Banque Heritage SA: Swiss private bank account

Marcus Altenburg, Managing Partner Published 01 May 2026

Banque Heritage SA is a private bank based in Geneva, founded in 1986. It works with international clients, so a non-resident can open an account here when the source-of-funds file is clean. As a private bank, it typically expects a private-banking relationship, commonly from CHF 500,000 upward — as of July 2026, and not a published per-bank figure.

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About Banque Heritage SA

Family-controlled private bank serving high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and institutions; does not serve US persons.

Banque Heritage SA at a glance: legal status, head office, size and client access.
Type	Private bank
Head office	Geneva
Founded	1986
Assets	CHF 5.08 billion (as of 30 June 2025)
Swiss offices	Geneva, Zurich, Basel, Sion
Part of	Esteve family
Service languages	English, French, German, Spanish
Regulator	FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority)
Non-residents	Accepts international clients

Family-controlled by the Esteve family (linked to commodity trader ECOM).
Originated 1986 in Lausanne; Swiss banking licence in 2004; offices in Geneva, Basel, Sion and Zurich.

What Banque Heritage SA offers

Private banking for high-net-worth clients
Discretionary and advisory asset management
Wealth planning and family-office services
Pension planning
Structured products and alternative investments

Can a non-resident open an account at Banque Heritage SA?

Yes. Banque Heritage SA assesses each non-resident applicant on source of wealth, source of funds and risk profile, and runs an English-language service for international clients. The decisive factor is a documented source of funds, not nationality. Assemble the evidence (tax returns, sale or employment records, a clear paper trail) before you approach the bank.

How to open an account at Banque Heritage SA

Confirm your profile and the account type. Agree the type of relationship — personal, private-banking or corporate — and the likely minimum with a relationship manager.
Assemble the documents. A valid passport, proof of address dated within three months, and evidence of the source of your funds and wealth (full checklist below).
Verify your identity. Residents can usually start online or in a branch; a non-resident normally attends one in-person meeting at a Swiss office.
Compliance review, then go-live. The bank runs its onboarding, AML and source-of-funds checks, then opens the account and issues access. Expect two to six weeks once the file is complete.

Requirements: resident vs non-resident

Indicative onboarding requirements for a private bank, by residency (as of July 2026 — segment-typical, not a published Banque Heritage SA figure).
Requirement	Swiss resident	Non-resident
Typical minimum	CHF 250,000 – 500,000	CHF 500,000+
Identification	One meeting or a relationship manager	Usually one in-person meeting at the Swiss office
Indicative timeline	one to three weeks	two to six weeks
Remote opening	Sometimes	Rarely — usually one Swiss visit

Documents you will need

a valid passport or national identity card;
proof of residential address dated within the last three months (utility bill, bank statement or official letter);
evidence of the source of funds and source of wealth (tax returns, employment or sale contracts, business records, inheritance documents);
a FATCA/CRS self-certification, plus beneficial-ownership declarations where a company or structure holds the account.

How your money is protected

Deposits at Banque Heritage SA, as at every Swiss bank, are covered by the Swiss depositor-protection scheme (esisuisse) up to CHF 100,000 per client, per bank. Securities held in custody remain the client's property and are segregated from the bank's own balance sheet, so they are returned in full even if the bank fails. Banque Heritage SA is supervised by FINMA.

Is Banque Heritage SA a fit for a non-resident?

As a private bank, Banque Heritage SA is built for substantial, advised relationships rather than a simple transactional account. It suits a non-resident with investable assets who wants wealth management alongside banking and can meet a private-banking entry level.

If you would rather have this handled than explained, we prepare the source-of-funds file and introduce you to a suitable bank, and we can incorporate the company an account often sits behind. You can also compare Banque Heritage SA with 35 other Swiss banks.

Official website: Banque Heritage SA.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Can a non-resident open an account at Banque Heritage SA?

Yes. Banque Heritage SA is a private bank in Geneva that works with international clients. As with any Swiss bank, approval turns on a documented source of funds and the bank's own onboarding checks, not on nationality alone.

What kind of bank is Banque Heritage SA?

Banque Heritage SA is a private bank, part of Esteve family, founded in 1986, based in Geneva. Family-controlled by the Esteve family (linked to commodity trader ECOM).

What is the minimum to bank with Banque Heritage SA?

There is no published per-bank minimum. As a private bank, Banque Heritage SA typically expects a private-banking relationship, commonly from CHF 500,000 upward. The realistic entry point depends on the relationship rather than a fixed rule (as of July 2026).

How long does it take to open an account at Banque Heritage SA?

Typically one to three weeks for a Swiss resident and two to six weeks for a non-resident, measured from a complete file. The compliance and source-of-funds checks are the main variable, not the paperwork itself.

Can I open a Banque Heritage SA account remotely, without visiting Switzerland?

Usually not entirely. Banque Heritage SA normally expects a non-resident to attend one in-person meeting at its Swiss office; the rest of the process runs remotely.

How are deposits at Banque Heritage SA protected?

Cash deposits are covered by the Swiss depositor-protection scheme (esisuisse) up to CHF 100,000 per client, per bank. Securities held in custody are your property and are segregated from the bank's own balance sheet, so they are returned in full even in an insolvency. Banque Heritage SA is supervised by FINMA.

Does Banque Heritage SA serve clients in English?

Yes. Banque Heritage SA runs an English-language service alongside French, German, Spanish, so a non-resident can be onboarded and advised in English.

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