Before a Swiss bank opens an account for a company or lends to it, it examines who owns and controls the company, where its money comes from and what the account will be used for. The articles collected here explain what banks ask for, how beneficial ownership and the source of funds are documented, why companies from certain countries or sectors face more questions, and how to prepare an onboarding file that is accepted. They also cover the capital deposit account needed to form a Swiss company, the choice of bank, and what to do when an application has been refused.
Before a Swiss bank opens an account for a company, it examines who owns and controls it, where its money comes from and what it does. For companies from emerging and frontier markets this review is often the step that takes longest, and a well-prepared file shortens it considerably.
Swiss banks are bound by the Anti-Money Laundering Act and by the banks' own agreement on due diligence. They must identify the contracting party, establish the beneficial owner and understand the purpose of the business relationship. For operating companies the controlling persons are recorded on a standard form, and for trusts and similar structures the settlor, trustees and beneficiaries must be disclosed.
A well-prepared file usually contains certified and, where necessary, apostilled register extracts, articles of association, an organisational chart of the group, identification documents of the controlling persons and a clear account of the source of wealth and funds. Documents in Chinese, Arabic or other languages will often need certified translations, which should be arranged early.
Banks also look at the business itself: its customers, suppliers, countries of operation and expected transactions. Exposure to sanctioned countries, politically exposed persons or cash-intensive activities leads to closer examination. Explaining these points openly and with supporting evidence is far more effective than leaving the bank to discover them, and it lays the foundation for a relationship that remains stable after the account is opened.
The articles explain what Swiss banks ask for, how to prepare an onboarding file for a Chinese or other foreign company, why domiciliary companies with a Swiss address alone are no longer accepted, and how the new transparency rules affect the process.
Source of wealth and source of funds: what Swiss banks want to see
Why Swiss banks ask how the owner became wealthy and where the money on the account comes from, and which documents answer these questions convincingly. Read more Bankability · FormsForm A, Form K and Form T: declaring beneficial owners to a Swiss bank
The standard forms with which Swiss banks record who owns and controls a company, a trust or a foundation, and the mistakes that delay an account opening. Read more Bankability · RiskPolitically exposed persons and high-risk countries: enhanced due diligence at Swiss banks
Why links to public office or to high-risk countries lead Swiss banks to apply enhanced due diligence, what that means in practice, and how a company can prepare. Read more AML and Compliance · New LawFrom 1 October 2026: the transparency register and the revised Anti-Money Laundering Act
On 1 October 2026 the Federal Act on the Transparency of Legal Entities and the revision of the Anti-Money Laundering… Read more Corporate Structures · PracticeDomiciliary companies in Switzerland: why the BVI company with a Swiss address has had its day
For decades, a familiar structure for investors from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America was a company incorporated… Read more Bankability · OverviewBankability: opening a Swiss bank account for your company
Without a Swiss bank account there is no Swiss business: no capital deposit, no payments, no trade finance. Swiss banks… Read more