J. Safra Sarasin: Swiss private bank account

Marcus Altenburg, Managing Partner Published 29 Jan 2026

J. Safra Sarasin is a private bank based in Basel, founded in 1841. 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 J. Safra Sarasin

Investment advice and asset management for private and institutional clients across more than 25 locations worldwide.

J. Safra Sarasin at a glance: legal status, head office, size and client access.
Type	Private bank
Head office	Basel, canton of Basel-Stadt
Founded	1841
Legal name	Bank J. Safra Sarasin Ltd
Assets	CHF 224.2 billion total client assets (as of 31 December 2024)
Swiss offices	Basel, Zurich, Geneva
Part of	J. Safra Group
Capital ratio	42.7% CET1 (2024)
Service languages	English, German
Regulator	FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority)
Non-residents	Accepts international clients

Owned by the Brazilian J. Safra Group; formed in 2013 from the merger of Bank Sarasin and Bank Jacob Safra Switzerland.
Founded in Basel in 1841.

What J. Safra Sarasin offers

Private banking and wealth management
Discretionary and advisory asset management
Family-office services
Institutional investment mandates
Sustainable and thematic investing

Can a non-resident open an account at J. Safra Sarasin?

Yes. J. Safra Sarasin 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 J. Safra Sarasin

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 J. Safra Sarasin 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 J. Safra Sarasin, 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. J. Safra Sarasin is supervised by FINMA, and reports a capital ratio of 42.7% CET1 (2024).

Credit ratings

Long-term issuer credit ratings for J. Safra Sarasin, as most recently published by each agency.
Agency	Rating	As of
S&P	A (stable)	2024

Is J. Safra Sarasin a fit for a non-resident?

As a private bank, J. Safra Sarasin 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 J. Safra Sarasin with 35 other Swiss banks.

Official website: J. Safra Sarasin.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Can a non-resident open an account at J. Safra Sarasin?

Yes. J. Safra Sarasin is a private bank in Basel 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 J. Safra Sarasin?

J. Safra Sarasin is a private bank, part of J. Safra Group, founded in 1841, based in Basel. Owned by the Brazilian J. Safra Group; formed in 2013 from the merger of Bank Sarasin and Bank Jacob Safra Switzerland.

What is the minimum to bank with J. Safra Sarasin?

There is no published per-bank minimum. As a private bank, J. Safra Sarasin 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 J. Safra Sarasin?

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 J. Safra Sarasin account remotely, without visiting Switzerland?

Usually not entirely. J. Safra Sarasin 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 J. Safra Sarasin 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. J. Safra Sarasin is supervised by FINMA.