Swiss bank account

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital city of the Swiss canton of Zurich.  The majority of the world’s offshore bank headquarters are located here, and it is therefore seen as the country’s commercial centre.

Offshore banking in Zurich is popular internationally as Switzerland has proven to be a secure and safe haven since the Middle Ages, due to its neutral status and because of its banking secrecy laws that are seen to be impenetrable. 

The fundamental principles of the banking laws remain unchanged in the banking sector in Switzerland which is strictly governed and ruled by the Federal Banking Commission which abides by the Swiss Banking Law of 1934.  This Banking Law is updated from time to time and was most recently amended in 1999.

There is no protection for anyone suspected of illegal activity i.e. laundering of money, in offshore banking in Zurich.  Non-compliance of their strict rules can result in excessive fines.

The Swiss government, or in fact any other government, may obtain information about your private bank account, unless a Swiss judge is convinced that a serious crime punishable by Switzerland’s Penal Code has been committed.

Swiss private bankers are regarded as the most professional and experienced in the world, therefore if you are looking for a way to protect your assets from investigators, a Swiss account can be the ideal tool.

Swiss bank accounts are sometimes thought of as being for millionaires or for crooks and dishonest government officials or perhaps a good way of hiding any ill-gotten money. That is absolutely not the case; there is no need to be excessively rich nor is the anything illegal about a Swiss bank account. One of the main reasons for having a bank account in Switzerland is because of the privacy such an account provides. A Swiss bank account can be opened with a deposit of only 5,000 Swiss francs. There are no anonymous accounts in Switzerland. A numbered account is an account that is identified solely by a number, rather than a name.

Major banks in Switzerland include:

• The Swiss Credit Bank in Zurich
• The Union Bank of Switzerland
• The Bank Leu (AG) in Zurich
• The Swiss Bank Corporation in Basel
• The Swiss Volksbank in Berne

Swiss bankers are among the best finance managers in the world and they manage over 35% of all offshore holdings. Swiss bank accounts are not expensive as there are no or low annual fees, and even if additional services are required, the fees are very reasonable. Once the account opening procedures and necessary documentation have been provided, all banking can be conducted by correspondence, by telephone, through internet banking, bank transfer and credit cards. Swiss bank accounts can be closed without any restriction or financial penalties.

To open a Swiss bank account, call or email us today.