The short version
- Yes, a foreigner who lives in Switzerland can open a Swiss bank account. UBS asks foreign nationals for a passport or ID card and a B, C, Ci or L residence permit, or proof of registration with their municipality.
- Some banks also take people who live abroad. PostFinance does, with fewer products and an extra CHF 25 a month per payment account. Swissquote opens accounts online for people in many countries.
- Americans have fewer choices. Swissquote says its services are not meant for US residents, and Zürcher Kantonalbank says restrictions apply to US persons.
- If a Swiss bank fails, deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 per client, per bank.
Can a foreigner open a Swiss bank account?
Yes, if you live in Switzerland. The bank pages we read on 26 October 2026 open everyday accounts to foreign nationals who live there and can show the right papers.
UBS says you must live in Switzerland and pay tax there to open its private account. A foreign national brings a passport or ID card, plus a B, C, Ci or L residence permit or a confirmation of registration from the municipality. The papers must be final. UBS does not accept a permit that is still being processed.
PostFinance, the bank of Swiss Post, says that to open an account in Swiss francs you must be of legal age and live in Switzerland. You prove who you are at a PostFinance or Swiss Post branch, or by video chat.
So for these accounts, the residence permit comes first and the account second.
Can non-residents open one?
At some banks, yes. Of the banks we read, PostFinance and Swissquote both describe a route for people who live outside Switzerland. UBS's account does not: it asks you to live and pay tax in Switzerland.
- PostFinance. Its banking packages page says you can open a package if you live abroad. PostFinance focuses on Switzerland, though, and customers abroad get a limited range of products, for regulatory reasons. They also pay an extra CHF 25 a month for each payment account. Its Swiss franc account page asks you to live in Switzerland, so ask PostFinance which accounts are open to you.
- Swissquote. A Swiss online bank and broker. Its account opening page sets first deposit rules for Swiss residents, euro area residents and all other countries. People in listed countries, such as the UK, Australia and Singapore, can use its digital account opening. People elsewhere do a video identity check instead.
- Zürcher Kantonalbank. Its page for Swiss citizens abroad says you can open an account with any amount, wherever you live. That offer is for Swiss nationals.
Will Swiss banks take Americans?
It depends on the bank and on where you live, and Americans have fewer choices. The pages we read put limits on US clients, and the firmest line is for people who live in the US.
- Swissquote. Its legal information says its products and services are "in particular not intended for U.S. residents".
- Zürcher Kantonalbank. Says restrictions apply in particular to US persons.
- PostFinance. Its AEOI and FATCA page says it reports its US taxpayer customers to the IRS and asks them to agree to that. It counts US citizens, including dual nationals, green card holders and people who live in the US as US taxpayers.
The reason is a US law, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Under it, banks outside the US report accounts held by US persons to the IRS, directly or through their own tax office. Switzerland and the US signed an agreement on it in 2013. Swissquote says it collects this information when you open an account, and will refuse to open a new account if you do not provide it.
A US person with a Swiss account may also need to file an FBAR, a yearly report of foreign accounts, once their foreign accounts add up to more than $10,000. See the FBAR filing rules, explained.
What do Swiss banks ask for?
ID, proof of where you live and your tax details. The exact list depends on the bank and on where you live.
| Bank | What you bring | How you open |
|---|---|---|
| UBS | Passport or ID card. Foreign nationals add a B, C, Ci or L permit, or proof of registration with the municipality | In the app with a selfie, or at a branch |
| PostFinance | Proof of identity, and a form that states your tax residence | Online or at a branch, with a video or branch ID check |
| Swissquote | Passport or ID card, proof of address under 6 months old, and a first deposit | Online, with a photo or video ID check |
A few details from each bank's own page:
- Proof of address. Swissquote takes a utility bill from the last six months, a tax bill, or a certificate of residence from your local authority. It must be in English, French, German or Italian, or translated.
- Tax residence. PostFinance asks every new customer to state their tax residence on a self-certification form. The form asks for your tax identification number and a copy of your ID or a residence certificate.
