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An account in Switzerland: bank or neobank, what minimum amount?

No Swiss law imposes a minimum deposit. Each bank sets its own conditions: deposit, fee-free threshold, fees. Comparison by household profile.

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An account in Switzerland: bank or neobank, what minimum amount?

Table of contents

Initial deposit: how much should you deposit when opening?
Account maintenance fees and fee-free threshold: what a low balance
Documents required by permit (B, L, C, cross-border commuter)
Salary, rent, insurance: which account for which daily needs?
Summary table: five institutions compared
Our verdict according to your situation
FAQ

Initial deposit: how much should you deposit when opening?

The first rent payment falls due on the 25th of the month. The first LAMal (compulsory health insurance) premium arrives by QR-bill. And the spouse's salary, since family reunification, has to land somewhere. In all three cases, a Swiss IBAN is already needed. Many new arrivals then wonder: how much do I need to have in my account for them to accept me?

First answer, a reassuring one: federal law sets no minimum deposit. There is no legal amount to reach. These are conditions specific to each institution, which may change. The amounts cited in this article are those published by the banks at the time of writing (October 2026). Check them again before taking any steps.

Three notions are often confused. The initial deposit is the sum paid in at opening. The balance required for free banking is the amount to maintain in order not to pay fees. Monthly fees are what you pay if that balance is not reached. An account may require no deposit and still charge fees from the first month.

At opening, the major retail banks generally advertise no mandatory deposit on their private current accounts. This is the case for PostFinance, UBS and most cantonal banks, including the BCGE in Geneva: their pricing pages mention no sum to be paid in to activate the private account. For a specific offer or a particular status, the amount must be requested at a branch. On the neobank side, opening is done with no mandatory deposit announced, but the card and certain options may be chargeable depending on the plan.

Verdict: for a family on a B permit, the initial deposit is almost never the real obstacle. Look instead at the next line, the one on fees.

Item	Amount	Share
1. Initial deposit (sum paid in at opening)	No mandatory deposit announced at PostFinance, UBS, cantonal banks (including the BCGE) and neobanks. No legal minimum. Specific offer or status: not disclosed, ask the branch	Not disclosed
2. Balance required for free banking (amount to maintain to avoid fees)	Specific to each institution, liable to change. Amount not disclosed, ask the branch	Not disclosed
3. Monthly account maintenance fees if the balance is not reached	PostFinance: monthly fees on the basic plan (waiver or reduction depending on age or status). UBS: monthly packages, reduced or waived depending on age or education. Cantonal banks (including BCGE): comparable packages, often advantageous for under-26s. Neobanks: free basic plan. Amounts: not disclosed, ask the branch	Not disclosed
4. Debit cards (cost multiplier for a household)	One card per adult, sometimes one for the teenager. Neobanks: card and certain options chargeable depending on the plan, paid subscriptions for cards or withdrawals abroad. Amounts: not disclosed, ask the branch	Not disclosed
Total	Not disclosed, ask the branch (total annual fees for a household: two accounts + two cards, to be calculated from the official schedules)	100%

1. Initial deposit (sum paid in at opening)

AmountNo mandatory deposit announced at PostFinance, UBS, cantonal banks (including the BCGE) and neobanks. No legal minimum. Specific offer or status: not disclosed, ask the branch

ShareNot disclosed

2. Balance required for free banking (amount to maintain to avoid fees)

AmountSpecific to each institution, liable to change. Amount not disclosed, ask the branch

ShareNot disclosed

3. Monthly account maintenance fees if the balance is not reached

AmountPostFinance: monthly fees on the basic plan (waiver or reduction depending on age or status). UBS: monthly packages, reduced or waived depending on age or education. Cantonal banks (including BCGE): comparable packages, often advantageous for under-26s. Neobanks: free basic plan. Amounts: not disclosed, ask the branch

ShareNot disclosed

4. Debit cards (cost multiplier for a household)

AmountOne card per adult, sometimes one for the teenager. Neobanks: card and certain options chargeable depending on the plan, paid subscriptions for cards or withdrawals abroad. Amounts: not disclosed, ask the branch

ShareNot disclosed

Total

AmountNot disclosed, ask the branch (total annual fees for a household: two accounts + two cards, to be calculated from the official schedules)

Share100%

No deposit is required at opening: the real cost of an account lies in monthly fees and cards

Key takeaway

The initial deposit is almost never the obstacle: what weighs on a household is the total annual cost of account maintenance fees and debit cards, to be noted from the official pricing pages.

