Swiss Private Banking for HNWIs and Entrepreneurs
Helping hundreds of people move to Switzerland since 2012.
About the team behind this guide
Start with the banking job to be done
Before approaching a Swiss private bank, write down what you need: everyday payments, custody, investment advice, discretionary management or support for a family office. A founder may also need a separate operating account for a business. Distinguish personal, corporate and family-structure requirements so each application has a clear purpose. Your residence, citizenship, tax status, assets and intended transactions affect which institutions can consider the relationship. Ask the bank to confirm its current client criteria before investing time in a full application.
Source of wealth and source of funds
Swiss financial institutions must identify clients and beneficial owners and assess relevant money-laundering risks. For preparation, distinguish how the overall wealth was accumulated from where the particular transfer will come from. A business owner’s file might connect company ownership, accounts, dividends or a sale agreement to the receiving account. An inheritance may call for estate documents; investment proceeds may need a traceable holding and transaction history. These are preparation examples. The bank sets the evidence requirements for the actual case.
Before and after a business sale
Coordinate banking preparation with the transaction timetable. Explain the seller, buyer, consideration, expected payment dates and any deferred proceeds or retained ownership. Ask your lawyers and tax advisers which records can be shared and through which secure channel. Do not move a completion date or route proceeds through a new entity simply to fit an assumed banking timetable. Confirm the receiving account is ready and that the bank understands the expected transfer before completion.
Digital assets and complex ownership
For digital-asset wealth, organise exchange statements, wallet histories and evidence connecting the assets to their owner. Explain significant gaps to the bank before making transfer plans. Acceptance of a particular token, platform, transaction history or structure is a bank-specific decision. For holding companies, trusts and foundations, prepare a clear ownership and control map. More layers can mean more questions. A polished narrative does not replace the records the bank needs to assess the relationship.
Compare fees, service and decision authority
Request a written proposal covering minimum relationship size, custody and advisory fees, transaction charges, foreign exchange, reporting and any exit costs. Published figures may not apply to your residence, mandate or asset mix. Ask who will service the account, what can be done online and how the institution works with your existing advisers. Review investment risks and mandate terms with the appropriate professionals; relocating does not require placing all assets with one provider.
What relocation coordination can help with
We help place banking preparation in the wider move plan and coordinate introductions where suitable. The institution makes its own acceptance decision and may request further information or decline the relationship. There is no universal account-opening deadline. Use the initial enquiry to explain your priorities and broad circumstances. Send passports, statements and transaction documents only through the secure channel agreed with the relevant professional or bank.
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