- First deposit. Swissquote wants at least CHF 500, or EUR 500 in the euro area. It must come from a licensed bank, from an account in your own name. For people outside Switzerland, that account must be in the country where you live. Swissquote does not accept a first deposit from a Wise account.
- UBS in the app. UBS checks your ID with a selfie and a biometric passport or ID card. Without a biometric document, you do a video call instead, Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 20:00. For its single private account, UBS asks new customers to visit a branch.
What does a Swiss bank account cost?
From nothing to a monthly package fee, depending on the bank and the extras you want. These prices come from each bank's own page, read on 26 October 2026:
| Bank and offer | Monthly price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| UBS Easy | CHF 0 | Personal and savings account, debit card |
| UBS Classic | CHF 8 | Adds a Classic credit card |
| UBS Gold | CHF 18 | Adds a Gold credit card |
| UBS Platinum | CHF 43 | Adds a Platinum credit card |
| PostFinance Smart | CHF 5 | Private and savings account, debit card |
| PostFinance SmartPlus | CHF 10 | Adds a credit card and free cash abroad |
| Swissquote account | CHF 0 | Multi-currency account, virtual debit card |
- UBS. The Classic, Gold and Platinum prices apply if you hold at least CHF 10,000 in assets or have a UBS mortgage or building financing. If not, each costs CHF 5 a month more. All three are free for the first 6 months.
- PostFinance. Customers who live abroad pay an extra CHF 25 a month per payment account. With Smart, cash from banks abroad costs CHF 5 a time. With SmartPlus, it is free. The Swiss franc private account pays 0.00% interest.
- Swissquote. It lists no account opening or upkeep fees. A physical debit card comes with the Bright package at CHF 6.90 a month, free for the first six months.
Fees change, so read the bank's own price list the week you open the account.
How are deposits protected in Switzerland?
By law, up to CHF 100,000 per client, per bank. If a Swiss bank goes bankrupt, the deposit insurance scheme covers your deposits up to that amount. esisuisse, a self-regulatory body that every bank with a branch in Switzerland must join, funds the payout if the failed bank does not have enough cash.
- Your accounts at one bank count together. If you have several accounts at the same bank, the balances are added up, and CHF 100,000 is covered in total.
- Clients abroad are covered. esisuisse says clients who live abroad are protected too.
- Other currencies count. Deposits in euros or dollars are covered. They are converted to francs at the rate on the day bankruptcy starts, and generally paid out in francs.
- Shares are held for you. Shares, bonds and funds in a custody account are your property, not the bank's. If the bank fails, they are handed to you rather than paid out under the CHF 100,000 limit.
- Apps can share a bank. esisuisse lists the bank behind some app brands. Yuh deposits sit with Swissquote Bank, and neon deposits with Hypothekarbank Lenzburg. For the limit, they count as deposits at that bank.
Cover applies to banks with a branch in Switzerland that FINMA, the Swiss financial regulator, has authorised. That includes the cantonal banks and PostFinance. esisuisse says a payout can take several weeks today. From 1 January 2028, the aim is to pay within seven working days of the liquidator getting your payout instruction.
Do Swiss banks share account details with tax offices?
Yes, for many clients. Switzerland takes part in the automatic exchange of information, a standard set by the OECD. PostFinance says that each year it must report the accounts of customers whose tax residence is abroad to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration, where Switzerland has an agreement with that country.
The report includes your name, address, tax number, account number and year-end balance. US persons are covered by FATCA, as above. So a Swiss account is reported to the tax office in many home countries.
How do you get the residence permit the bank asks for?
Through Switzerland's own permit rules, which depend on your passport and your plans. For people from outside the EU and EFTA, see the Switzerland freelance visa page or the Switzerland retirement visa page.
If you will live somewhere else and want an account that works across currencies, a Swiss account is one option among several. One simple setup is three accounts with three jobs, which we explain in the bank accounts that work abroad. Moving the other way? Read how to open a US bank account as a foreigner.