Swiss bank accounts for non-residents

Switzerland is still one of the deepest pools of cross-border private banking. At the end of 2025, banks in Switzerland managed CHF 9,729.1 billion in assets, and 45.9% of that belonged to clients domiciled abroad. What has changed is the basis of the relationship: Swiss banks now compete on stability, service and investment capability, not on hiding money.

What a Swiss account is good for

Swiss banks are strongest at holding and managing wealth: accounts in several currencies, custody of securities and a named relationship manager. Securities in a custody account remain the client's property and are kept apart from the bank's own assets, while cash balances are deposits and fall under deposit protection. In the three-account model we use, a Swiss bank usually takes the treasury role, holding accumulated capital, rather than processing high-volume daily payments.

Is Swiss banking secrecy still a thing in 2026?

Swiss law still makes it a criminal offence for bank staff to disclose client information without a legal basis (Article 47 of the Banking Act). That is client confidentiality towards third parties, not secrecy towards tax authorities. The legal basis for the automatic exchange of information has been in force since 1 January 2017, and Swiss banks report accounts of clients resident in partner states to the Federal Tax Administration, which forwards the data. US persons are reported under FATCA. Treat a Swiss account as fully visible to your home tax authority.

Swiss bank account for non-residents: requirements

Swiss banks follow the due-diligence code CDB 20, which governs how they identify the contracting partner, controlling persons and beneficial owners. Expect to provide:

• A valid passport and recent proof of residential address for every holder, signatory and beneficial owner.
• A tax residency self-certification with your tax identification number, plus a declaration of whether you are a US person.
• Evidence of source of wealth: how the assets were built over time, for example sale agreements, dividend statements or employment records.
• The source of the first transfer and a short description of expected activity: amounts, currencies, counterparties.
• For companies: a registry extract, articles, an ownership chart down to the individuals and a plain description of the business.

Swiss bank account online for non-residents

FINMA Circular 2016/7 lets banks identify clients by video or online instead of in person. A revised version, adding the Swiss e-ID and liveness detection, enters into force on 1 November 2026. Whether a bank offers remote onboarding to non-residents is its own decision: many private banks still prefer a meeting, and app-based providers often accept only certain countries of residence.

Banks versus FinTech-licensed firms

Not every Swiss-licensed provider is a bank. A firm with a FinTech licence may accept up to CHF 100 million in public deposits, but it may not invest them or pay interest, and if it fails those balances are neither privileged nor covered by deposit protection. Check the licence type before you move money.

Redomiciled prepares the application file and introduces you to banks whose risk appetite fits your profile. The bank alone decides, and an account is never guaranteed.