Permission to keep open stores

General

On Sundays and public holidays, work shall cease in all establishments subject to the Trade Act, unless exceptions are provided for by law or by this Ordinance. Exceptions are minor work that cannot be postponed or work with special official authorization.

With the permission of the Office of National Economy, stores and kiosks connected with a gas station may be kept open on Sundays and holidays, and exhibitions and other promotional events may be held with the possibility of simultaneous purchase and transfer of goods. A permit is granted if the applicant can prove a legitimate interest.

The working hours of the staff in accordance with the provisions of labor law, in particular the Labor Act, must be observed.

Application for the permit must be made every year.

Exceptions

The following are considered public holidays, which are to be equated with Sundays: New Year's Day, Epiphany, Easter Monday, May 1, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi, Assumption Day, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints' Day, Immaculate Conception, Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day.

Without a permit, pharmacies and drugstores for the dispensing of medicines, catering, passenger transport and service station businesses, as well as cinemas and sports schools, may remain open on Sundays and public holidays.

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) and the three Sundays preceding December 24, all retail stores and kiosks may keep their businesses open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. without a permit.

For the following holidays, in addition to the annual permit, you need an individual permit:

On Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday, Corpus Christi and Christmas Day.

Permits

Permits are issued as:

• Single permit for Sundays or holidays
• Seasonal permit for the period from October 1 to March 31 (winter semester) or April 1 to September 30 (summer semester)
• Annual permit (calendar year)

Application

An application to keep stores open must be submitted in writing and must include the following information. The following information is required:

• Name, first name and address of the applicant
• Name and address of the store
• If a permit is being issued for the first time, the consent of the relevant municipality must be attached to the application (in writing)

If an application is for the renewal of a permit from the previous year, the agreement of the site municipality need not be resubmitted.

Fees

• CHF   50.- for individual permits
• CHF   500.- for seasonal permits
• CHF 1,000.- for annual permits

The fees are to be paid in advance. Please transfer using the payment reference listed at the end of the application to the following account:

beneficiary: Liechtenstein National Administration, National Treasury, 9490 Vaduz

Bank:  Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, 9490 Vaduz

IBAN: LI31 0880 0000 0203 2880 0