Your service production partner in Switzerland.

Switzerland is one of Europe's most attractive filming destinations for international productions. Within a few hours, crews can move between alpine mountains, pristine lakes, historic towns, modern cities and Mediterranean landscapes. Combined with exceptional infrastructure, political stability and highly skilled crews, filming in Switzerland offers both creative diversity and logistical efficiency.

International producers benefit from short travel distances, excellent transportation networks, multilingual crews and easy access to neighbouring countries including France, Italy, Germany and Austria. Zurich Airport provides direct connections to major production hubs worldwide, making Switzerland an efficient base for feature films, television series, documentaries and commercials.

As a Swiss production company with extensive local expertise, ORISONO helps international productions navigate every aspect of filming in Switzerland, from location scouting and permits to crew sourcing and production logistics.

Yes, many productions require filming permits in Switzerland, although the specific requirements vary depending on the location, municipality and type of production.

Filming on public streets, in protected natural areas, with drones, or in locations involving traffic control or special effects often requires permits and coordination with local authorities. Private locations also require individual agreements.

Switzerland's permitting process is generally efficient, but local regulations differ from canton to canton. Working with an experienced Swiss production company helps ensure that all permissions are secured in time and that productions comply with local regulations.

ORISONO coordinates filming permits, location agreements and communication with municipalities, authorities and regional film commissions throughout the country.

The cost of filming in Switzerland depends on the scale and complexity of the production, the shooting locations and the size of the crew. Switzerland has a reputation for being expensive, but in practice international productions are often surprised by how efficient a Swiss shoot can be.

Leaner crews for the same result

One of the biggest cost differences comes down to how departments are structured. In the US and UK, roles are highly specialised and union-defined — a lighting setup might involve a grip to position the stand and a separate electrician (the "spark") to rig and power the fixture. In Switzerland, departments are more compact and roles are less rigidly separated, so a single experienced crew member often covers what would be split across two or three people elsewhere. For the same scene, that can mean a noticeably smaller total crew — which reduces day rates, transport, catering and accommodation costs across the entire shoot.

Efficiency that protects the budget

Short travel distances mean a unit can shoot an alpine, a lakeside and an urban location in the same day rather than across separate move days. Excellent infrastructure, reliable scheduling and highly experienced crews reduce lost time, and Switzerland's stability means fewer of the permit revocations, weather-driven overruns or equipment failures that quietly inflate budgets in less predictable markets. Professional equipment can also enter on an ATA Carnet without import duties.

Incentives that reduce the bottom line

Several Swiss cantons — including Valais, Geneva, Zurich, Neuchâtel and Ticino — offer regional cash rebates that refund a share of what you spend locally, and these do not require co-production status. Projects that can be structured as official Swiss co-productions may additionally qualify for the national PICS rebate (see the incentives question below). We advise early on which of these realistically apply to your project.

Because every project is different, ORISONO builds the budget around your actual needs — right-sizing the crew, the schedule and the location plan — and identifies the rebate strategy that recovers the most.

Yes. ORISONO works with highly experienced Swiss film professionals and can assemble local crews for feature films, television series, documentaries and commercials.

Depending on the project's needs, we can source:

• production managers
• assistant directors
• directors of photography
• camera teams
• gaffers and lighting crews
• grips
• sound departments
• art departments
• costume and makeup teams
• post-production specialists

Switzerland has a strong network of internationally experienced crew members, and our multilingual team ensures smooth communication between local professionals and international productions. Crew mobility is straightforward, too. As part of the Schengen Area, Switzerland lets crews from the US and other non-EU countries enter and film for stays of up to 90 days without a visa or work permit, while EU citizens can work up to 90 days per year without a work permit. For longer projects or specialist roles, we handle the necessary permissions.

As a Swiss production company, ORISONO provides complete production services in Switzerland, including crew sourcing, logistics and on-the-ground support.

Yes. ORISONO provides Swiss fixer services for international film, television and documentary productions.

