How to Open a Swiss Bank Account Online

The days of having to visit a branch office to open a bank account are over. Many Swiss banks now give you the option of opening a bank account online.

In order to open a bank account, you have to prove your identity. For online account opening, this is done by taking a picture of your ID card, passport, or residence permit. There are additional steps that have to be taken to confirm your identity, but these vary between banks. In many cases, you have to take a photograph or even a video of yourself, or have a video call with an employee. Some banks require you to scan the biometric data stored on your passport using an eligible phone.

Which Swiss banks offer online account opening?

These banks let new customers open a bank account completely online. The contract is signed using a qualified electronic signature.

Table 1: Open a Swiss bank account online

The data in Table 1 applies to private accounts (checking accounts) from Swiss banks.
¹ Customers in France, Germany, and Italy who have a financial connection to Switzerland can open an account online. Other cases (such as Swiss pensioners living in Portugal) are judged on an individual basis.
² If the online account application is done using a web browser, and not in the mobile app, then a separate smartphone is required for the identification process.
³ If the online account application is done using a web browser, and not in the mobile app, then an in-person identification service, such as those provided at SBB/CFF offices an post offices, is required to complete the application. 

Can I apply for a Swiss bank account online and complete the application by postal mail?

Some Swiss banks do not give you the option of opening an account completely online, but they do let you apply for an account online. You enter your personal information on the bank’s website, and the bank then contacts you to complete the account-opening process. Depending on the bank, you may have to send a certified copy of your identification document by mail.

Among other locations, you can get a verified copy of your ID at the counters of SBB/CFF ticket offices that offer currency exchange. The SBB service costs 18 francs. Swiss post offices also offer certified copies for a fee of 25 francs. Some municipal and cantonal offices also offer this service.

These Swiss banks let you apply for an account online, and then complete the account-openining process by mail.

• Glarner Kantonalbank
• Schwyzer Kantonalbank
• Urner Kantonalbank
• Zürcher Kantonalbank

(The list does not include banks that also offer online-only account opening. Depending on the bank, you may have the option of completing the account opening by mail if you are unable to complete the process completely online).

The Zürcher Kantonalbank has online identification, but you must still complete and return the documents you receive from the bank by mail or visit a branch office in order to complete the account-opening process.

Do I have to visit a branch office in order to open a Swiss bank account?

Some banks let you apply for a bank account online, but require that you visit a branch office to complete the account-opening process. If you do not visit a branch office, the account you applied for online will not be opened.

Some banks give you the option of completing the identity verification at a post office or an SBB/CFF office instead.

Can I open just a savings account or retirement account online, even if I do not have a private account at the same bank?

Many Swiss banks do not let you open a savings account or a pillar 3a account online, unless you also open a private account with them at the same time.

But there are also banks that do give you the option of opening just a savings account or a retirement account online, without having to have a private account with them. Table 2 shows you which banks give you these options.

Table 2: Open a savings account online without a private account

Table 2 includes banks that let you open either a savings account or pillar 3a account without a private account, and at which the account-opening process for these is completely online. Banks that let you apply for accounts online but require further offline action for account opening are not included.

Is it possible to open other kinds of accounts like savings accounts along with a private account?

Some Swiss banks only let you open a private account online. Other kinds of accounts like savings accounts and pillar 3a accounts only become available once you have finished opening your private account. When you open a bank account at a branch office, on the other hand, you can normally open multiple accounts at the same time.

But some banks do let you open other accounts along with a private account. A number of banks also let you request additional bank accounts – primarily savings accounts and pillar 3a accounts – when you apply online.

For example, the Alternative Bank, the Basellandschaftlichen Kantonalbank, Banca Stato, Valiant, and the Zuger Kantonalbank let you open a savings account and a retirement account along with a private account. The Migros Bank, Luzerner Kantonalbank, Postfinance, Raiffeisen, and the St. Galler Kantonalbank let you open a savings account along with a private account. Migros Bank, Postfinance, the St. Galler Kantonalbank, Banca Stato and Valiant also give you the option of applying for a credit card along with your private account.

I already have a bank account. Can I open additional bank accounts online at the same bank?

If you already have an account with a bank, then the digital account-opening process is simpler. Although most banks do not give you the option of simply opening additional accounts via online banking. But there are exceptions. Postfinance, for example, lets existing customers open additional accounts at the click of a button in the online banking portal.

Banks that do not give you the option of opening additional accounts via online banking typically let you send requests for the opening of additional accounts via the online banking portal's messaging service.

Which documents do I need to submit when opening an account online?

An ID card or passport is required to open a bank account. If you are not a Swiss citizen, you may need your Swiss residence permit, depending on the bank.

I do not want to take a self-portrait or make a video call. Are there alternatives?

Many Swiss banks, especially conventional banks with branch offices, give you the option of visiting a branch office to confirm your identity if the online verification process does not work.

If you do not want to verify your identity online, you can ask your bank if you can do it by mail or by visiting a branch office.

I do not live in Switzerland, but I will be moving to Switzerland soon. Can I already open a Swiss bank account online?

Most Swiss banks only let you open an account online if you have residence in Switzerland. Additionally, some banks also require you to be physically present in Switzerland at the time of application.

In practice, you can only open an account online once you have a Swiss C or B residence permit that you can show when applying for your account. Opening a bank account in person at a branch office, on the other hand, is sometimes possible even if you do not yet live in Switzerland.

Only a few Swiss banks let you open an account online if you do not live in Switzerland, and applications are generally limited to countries bordering Switzerland. Table 3 lists Swiss banks that accept online applications from customers outside of Switzerland.

Can I open an account online if I do not live in Switzerland?

Most Swiss banks do not accept online account applications from non-residents. Some Swiss banks do open accounts for non-resident customers, but only in-person at branch offices.

But there are a handful of financial services providers that do let non-residents open a bank account online, if you live in specific countries – primarily those bordering Switzerland. 

Table 3: Open a Swiss bank account online as a non-resident

¹ Customers in France, Germany, and Italy who have a financial connection to Switzerland can open an account online.

Saxo and Swissquote – two Swiss banks that specialize in online trading – let you open stock brokerage accounts online as a non-resident. Willbe (bank account and asset management service) is available to residents of Austria, Germany, and Liechtenstein. Online asset management service Inyova is available to residents of Austria and Germany.

How long does it take for an account I open online to be ready for use?

When you open an account online, you often have to wait several days before the account is actually opened and you receive an account number. But some service providers give you your account number and online banking login information right away.

For example, when you open a Postfinance account using the mobile app, you create a login during the process, and can use this login to access your account immediately. The Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank, for example, sends you your login for online banking during the account-opening process.

UBS Key4 accounts and virtual debit cards, prepaid cards, and credit cards are also activated shortly after the completion of the account-opening process.

If you receive your account number immediately after opening the account, and your old bank offers instant transfers, you can make an instant transfer to your new account so that your money is available immediately. 

What else do I need to know?

Opening an account online is generally possible at many Swiss banks. But banks stress that there are exceptions. In some cases, visiting a branch office will still be required.

If you are a US citizen or are subject to US taxes, opening a Swiss bank account online is more difficult. For example, UBS requires people affiliated with the US to visit a branch office when opening an account.

Some banks only let you open an account online if you are already a customer of another Swiss bank, and make a transfer from your existing Swiss bank account to your new account. The transfer has to come from an account with the same name and address. If you do not already have a Swiss bank account, you will not be able to open an account online at these banks. That could be the case if you are a young person opening your first bank account, or if you have recently moved to Switzerland.

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