DISCLAIMER: This post was last modified on 27 August 2024. Some information in this article may not be updated.

Switzerland has a well-established reputation in the global wealth management industry. Several factors contribute to its prominence as a private wealth centre, including its well-regulated financial services sector, economic stability and attractive tax system. Situated in the heart of Europe, the country provides businesses and investors with easy access to key global markets, making it an ideal place to establish a European presence.  

Trust administration in Switzerland

With the ratification of the Hague Trust Convention on 1 July 2007, Swiss trustees can administer trusts in Switzerland under international law, and Switzerland has also become a premier location for trust administration. Furthermore, Swiss trustees are licensed by the Swiss Regulator, the Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).  

Trusts with Swiss trustee

Given its flexibility, a trust is a valuable instrument for asset protection and estate planning. Although Switzerland does not have its own trust law, Swiss trustees can administer trusts established under the laws of other jurisdictions, such as Jersey, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands or the UK. 

The settlor, who transfers assets to a trustee for the benefit of the beneficiaries, can select the law of any specified trust jurisdiction to oversee the trust. A Swiss trustee, for instance, can establish and administer a trust under the laws of the BVI and is responsible for maintaining and managing the trust’s assets in the Beneficiaries’ best interests as per BVI trust law. 

What is a Swiss trustee?

A Swiss ‘trustee’ is a (natural or legal) person based in Switzerland who manages or disposes of a separate fund on a professional basis for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries.  

Supervision of a Swiss trustee

According to Swiss legislation, professional trustees must obtain a licence and can only operate under the supervision of FINMA.  

In addition to having qualified trust managers, professional trustees must have adequate capitalisation, internal control systems and risk management. Swiss trustees are also subject to the oversight of various supervisory bodies as they fulfil the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) due diligence requirements.  

Swiss trustee services

Global trends towards higher standards have led to significant growth in Swiss trustee services. Switzerland presents tailor-made personalised trustee services in a central location for families from almost all regions to support their cross-border wealth management. Trusts are administered in Switzerland for global families with various needs, including family governance, investment supervision, corporate requirements, asset protection, philanthropy, generational transfer of assets and succession planning, as well as centralisation of assets close to where the banks serving these same families are located. Swiss Trustees are used to deal with banks from many different jurisdictions, including Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the UK, the USA, Singapore and Hong Kong.  

Bolder as your partner in the Swiss market

Bolder Group’s presence in Switzerland supports UHNW Families, entrepreneurs, managers, entities and corporations looking to enter the Swiss market with our extensive corporate, funds, governance and private wealth solutions. Our team of experts can assist you in successfully managing your funds, business and private wealth by guiding you through the complexities of the jurisdictions involved.  

We also offer professional trustee and corporate services, as well as fund structuring, to further assist you in leveraging Switzerland’s strong tax structure and business opportunities. Our trustee services, offered from our Swiss office, are tailored to the needs of each client and focus on families looking for high-quality and very discreet personal trustee services.  

With Bolder’s recent acquisition of Athos Group, we now offer more robust private wealth and family office services for wealthy individuals and families in various private wealth hubs, such as Switzerland, Monaco, Singapore and Hong Kong.  

Contact our team today to discuss your needs in entering the Swiss market.  

To learn more about trusts, download our fact sheet here.  

Bolder Group does not provide financial, tax or legal advice and the information contained herein is meant for general information purposes only. We strongly recommend that before acting on any of the information contained herein, readers should consult with their professional advisers. The Bolder Group accepts no liability for any errors or omissions in the information, or the consequences resulting from any action taken by a reader based on the information provided herein.

Bolder Group refers to the global network of independent subsidiaries of Bolder Group Holding BV. Bolder Group Holding BV provides no client services. Such services are provided solely by the independent companies within the Bolder Group which are each legally distinct and separate entities and have no authority (actual, apparent, implied or otherwise) to obligate or bind Bolder Group Holding BV in any manner whatsoever. The operations of the Bolder Group are conducted independently and have no affiliation with third party financial, tax or legal advisory firms or corporations.