Can shops open on Sundays in Liechtenstein?
No — Sunday is a day of rest in principle; only those with a permit may open. Under the Ordinance on Sunday and Public-Holiday Rest and Shop Closing (LR 930.111), work rests on Sundays and public holidays in every business subject to the Trade Act. Shops and kiosks may open on weekdays 6am to 9pm and on Saturdays 6am to 5pm; on Sundays only with a permit from the Office of Economic Affairs, and then 7am to 5pm. The myth: „You can shop normally on Sundays in Liechtenstein." Wrong — open without a permit are only pharmacies and drugstores, petrol stations, hospitality and cinemas. And beware old sources: the earlier 1973 ordinance (LR 930.112) has been repealed. In Switzerland shop hours are set by the cantons — Liechtenstein has one single nationwide ordinance.
📋 The rules
- Sunday is a rest day (Art. 1): On Sundays and public holidays work rests in every business subject to the Trade Act. Only those covered by an exception or holding a permit may open.
- Weekday hours (Art. 3): Shops and kiosks may open Monday to Friday 6am to 9pm and Saturdays 6am to 5pm. Kiosks attached to a petrol station may open until 10pm on working days.
- Sundays only with a permit: With a permit from the Office of Economic Affairs shops open on Sundays and holidays 7am to 5pm; on major feast days (Easter, Whitsun, Corpus Christi, Christmas) only 11am to 5pm.
- Open without a permit (Art. 2): Pharmacies and drugstores for medicines, hospitality, passenger-transport and petrol-station businesses, and cinemas and sport schools. Also free: 8 December, the three Advent Sundays and Assumption Day.
- The permit costs money (Art. 6a): The fee is 50 francs per day, 500 francs per half-year or 1,000 francs per year. What governs today is the 1992 ordinance (LR 930.111), not the repealed one of 1973.
🔓 Exceptions
- Self-service machines: Machines and installations operated by the customer are subject to no opening-hour limits — they may run around the clock.
- Everyday essentials: On a reasoned application the Office may grant businesses of basic supply opening hours that depart from the standard (Art. 6 para. 4) — but the exception has to be applied for.
- Tourist season: Sunday permits are also granted seasonally (1 April to 30 September or 1 October to 31 March) — typical for souvenir and tourist shops in Vaduz.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Breaching Sunday and holiday rest or opening without a permit is punished under the Trade Act: Art. 7 of the ordinance refers to Art. 44 paras. 2 and 3 of the Trade Act (GewG), sanctioned as a contravention with a fine. The exact amount follows from the penalty part of the Trade Act, which we do not quote here because it cannot be cleanly sourced from the ordinance alone. It is also an offence to fail to display the business and closing hours visibly at the entrance (Art. 4). On top of that, opening without a permit does not just risk a fine; the permit fee (50/500/1,000 francs) would have been due anyway. Not obvious: even with a shop permit, labour law still governs — Sunday work by staff is subject to its own protective rules, breaches of which are pursued separately.
📎 Official sources
- LILEX — Ordinance on Sunday and Public-Holiday Rest and Shop Closing (LR 930.111) (legal register home page) →
- Office of Economic Affairs — Sunday/holiday rest and shop closing, permit to open (National Administration, home page) →
- LILEX — Trade Act (Gewerbegesetz, GewG), penalty provision Art. 44 (legal register home page) →
❓ Frequently asked
May shops open on Sundays?
In principle no: on Sundays and public holidays rest applies, and shops may open only with a permit from the Office of Economic Affairs, and then from 7am to 5pm. Open without a permit are only pharmacies, petrol stations, hospitality and cinemas.
Until when may a shop stay open on weekdays?
Shops and kiosks may open Monday to Friday from 6am to 9pm and on Saturday from 6am to 5pm, so the working week is fairly generous. Kiosks attached to a petrol station may even stay open until 10pm on working days.
What does a Sunday permit cost?
The fee is 50 francs per day, 500 francs per half-year or 1,000 francs per year, and it must be paid in advance. The Office of Economic Affairs grants the permit only where the applicant can show a legitimate interest.
Does the old 1973 ordinance still apply?
No, the 1973 ordinance (LR 930.112) was expressly repealed by the current one; what governs today is the 1992 ordinance (LR 930.111) in its amended version. Anyone relying on the old hours is citing outdated law that no longer applies.
Is it regulated like in Switzerland?
No, in Switzerland shop hours are a matter for the cantons, which is why they differ from canton to canton. Liechtenstein instead has one single nationwide ordinance regulating Sunday and holiday rest and opening hours uniformly.
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