Best Bank Accounts in Switzerland: Our Top Picks

Compare the best options on the market and choose the one which best adapts to your day-to-day needs.

Further Below: Our Guide To Bank Accounts in Switzerland, Everything you need to know.

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Best Bank for Non-German Speakers

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Best Mobile Bank for Swiss Residents

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Best Traditional Bank

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Things to know about Swiss bank accounts

Just a quick 2 min read about the most common issues we see with our readers:

What is the Swiss “withholding tax”?

When you keep money in your swiss bank account, you can earn a bit of interest on it, but you will have to pay a tax on that interest earned called the Swiss withholding tax if it is in Swiss Francs (CHF).

Therefore, people who do not live in Switzerland or make payments in CHF choose to have their accounts in other currencies offered like the Euro, US Dollar, or Pound Sterling. Those currencies can be placed in a money market fund to earn interest for you there which will not have to pay the Swiss withholding tax.

How do I open a checking account at these banks or any other bank in Switzerland?

Opening a checking account with a bank in Austria is relatively simple to do and can be done relatively quickly (in 30 minutes or so) if you do their sign-up process in person and even shorter if done online.

Digital Banks like N26 or DKB offer sign-up processes that are usually much shorter. And they can be done from the comfort of your phone or laptop where you can scan your documents using your webcam or phone camera.

But usually, there are some information or document requirements that may vary from bank to bank. If you follow this list, you should be pretty safe.

Usual requirements for opening checking accounts in Austria:

• Completed application form with Name, Address, Nationality, Income, etc
• Valid Passport or ID (if you are opening a joint account with another person, make sure they have their documents too)
• Proof of address or registration (like a recent utility bill or “Meldezettel”)
• Initial Deposit (depends on your bank how much they will require as a minimum)
• Proof of income or employment (some banks may want to check the origin of the funds)

Whether you are a Swiss resident or not will also affect what type of current account you can have (“resident” or “non-resident” account) and which banks you can sign up with.

It’s best to check out their websites or speak with them directly to find out. They’re usually very helpful in giving you the information you need.

International online banks like N26 usually tend to be the easiest and most open to non-residents, but it’s also worth checking out traditional ones like UBS.

How to close or change bank accounts in Switzerland

Closing or switching bank accounts is pretty simple to do in Switzerland as long as you don’t owe the bank any money.

Usually, there tends to be a “closing account order” application or letter you need to complete and sign. Alternatively, you can either visit a physical branch or call them and they’re usually very friendly in helping you out in closing your account.

Make sure to ask that you’re following all the correct requirements and don’t have any fees that you have not paid off yet.

Things you have to make sure to do are:

• Make sure you don’t get charged any penalty fees for closing the account before a specified “minimum” time has elapsed since you opened the account.
• Get written confirmation in the form of a letter or email that the account has officially been closed
• If you’re switching over to a new account, transfer over all future incoming and outgoing payments such as direct debits, salaries, or standing orders. Usually either the old bank or the new bank that your switching to will take care of this if you ask.
• Make sure you’ve transferred all your money out of the old account and into the new account.
• Let your employer and, others who would transfer money to you, know that your old account will no longer work.

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Wrapping up

So overall you can see, choosing a bank account can be hard at first, but becomes easier if you know what exactly that you want. So try to make a list of the things that are important to you such as language or having physical branches, etc.

Then, try visiting their websites or even physical branches if they have any, to check out the different accounts (if they have more than one) and other products that they offer. You should be able to get a feeling for the banks pretty quickly and which one suits you.

If you feel comfortable with these banks you may even want to get more products from them like a savings account to earn interest on your money.

Once you’ve developed a relationship with your bank, later on, you might even get a business account, loan or mortgage from them once you develop a bit of credit history that they can evaluate you on.

But don’t worry too much about it if you end up opening an account with a bank which you don’t end up liking later. Banks in Switzerland allow you to close an account and switch over to another pretty easily and without a hassle.

Keep in mind though that I personally find it very useful to have two checking accounts instead of just one. So that in case there is ever an issue with one, you can still access your money in the other, so you’re not left stranded with no money.

Personally, I’ve become a fan of the online digital banks because of how simple and easy it is to do everything with banks like N26 or Neon from the comfort of my phone or laptop. But of course, you should only do so if you’re comfortable with doing all your banking online.