Source: Official pricing pages of PostFinance, UBS, BCGE and neobanks, to be consulted noting the date of consultation (data as at October 2026, to be re-verified). No minimum deposit set by federal law; identification of clients under the anti-money-laundering law — fedlex.admin.ch

Account maintenance fees and fee-free threshold: what a low balance

This is where the balance really matters. An account opened without a deposit can be expensive if it stays at zero at month-end.

The published fee schedules show three approaches. PostFinance charges monthly account maintenance fees on its basic plan, with conditions for fee waivers or reductions linked to age or status (young people, students). UBS applies a package system with monthly fees, reduced or waived depending on age or education. Cantonal banks, including the BCGE, offer comparable packages, often advantageous for clients under 26. Neobanks advertise a free basic plan, with paid subscriptions for cards or withdrawals abroad.

Exact amounts change. For each institution, consult the official pricing page and note the date of consultation. If a figure is not clearly published, our table states "not disclosed, ask the branch" rather than estimating it.

The detail that weighs on a household: the debit card. One card for each adult, sometimes one for the teenager, and the cost climbs. Add it up before choosing.

Verdict: for a family, the deciding criterion is the total annual cost of fees for two cards and two accounts, not the deposit at opening.

Documents required by permit (B, L, C, cross-border commuter)

Banks must identify their clients and, generally, enquire about the origin of funds. This is based on the anti-money-laundering law and the due-diligence rules applicable to banks, available at fedlex.admin.ch. In practical terms, here is what is most often requested.

For a B, L or C permit: valid passport or identity card, residence permit or, failing that, the certificate from the cantonal population office (in Geneva, the OCPM), lease agreement or proof of address, and often the employment contract or payslip. For a cross-border commuter (G permit): identity document, G permit, employment contract, proof of address abroad. For a person whose permit has not yet been issued: some banks open an account on presentation of the OCPM certificate, others wait for the permit.

Remote opening is available at PostFinance, UBS, many cantonal banks and neobanks, with identity verification by video or by post. At the counter, allow for an appointment, often within a few days. The time to receive the card and e-banking access varies: ask the institution.

Please note: these lists describe what banks generally ask for. They do not guarantee acceptance. A precarious status, self-employment or residence outside Switzerland may lead to additional requests. In such cases, call the bank before gathering the papers.

Verdict: for a B permit holder arriving with their family, prepare the lease and the OCPM certificate first; these are the two documents that unlock the most applications.

Applicant's status / Document generally requested	Valid identity document	Residence permit or cantonal office certificate (OCPM in Geneva)	Lease or proof of address	Employment contract or payslip	Warning sign: additional requests
B, L or C permit	Requested: valid passport or identity card	Requested: residence permit or, failing that, OCPM certificate	Requested: lease agreement or proof of address in Switzerland	Often requested	Precarious status or self-employment: additional requests possible. Call the bank beforehand
Cross-border commuter (G permit)	Requested	G permit requested (no OCPM certificate mentioned)	Proof of address abroad	Employment contract requested	Residence outside Switzerland: additional requests possible. Call the bank beforehand
No permit issued yet	Not specified in the article	Variable: some banks open on the basis of the OCPM certificate, others wait for the permit	Not specified in the article	Not specified in the article	Precarious status: additional requests possible. Call the bank beforehand

B, L or C permit

Valid identity documentRequested: valid passport or identity card

Residence permit or cantonal office certificate (OCPM in Geneva)Requested: residence permit or, failing that, OCPM certificate

Lease or proof of addressRequested: lease agreement or proof of address in Switzerland

Employment contract or payslipOften requested

Warning sign: additional requestsPrecarious status or self-employment: additional requests possible. Call the bank beforehand

Cross-border commuter (G permit)

Valid identity documentRequested

Residence permit or cantonal office certificate (OCPM in Geneva)G permit requested (no OCPM certificate mentioned)

