Asset thresholds
There is no single Swiss private-banking minimum. Entry points vary by institution, client country and service model. Some relationships begin in the low seven figures; traditional private banks can require several million or more, especially for cross-border clients.
For the surrounding context, see Swiss banking hub.
Ask the bank for the actual minimum for your nationality and residence, not its generic marketing threshold.
If this decision changes the viability or sequence of your move, a Swiss relocation strategy consultation can apply it to your own facts.
Whether a Swiss private bank takes you without Swiss residence at all is a different question, and the answer is usually no. FreedomBanking works one house through in detail: Julius Baer without Swiss residency.
Three mandate models
Execution-only: you make the decisions; the bank executes and holds assets.
Advisory: the bank proposes, you approve.
Discretionary: the bank manages within an agreed mandate.
Fees rise as advice and discretion increase, and product costs sit underneath the headline management fee.
When it can be worth it
A good private bank can coordinate securities lending, mortgages, multi-currency liquidity, estate structures and family wealth across borders. It can also make large source-of-funds and transfer processes substantially smoother because the institution understands the whole wealth story.
For the surrounding context, see opening a Swiss bank account.
Four questions before signing
- What is the all-in annual cost including custody, mandate, funds and FX?
- Is the adviser paid to sell house products?
- What happens if I move countries again?
- Which services justify the fee that a low-cost broker cannot provide?
Private banking should buy complexity management, not expensive index funds.
For the surrounding context, see choosing a Swiss bank.
The all-in fee is the number to ask for
A private-bank proposal can contain custody, advisory or discretionary fees, trading commissions, FX spreads, fund TERs, structured-product margins and retrocessions or other product economics. Ask for a worked annual example on your actual portfolio size and asset mix.
Then compare it with the alternative: low-cost broker + separate tax adviser + separate estate lawyer. Private banking earns its price when coordination, credit and continuity are worth more than the fee difference.
The relationship becomes most valuable at transitions
Liquidity events, inheritance, a move to another country, a property purchase and succession are the moments when a bank that knows the family can save time. A Lombard facility against liquid assets can create fast property-purchase liquidity without forcing a sale. Powers of attorney and death processes can also be handled more smoothly if they were set up before the emergency.
For an internationally mobile client, ask one question that is often forgotten: will the bank still serve me if I move again? A Swiss relationship that is perfect while you live in Geneva can become restricted after a move to the US, UK or another jurisdiction.
General information on Swiss law and practice, not individual legal, tax or investment advice.