On the other hand, online banks tend to not offer more complex financial management services like loans, health insurance or mortgages that you would find at a traditional bank. So if you want some of those more complex products, you might need to look at more traditional banks like UBS.

But don’t worry. You can easily have a checking account at an online bank and still have other more complex products from other banks.

If you’re arriving in Switzerland soon, make sure to sort out your bank account sooner rather than later in case there are any delays, depending on the bank you sign up with. Life will be a lot more difficult if you don’t have one.

In the end, it is up to you and what you need that will decide which is the best bank for you. Hopefully, this article will have helped you with it.

Good luck with opening a bank account in Switzerland. If you have any questions or want us to write another post on something else too, let us know here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreigner or non-resident open a bank account in Switzerland?

A person of any nationality can open a bank account in Austria, but some banks might require at least a residence in Austria or in the EU/EFTA region depending on the accounts available.

If you are a non-resident, you will only be able to open a non-resident account and you might be subject to higher deposit minimums and might be charged much higher fees at Swiss banks. Traditional Banks usually have a dedicated department for setting up non-resident/international accounts.

Usually, it tends to be the online banks that are the most open with residence requirements and some even allow residence from pretty much anywhere in the world.

But it is important to check with a bank yourself if they accept your country of residence. You can usually do so on the website or during the sign-up process.

Can I have two bank accounts in Switzerland?

Yes, you can have as many bank accounts as you like in Switzerland. Just be aware of the extra hassle and possibly extra cost if you go for accounts that charge monthly fees.

Even if you go with a “free” account as the extra one, check that you keep meeting the minimum flow of income if it is required to keep them from charging you a fee. Some banks like to do this, so check in case.

Can I keep my Swiss bank accounts even after I leave Switzerland?

It depends entirely on your bank and account whether or not you can keep your Swiss bank accounts even after you leave Switzerland.

Some banks might charge you fees if you have a resident account but are no longer a resident in Switzerland. Or, if you no longer live in Switzerland, they might ask you to close your account and transfer your funds elsewhere.

Also, your tax status may change, or some banks may not be able to send you important notifications and PIN numbers if you change to a foreign number.

But these things vary a lot from bank to bank and its best to ask them and they should be happy to help. Overall, it is usually very helpful to keep your account since it might come in handy later.

If it’s a resident account at a traditional bank that charges a lot of fees if you are no longer a resident, then it might be better to close the account. In this sense, N26 is known to be very friendly since they don’t require a Swiss residency.

How long do applications for bank accounts in Switzerland take?

Once you’ve booked and arrived at the appointment made at the physical branch, standard traditional banks usually take from a week up to a month, to approve and open a new bank account.

The reason why it takes so long is usually for them to examine the origin of your income so you aren’t laundering money.

They also usually tend to take longer than digital banks since they sometimes need to send you documents to your address.

Online digital banks instead usually approve and open your bank account for you within 24 hours if not immediately.

How can I set up an overdraft?

The process to set up an overdraft will depend on the bank itself and will often have very different policies and requirements. Usually, you have to complete an overdraft application form in order to set up the facility for an overdraft in case you might need it.

Digital banks tend to reply and approve/reject your application within a few days or even within the same day. On the other end, traditional banks can sometimes take weeks to process your application.

Be aware that some banks tend to be quite strict with their overdrafts and may require months of credit history before accepting an application.

Banks will also differ in the amount they allow for you to have on your overdraft. Some will allow a fixed amount (such as up to €10,000 for an N26 overdraft) or an amount relative to your average net monthly income.

But be careful with your overdraft and make sure to pay it off as quickly as possible to avoid the interest charges (which vary from bank to bank).

What is the minimum age to open a bank account in Switzerland?

Usually, banks require a minimum age of 18 in order to open your own bank account, but this can vary from bank to bank in their process and requirements, especially for digital banks.

Normally, banks tend to allow parents or legal guardians to open bank accounts for their children if they are under the age of 18.

Can I open a bank account for my children?

Yes, you can open a bank account for your child if they are under the age of 18.

Remember that you will need to provide the ID or Passport for both you and your child. Some banks might require that the parent needs to already have an account with the same bank too.

It is best to check and call the bank to see whether they have accounts available for those under the age of 18.