How do you open a bank account to set up a company in Switzerland? What are the costs and timeframes for opening a bank account to set up a company in Switzerland?
To set up a company in Switzerland it is necessary to have, among other formalities, a bank account of the future Swiss company c/o a Swiss bank.
This service is offered by some banks after the verification of aspects relating to the future company (effective future operability of the same company, existence of rented or owned offices or warehouses, business plan etc.).
In recent years, due to a growing number of companies established in Canton Ticino (Switzerland) which have turned out to be “shell” companies, the Swiss banks have introduced “parameters” both to verify the future operability of the company being established and to verify the origin of the funds of the shareholders/partners.
Opening a bank account in Switzerland for a future company has become increasingly complicated in recent years; the banks carry out checks on the shareholders/partners and examine the company project (requesting information both on the activity that will be carried out by the future company and on the effective operability, for which in certain cases it may be necessary to prepare a business plan indicating the office or spaces that will be rented, the number of employees that you think will be hired etc...).
The normal requirements include, in addition, the transfer of the amount corresponding to the share capital from a bank in the country of residence of the future shareholder/partner.
The time required to open a bank account to set up a new company is about two weeks. The costs vary from one institution to another, but they are low nevertheless.
Our firm has developed an in-depth knowledge of the dynamics of this delicate and necessary phase for the establishment of a new company in Switzerland and/or the opening of a business in Switzerland, and therefore we are able to advise you as to which bank to contact and what information and documents are required to open an account for a future company in Switzerland.