Swiss Asset Management company

Swiss Asset Management companies licensing in 2022

Disclaimer: Some Swiss financial market regulation changes entered into force in 2020. The following information on this page has not been updated accordingly. Please, ask our office for additional clarification about your planned activities.

Asset Management Companies in Switzerland have to be licensed in FINMA or SRO.

We will gladly assist with all related questions from your case analysis until the application. The current fees and the timelines are as follows:

1. Starting a New Company:

Time Needed: About 8-9 weeks.
Cost: CHF 60,000-70,000, including setup, compliance, and first-year maintenance fees.
Share Capital: You need to own at least 50% of the company's share capital (minimum CHF 50,000). This amount is only held temporarily until the company is registered and has a corporate bank account.

2. Buying an Existing Shelf Company:

Time Needed: Roughly 4-5 weeks.
Cost: CHF 80,000-100,000, depending on the chosen shelf company.
Maintenance Expenses: First-year fees are included in the cost.

Maintenance expenses for the first year are included in the price (description below).

Spanish version of this page is available by this link.

Here is a summary of the typical costs and steps involved in setting up a Swiss asset management company, along with the included first-year maintenance expenses:

Company Creation Costs and Steps:

Acquire a shelf company or establish a Swiss company
Modify the company's objectives, addresses, and directors
Apply for SRO registration as a financial intermediary
Apply for a corporate account in a Swiss bank
Apply for a manager account in a Swiss bank
Create a master (template) management agreement for clients

First-Year Maintenance Expenses (included in price):

Registered compliance officer (provides assistance for compliance issues but does not handle daily compliance tasks)
Legal officer support (answers inquiries via legal@xxxxxx.ch)
Swiss director
Virtual office for one year
SRO membership fees

Payment Terms:

70% deposit
30% upon receiving SRO registration

The typical allowed activities for Swiss asset management companies are:

Individuals or entities engaging in the following professional activities must obtain SRO membership:

Carrying out credit transactions (consumer loans, mortgages, factoring, commercial financing, or financial leasing)
Providing payment transaction services (electronic transfers, issuing/managing credit cards or travelers' cheques)
Trading in banknotes, coins, money market instruments, foreign exchange, precious metals, commodities, securities, and derivatives
Managing assets
Offering investment advice
Holding or administering securities

"Professional" criteria are specified in the Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance. If you meet the thresholds, you must apply for SRO membership or FINMA authorization within two months.

SRO membership requires financial intermediaries to fulfill specific duties and pay an annual membership fee. Members are also subject to audits.

Please let us know if you need any further clarification.

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