Fund-tastic

Small but powerful: these attributes most certainly apply to the Principality of Liechtenstein, the fourth smallest country in Europe. Geographically, Liechtenstein is located in the heart of Europe, between Switzerland and Austria. But its manageable size is by no means an obstacle for the tiny state. Quite the opposite, in fact: the Principality is a competitive economic and financial hub. Its central location not only makes Liechtenstein a “job seekers’ paradise”, but due to its membership of two economic areas, its liberal economic system, as well as its efficient authorities and supervisory bodies, it is also an ideal location for all companies valuing innovation, development opportunities and political stability – ideal framework conditions which investment fund companies have long discovered as an advantage.

The best of two worlds: using the advantages of Switzerland and the EU

On the one hand, Liechtenstein maintains close ties with Switzerland and takes advantage of the benefits of this financial hub. On the other hand, it is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) as an independent state. This makes for easier market access than via Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, since Liechtenstein automatically adopts various EU directives and therefore has unrestricted access to the European single market. The country’s manageable size is an additional benefit, because it contributes to short decision-making routes between authorities, allowing companies to swiftly react to changing conditions and measures and to work efficiently. And this benefits investors.
By implementing EU directives, Liechtenstein can make use of passporting rights in the EEA. The passporting system includes product and company passports. While the product passport allows Liechtenstein-based investment funds to be offered throughout the EEA, Liechtenstein-based management companies can also use the company passport in order to manage and market their funds in the EEA.
In comparison to other countries, Liechtenstein’s minimum fees are low. Start-up costs and ongoing administrative and supervisory costs are also very competitive. In addition, Liechtenstein offers all-in fees, which enable a high level of planning security.
There are various legal forms available for European UCITS and AIF fund types in Liechtenstein, which enable a flexible composition and structuring. What is more, authorisation periods for such investment funds are short: for UCITS, ten working days from receipt of the full documents. The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Act (AIFMG) provides for short and reliable notification and marketing authorisation periods. Authorisations are issued within 20 working days of receipt of the full documents. The Principality of Liechtenstein relies on political stability and legal security as the basis of a successful financial services industry in the country. Its international know-how as well as its affiliation to two economic areas and its liberal promotion of economic development contribute to Liechtenstein’s reputation of being a traditional and reliable financial hub. The cooperation between banks, insurance companies, asset managers, trustees and investment companies is smooth.
No wonder that this investment fund location has been growing steadily for decades.

www.lafv.li | www.finance.li
www.liechtenstein-business.li | www.liechtenstein.li

Für die europäischen Fondstypen UCITS und AIF bietet Liechtenstein verschiedene Rechtsformen, die eine flexible Aufsetzung und Strukturierung ermöglichen. Außerdem sind die Zulassungsfristen für diese Investmentfonds kurz: Für UCITS sind es zehn Arbeitstage nach Eingang der vollständigen Unterlagen. Das Gesetz über die Verwalter alternativer Investmentfonds (AIFMG) umfasst kurze verbindliche Notfikations- bzw. Vertriebszulassungsfristen. Diese sind innerhalb von 20 Arbeitstagen nach Eingang der vollständigen Unterlagen erhältlich.
Das Fürstentum Liechtenstein baut auf politische Stabilität und Rechtssicherheit als Grundlage eines erfolgreichen Finanzwesens des Landes. Das internationale Know-how sowie die Zugehörigkeit zu zwei Wirtschaftsräumen und die liberale Wirtschaftsförderung tragen dazu bei, dass Liechtenstein das Bild eines traditionellen und bewährten Finanzplatzes verkörpert. Die Zusammenarbeit von Banken, Versicherungen, Vermögensverwalter, Treuhänder und Fondsgesellschaften läuft Hand in Hand.
Kein Wunder, dass der Fonds-Standort seit Jahrzenten stabil wächst.

www.lafv.li
www.finance.li
www.liechtenstein-business.li
www.liechtenstein.li