How to Open an Account with BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA

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Year of Establishment;1872 History;BNP Paribas traces its origins back to 1848 with the establishment of Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris and Comptoir National d’Escompte de Mulhouse. Paribas was founded in 1872 as Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas, a merger between Banque de Paris (1869) and Banque de Crédit et de Dépôt (1863, Amsterdam). In 1968, it became the parent of Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas (Suisse) SA. In 1984, it was renamed Banque Paribas (Suisse) SA. In October 1994, it acquired Paribas Privatbank SA, changed its name to Paribas (Suisse) SA in January 1999, and then to BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA in May 2000. Further mergers followed: with United European Bank (March 2001), UEB (Switzerland) in 2006, Lavoro Bank AG in 2007, and Fortis Banque (Suisse) SA in 2010. Staff;Approximately 850 employees, including Russian-speaking personnel Ownership;99.99% owned by BNP Paribas SA (Paris, France) Confidentiality & Compliance;Treaties on legal assistance and double taxation with Russia in place. Strict adherence to AML regulations. Active member of OECD, FATF, Basel Committee, Egmont Group, and others.

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Minimum Balance;CHF 1,000,000 Monthly Transfers Allowed;Unlimited, however, the bank does not profit from payment transactions – revenue comes from credit interest on working capital financing Initial Deposit;Not required Deposit Timeline;No formal timeline, prolonged inactivity may lead to account closure discussions Payment Execution Time;Next day for urgent payments, T+3 for standard transactions

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Incoming Payments;No fees charged Account Maintenance;EUR 250 per year Account Management;Online banking available for account monitoring, traditional communication channels also supported Banking Products;Apart from export financing (including letters of credit, guarantees, etc.), the bank is selective with other banking services Credit Cards;Cards issued via a savings account opened with a subsidiary structure, due to the bank's focus on trade finance

Parameter;Details

Personal Visit;Mandatory for account opening Documents Required;In addition to standard due diligence documents (GSL-certified passport copy, proof of address, apostilled corporate documents), apostilled and signed bank forms are also required. The full list of documents is determined on a case-by-case basis, based on the applicant’s business (contracts, trade documentation, customs declarations, etc.) Account Type;Savings account Meeting With Banker;Account may be opened without visiting the country Probability of Approval;Generally predictable Business Description;A reasonably detailed business profile is required, including source of funds information