Lease or proof of addressProof of address abroad

Employment contract or payslipEmployment contract requested

Warning sign: additional requestsResidence outside Switzerland: additional requests possible. Call the bank beforehand

No permit issued yet

Valid identity documentNot specified in the article

Residence permit or cantonal office certificate (OCPM in Geneva)Variable: some banks open on the basis of the OCPM certificate, others wait for the permit

Lease or proof of addressNot specified in the article

Employment contract or payslipNot specified in the article

Warning sign: additional requestsPrecarious status: additional requests possible. Call the bank beforehand

For a B permit, the lease and the OCPM certificate unlock the most applications; atypical statuses require calling the bank beforehand

Key takeaway

For a B permit holder arriving with their family, prepare the lease and the OCPM certificate first, but these lists describe what banks most often ask for, with no guarantee of acceptance.

Source: Anti-money-laundering law and banks' due-diligence rules — fedlex.admin.ch; conditions published by the banks (as at October 2026), to be re-verified before any steps are taken. Documents most often requested, with no guarantee of acceptance.

Salary, rent, insurance: which account for which daily needs?

The account has to serve a few specific purposes. Receiving the salary. Paying the rent. Settling the LAMal premium, often monthly or quarterly. Paying household insurance, annually. And, depending on the situation, childcare fees, invoiced each month.

For these recurring payments, the QR-bill and the standing order must work without friction. Traditional banks and PostFinance handle them natively. Most neobanks handle them too, but check that the IBAN provided is genuinely a Swiss IBAN (starting with CH): some services offer a foreign IBAN, which your employer or landlord might refuse.

Another point: salary payment. A Swiss employer pays into a Swiss IBAN. After family reunification, the spouse who takes up employment will need their own account, not just access to the household account.

For euro or multi-currency accounts, useful to those who send money to family who stayed abroad or pay expenses in France, the offer varies. Traditional banks offer foreign-currency accounts, sometimes with their own balance conditions. Neobanks often highlight multi-currency exchange. Compare conversion fees, not just the displayed rate.

Verdict: for everyday family life, favour a complete main Swiss account, and add a multi-currency account as a complement if needed.

Summary table: five institutions compared

The table below reproduces the information published by each institution. The "not disclosed" cells indicate a figure to request from the branch or to confirm on the pricing page. Last consultation of the public pages: October 2026. Check each line before going in person.

This table does not replace each bank's pricing page, the only up-to-date reference. Before opening an account, compare above all the monthly fees column for two adults and their cards.

Our verdict according to your situation

Family arriving with a B permit. Aim for PostFinance, UBS or the Geneva cantonal bank as your main account. Key criterion: the column on permits accepted and documents. Open it before the first rent payment, with the lease and the OCPM certificate in hand. One account per adult, so that each salary has its own IBAN.

Single person on a short stay. A neobank or a basic fee-free account is often enough. Key criterion: monthly fees if the balance stays low, and remote opening. Check the end date of your stay, as some banks ask for the account to be closed on departure.

Cross-border commuter. The choice depends on the employer and the country of residence. Key criterion: the permits accepted (G permit) and currency management. A Swiss account for the salary, a euro account for day-to-day spending on the French side, is a common set-up. Confirm acceptance of the G permit with the bank before sending your documents.

Self-employed person or micro-business. Separate the private account from the business account from the outset. Key criterion: the documents required, which are more numerous (commercial register entry, description of the activity). Acceptance is not guaranteed: contact the institution before investing time in the file.

Whatever your profile, remember this: no Swiss law sets a minimum amount. It is the conditions of each bank that count, and they can be checked in two calls. To go further, see our guide on how to open a Swiss bank account for expatriates and non-residents, our selection of the best bank accounts in Switzerland for expatriates, and our reflection on choosing the best Swiss bank by profile.

"This article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice; account-opening conditions vary from bank to bank and change regularly, so we invite you to check them directly with the institution concerned or with a qualified professional."

FAQ

No. No federal law sets a minimum deposit. Each bank defines its own conditions: initial deposit, balance required for free banking and monthly fees. These conditions change, so they should be checked on the official pricing page.