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Liechtenstein trust law and key features
Liechtenstein trust law sits in the Persons and Companies Act (PGR), which has a title on trusts. Below are the governing law, who may act as trustee, and the features and limits, each with its source; take them to your lawyer before drafting.
Reviewed by a senior trust administrator, updated
The legal frame at a glance
What the law provides, with the source number for each item.
Key facts
- Trust structure
- Trust (Treuhänderschaft) under the PGR; deed names the trustee and beneficiaries[1]
- Legal basis
- Trust (Treuhänderschaft) provisions start at Art. 897 of the PGR[1]
- Trust structure
- Trust (Treuhänderschaft) under the PGR; deed names the trustee and beneficiaries[1]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Swipe sideways to see the whole diagram.
- SettlorSets up the structure and transfers assets into it
- transfers assets under a trust deedTrusteeHolds the assets and manages them under the trust deed
- holds and distributesBeneficiariesPeople who benefit from the trust under its terms
- Trustee holds legal titleTrust assetsThe property held in the structure
Roles and notes
| Part of the structure | What it does |
|---|---|
| Settlor | Sets up the structure and transfers assets into it |
| Trustee | Holds the assets and manages them under the trust deed |
| Beneficiaries | People who benefit from the trust under its terms |
| Trust assets | The property held in the structure |
- The trust provisions sit inside the Persons and Companies Act, not in a separate trust statute.
- The deed fills the gaps the Act leaves, so its wording decides much of daily practice.
- The trustee in the principality works with us, and the deed sets its duties.
- A protector or investment manager exists only if the deed creates the role.
The governing law
Trust rules in the principality are part of the general company law, which the Liechtenstein law portal publishes as the PGR.
Its title on trusts covers the trustee, the beneficiaries and the deed.
The text is in German; we use English summaries and your lawyer reads the original.
The Act sets default rules, and a deed can adjust many of them. Where the deed is silent, the trustee follows the default rules.
So the wording of the deed decides much of daily practice under the PGR. A lawyer drafts or reviews it before any asset moves.
The overview of the structure shows how the PGR fits with the other pages.
Who may act as trustee
A professional trustee is a business that acts for clients and keeps the records that the deed and the PGR require.
The deed splits powers among the trustee, a protector or an adviser, within the PGR defaults.
Ask your lawyer whether the PGR sets conditions on who may serve as trustee. Whoever the deed names, weigh what happens if the person dies or moves, how records are kept and how much time the role needs.
Features the law allows
Trusts under the Act have several features that families comparing places ask about. Each is a tool, not a result.
- Discretionary or fixed shares. The deed can leave distributions to the trustee’s discretion or fix each beneficiary’s share. Your lawyer advises which suits your aims.
- Beneficiary classes. A class gift, such as children and later descendants, means a new birth does not need a new deed.
- Letter of wishes. You can say in a letter how you would like the trustee to use its discretion. The trustee reads it but is not bound by it.
- Protector and adviser roles. These roles come from the deed rather than from a rule of the Act. The deed also sets their powers and how they are replaced.
- Reserved powers. How far a settlor can keep powers without weakening the trust depends on the Act and the deed; your lawyer confirms this first.
Whether a feature suits your family depends on where you live, what you own and where the assets sit.
Limits, checks and points your lawyer settles
Limits apply as well, and they serve the beneficiaries as much as the settlor. Before we take a case, we verify the settlor, any protector and the other connected people, and keep records of that work.
Which reporting duties apply to your trust, under CRS or FATCA, is a point your lawyer confirms for your case; your adviser confirms what applies to you.
Your lawyer confirms who may see who stands behind a trust.
A trust cannot be used to avoid a legal duty at home. How a court at home treats a Liechtenstein trust, and how the timing of a transfer relates to a claim, are questions for your own lawyer.
State charges and the trustee’s yearly fees sit outside this page. The cost guide shows who charges for each line.
Sources and review dates
Each fact above shows its source, the official Liechtenstein Law Gazette page for the Persons and Companies Act. The date shown beside each fact is the date of that page. Your lawyer checks the article text against the PGR before drafting.
We review these facts when the PGR or the official pages change. Practical points sit on the common questions page, and the formation guide shows when each rule applies.
Frequently asked questions
Which law governs a trust in Liechtenstein?
The trust provisions sit in the PGR, in a title of their own. The deed fills the gaps the Act leaves, and it names its governing law. Your lawyer confirms how the Act applies to your deed before the deed is drafted.
Who may act as trustee in Liechtenstein?
The deed names the trustee, and the PGR supplies the default rules. Whether the PGR limits who may serve as trustee is a point your lawyer confirms for your case. How powers are split among the trustee, a protector or an adviser is a matter of deed design, and your lawyer checks the split against your structure.
Can a trust in Liechtenstein have a protector?
A protector exists only if the deed creates the role and defines its powers, for example a right to consent to key trustee decisions. The deed also says how a protector is replaced. Your lawyer advises who should hold the role and what powers are workable.
Sources
- Liechtenstein Law Gazette: Persons and Companies Act (PGR), read 2026-11-05.