Our local team supports productions with:

• location scouting
• filming permits
• crew sourcing
• transportation
• accommodation
• customs coordination
• production logistics
• local research
• interview arrangements
• on-the-ground production support

Whether you are producing a feature film, documentary, branded content project or television series, our team provides reliable local expertise throughout Switzerland.

As an experienced Swiss production company and film service company, ORISONO helps international productions film in Switzerland efficiently and with confidence.

Switzerland offers two layers of film incentives: regional cash rebates run by individual cantons, and a national programme. For most international service productions, the regional rebates are the relevant route — they reward money spent locally and, unlike the national scheme, do not require official co-production status.

Regional cash rebates

A growing number of cantons refund a share of what a production spends in their region:

• Valais — Switzerland's first automatic rebate, refunding 15-35% of eligible local costs, capped at CHF 100,000.
• Geneva — a new cash rebate from 2026, reimbursing up to 30% of eligible spend in the canton with a cap at CHF 500,000 per project.
• Zurich — a production incentive of up to CHF 30,000, aimed at international productions, requiring at least CHF 500,000 of qualifying Zurich spend and a scouting incentive of up to CHF 6,000.
• Lucerne — a scouting incentive of up to CHF 6,000 as well as an accommodation rebate programme, aimed at international productions.
• Neuchâtel — a pilot scheme of up to 15% of eligible spend, capped at CHF 150,000.
• Ticino — support assessed case by case, covering costs from pre-production through post-production.

Conditions, budgets and timing differ from canton to canton, and most schemes run on limited annual funds, so the choice of shooting region can directly affect what a production recovers.

National programme (PICS / FiSS)

At the federal level, Switzerland runs PICS, the cash-rebate arm of FiSS, administered by the Federal Office of Culture. PICS refunds 20–50% of eligible Swiss spend (20–40% on artistic and logistical costs, 40–50% on technical costs such as equipment rental and post-production), capped at CHF 600,000 per project.

It is important to note that PICS is a co-production instrument: it can only be applied for by an independent Swiss production company and requires the project to be recognised as an official Swiss co-production. A pure service shoot with no Swiss co-producer does not qualify on its own. Where a project can be structured as a co-production — Switzerland has agreements with around 45 countries through bilateral treaties and the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production — PICS can also be combined with the regional rebates above.

ORISONO maintains close relationships with film commissions across Switzerland and helps producers identify which regional rebates apply to their shoot, and whether a co-production structure unlocking PICS is realistic. You can read more about Swiss co-production recognition at bak.admin.ch/koproduktionen.

ORISONO provides production services in Switzerland for a wide range of international productions, including:

• feature films
• television series
• documentaries
• streaming productions
• commercials
• branded content
• music videos
• factual entertainment
• corporate productions

Our team supports projects at every stage of production, from early development and location scouting through principal photography and post-production coordination.

As an independent Swiss production company, ORISONO combines local expertise with international experience to deliver seamless production support throughout Switzerland.

Switzerland offers extraordinary location diversity within a compact geographical area.

Depending on the needs of the production, filming locations may include:

Zurich

Modern architecture, urban environments and excellent international accessibility.

Central Switzerland

Lakes, mountains and picturesque historic towns.

Bernese Oberland

Iconic alpine landscapes and dramatic scenery.

Valais

Glaciers, vineyards and high-altitude mountain environments.

Ticino

Mediterranean landscapes, palm trees and Italian influences.

Graubünden

Remote valleys, alpine villages and spectacular mountain scenery.

Geneva and Lake Geneva Region

International atmosphere, luxury settings and lakeside locations.

Through its network of regional film commissions and local partners, ORISONO provides location scouting and production services throughout Switzerland, helping international producers identify the most suitable regions for their projects.

Working with an experienced Swiss production company allows international producers to benefit from local expertise, established crew networks and efficient access to locations, permits and incentives.

ORISONO acts as a single point of contact for international productions. From location scouting and crew sourcing to logistics and incentive guidance, we help producers navigate the Swiss production landscape efficiently and maximise the creative potential of filming in Switzerland.