
      },
      "description": "The additional co-signatory's residential address.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 6 \"Weitere Zeichnungsberechtigte\" — \"Wohnort (Adresse)\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 300
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "hasUidNumber",
      "label": "Haben Sie bereits eine UID-Nummer bzw. Mehrwertsteuernummer?",
      "type": "boolean",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Whether the business already has a Swiss Business Identification Number (UID) or VAT number.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 7 \"Unternehmensidentifikationsnummer (UID-Nummer)\", radio group \"Gruppe3\" — \"Ja\" / \"Nein\""
    },
    {
      "name": "uidNumber",
      "label": "Ja; CHE-______________________",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "hasUidNumber",
        "equals": true
      },
      "description": "The business's existing UID/VAT number, entered after the form's own pre-printed \"CHE-\" prefix (e.g. the digits of CHE-123.456.789).",
      "sourceRef": "Section 7, text field following the \"Ja\" checkbox",
      "validation": {
        "pattern": "^[0-9]{3}\\.[0-9]{3}\\.[0-9]{3}$|^[0-9]{9}$"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "ownerIdentityDocumentHolderName",
      "label": "Kopie eines gültigen Ausweises (Pass, ID oder Ausländerausweis) — Inhaber/in",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The name of the sole proprietor whose valid identity-document copy (passport, ID card, or foreign national's residence permit) is attached, confirmed by the adjacent checkbox in the Beilagen (attachments) section.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 9 \"Beilagen\", row 1 (checkbox \"Kontrollkästchen2\" + name field)",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 200
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "additionalSignatoryIdentityDocumentHolderName",
      "label": "Kopie eines gültigen Ausweises (Pass, ID oder Ausländerausweis) — Weitere Zeichnungsberechtigte",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "signatureAuthorityType",
        "in": [
          "JOINT_SIGNATURE_BY_TWO",
          "JOINT_PROCURATION_BY_TWO"
        ]
      },
      "description": "The name of the additional co-signatory whose valid identity-document copy is attached, when a joint signing arrangement names a second signatory.",
      "sourceRef": "Section 9 \"Beilagen\", row 2 (checkbox \"Kontrollkästchen3\" + name field)",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 200
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterFamilyName",
      "label": "Name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The family name of the contact person handling this filing (Kontaktangaben, marked \"nicht öffentlich\" — not published in the register). Typically the sole proprietor personally, or a fiduciary/notary/third party filing on their behalf.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben (nicht öffentlich)\" — \"Name\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterGivenNames",
      "label": "Vorname(n)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The given name(s) of the filing contact person.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben (nicht öffentlich)\" — \"Vorname(n)\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterHometownOrNationality",
      "label": "Heimatort/Staatsangehörigkeit",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The filing contact person's place of origin (Heimatort) or nationality (Staatsangehörigkeit).",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben (nicht öffentlich)\" — \"Heimatort/Staatsangehörigkeit\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 150
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterResidenceAddress",
      "label": "Wohnort (Adresse)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The filing contact person's residential address.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben (nicht öffentlich)\" — \"Wohnort (Adresse)\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 300
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterPhoneWork",
      "label": "Telefon G.",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The filing contact person's work telephone number (Telefon Geschäft).",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben\" — \"Telefon G.\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 30
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterPhonePrivate",
      "label": "Telefon P.",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The filing contact person's private/home telephone number (Telefon Privat).",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben\" — \"Telefon P.\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 30
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterPhoneMobile",
      "label": "M.",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The filing contact person's mobile telephone number.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben\" — \"M.\"",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 30
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "submitterEmail",
      "label": "E-Mail",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "classification": "pii",
      "description": "The filing contact person's e-mail address.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Kontaktangaben\" — \"E-Mail\"",
      "validation": {
        "pattern": "^[^\\s@]+@[^\\s@]+\\.[^\\s@]+$"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "preferredContactViaWorkPhone",
      "label": "Tel. G.",
      "type": "boolean",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Whether the work telephone number is the best way to reach the filing contact person. This and the three following options are independent checkboxes on the source form (not a mutually exclusive group), so more than one may genuinely be selected.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Am besten erreichbar?\" — \"Tel. G.\""
    },
    {
      "name": "preferredContactViaPrivatePhone",
      "label": "Tel. P.",
      "type": "boolean",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Whether the private telephone number is the best way to reach the filing contact person.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Am besten erreichbar?\" — \"Tel. P.\""
    },
    {
      "name": "preferredContactViaMobile",
      "label": "Mobil",
      "type": "boolean",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Whether the mobile number is the best way to reach the filing contact person.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Am besten erreichbar?\" — \"Mobil\""
    },
    {
      "name": "preferredContactViaEmail",
      "label": "E-Mail",
      "type": "boolean",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Whether e-mail is the best way to reach the filing contact person.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Am besten erreichbar?\" — \"E-Mail\""
    },
    {
      "name": "additionalRemarks",
      "label": "Weitere Mitteilungen",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Any further remarks for the Office for the Commercial Register and Notarial Affairs, written across up to 4 ruled lines on the form.",
      "sourceRef": "Page 3 \"Weitere Mitteilungen\" (4 ruled lines)",
      "validation": {
        "maxLength": 360
      }
    }
  ],
  "documents": [
    {
      "id": "ownerIdentityDocumentCopy",
      "label": "Kopie eines gültigen Ausweises (Pass, ID oder Ausländerausweis) — Inhaber/in",
      "category": "identity-document",
      "required": true,
      "belongsTo": "applicant",
      "constraints": {
        "mediaTypes": [
          "application/pdf",
          "image/png",
          "image/jpeg"
        ]
      },
      "sourceRef": "Section 9 \"Beilagen\", row 1 (pre-checked \"Kopie eines gültigen Ausweises\" checklist item)"
    },
    {
      "id": "additionalSignatoryIdentityDocumentCopy",
      "label": "Kopie eines gültigen Ausweises (Pass, ID oder Ausländerausweis) — Weitere Zeichnungsberechtigte",
      "category": "identity-document",
      "required": false,
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "signatureAuthorityType",
        "in": [
          "JOINT_SIGNATURE_BY_TWO",
          "JOINT_PROCURATION_BY_TWO"
        ]
      },
      "belongsTo": "other",
      "constraints": {
        "mediaTypes": [
          "application/pdf",
          "image/png",
          "image/jpeg"
        ]
      },
      "sourceRef": "Section 9 \"Beilagen\", row 2"
    },
    {
      "id": "domicileHolderDeclaration",
      "label": "Erklärung des/der Domizilhalter/in",
      "category": "supporting-evidence",
      "required": false,
      "requiredWhen": {
        "field": "domicileType",
        "equals": "C_O"
      },
      "belongsTo": "other",
      "constraints": {
        "mediaTypes": [
          "application/pdf",
          "image/png",
          "image/jpeg"
        ]
      },
      "sourceRef": "Section 3, cover instruction: \"Mit der Anmeldung ist eine Erklärung des/der Domizilhalter/in einzureichen, dass sie bzw. er der Rechtseinheit ein Rechtsdomizil an deren Sitz gewährt.\""
    },
    {
      "id": "registerExtractOrder",
      "label": "Handelsregisterauszug nach Publikation im Schweizerischen Handelsamtsblatt",
      "category": "payment",
      "required": false,
      "amount": {
        "currency": "CHF",
        "value": 40
      },
      "methods": [
        "invoice"
      ],
      "sourceRef": "Section 8 \"Bestellungen\" — pre-checked by default on the source form; the form's own instruction is to cross it out if not desired (\"falls nicht gewünscht, bitte durchstreichen\")."
    }
  ]
}