Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to FINMA authorisation, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in Switzerland.
The licence of the private-banking heartland: FINMA authorisation as a portfolio manager under FinIA - supervisory-organisation affiliation, CHF 100,000 capital plus own funds of a quarter of fixed annual costs, the securities-firm route at CHF 1.5 million where dealing enters, and the standing that global wealth already trusts.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Switzerland in brief
The licence sized for the boutique - in the market built for wealth.
Switzerland brought independent wealth managers under authorisation with FinIA: FINMA licenses the portfolio manager, and a supervisory organisation (SO) carries the ongoing supervision - a two-layer model that keeps federal oversight without federal overhead. The licence triggers when management becomes commercial: gross revenue above CHF 50,000 a year, contractual relationships with more than 20 participants, or assets above CHF 5 million. Capital is CHF 100,000 paid in cash, with own funds maintained at a quarter of fixed annual costs per FinIA, and where dealing on own account or client accounts enter, the securities-firm licence at CHF 1.5 million under direct FINMA supervision takes over.
The commercial case is the brand: Switzerland is the world's leading centre for cross-border private wealth, and a Swiss authorisation reads as institutional quality from Geneva to Singapore without further explanation. There is no EU passport - Swiss standing works globally by reputation and treaty instead, with union clients served under member-state rules or a paired EU licence. The operating economics close the argument: Zug combines federal and cantonal tax to roughly 12%, VAT runs at 8.1% with the exempt finance core, and the 100+ treaty network is one of the world's deepest. For boutique portfolio managers, family offices stepping into third-party money and dealers seeking the heartland's stamp, we build the file - SO and FINMA together - end to end from Zug.
The heartland licence: FinIA portfolio manager - FINMA authorisation with SO supervision, CHF 100,000 capital in cash plus own funds at ¼ of fixed costs; securities firm at CHF 1.5M where dealing enters. Triggers: CHF 50k revenue · 20 clients · CHF 5M AUM.
No EU passport - the world's strongest private-wealth brand instead, at ≈12% combined tax in Zug. Built end to end, SO and FINMA as one file.
The two builds
The portfolio manager - or the securities firm.
Two FinIA routes: the SO-supervised portfolio manager at CHF 100,000, or the FINMA-direct securities firm at CHF 1.5 million. The service set decides. We fix it first.
The SO-supervised manager - or the CHF 1.5M securities firm.
01 - PORTFOLIO MANAGER · FinIA
The boutique's licence
Discretionary mandates and advisory for private and professional clients - CHF 100,000 capital, own funds at a quarter of fixed costs, SO affiliation with FINMA authorisation. The regime built for the independent wealth manager.
Discretionary mandates and advisory for private and professional clients - CHF 100,000 capital, own funds at a quarter of fixed costs, SO affiliation with FINMA authorisation. The regime built for the independent wealth manager.
- ✓Discretionary portfolio management
- ✓Advisory and execution mandates
- ✓CHF 100,000 paid in cash
- ✓Own funds - ¼ of fixed costs
- ✓SO supervision · FINMA licence
- ✓Triggers: CHF 50k · 20 clients · CHF 5M
02 - SECURITIES FIRM
The dealing firm
Dealing on own account, market-making and client accounts under direct FINMA supervision - CHF 1.5 million capital and the full prudential frame, with the standing Swiss counterparties price in.
Dealing, market-making and client accounts under direct FINMA supervision at CHF 1.5 million. The broker-dealer standing Swiss counterparties price.
- ✓Dealing and market-making
- ✓Client accounts and custody
- ✓CHF 1.5M minimum capital
- ✓Direct FINMA supervision
- ✓Audit-firm oversight built in
- ✓Upgrade path from the manager
Capital, own-funds and threshold figures per FinIA and its ordinance as of 2026. FINMA and SO fees follow their schedules. Confirmed at filing.
Why Switzerland
Six reasons managers choose the heartland.
✓
The brand itself
Swiss authorisation is the one credential global private clients recognise without explanation. The licence is marketing.Recognised without explanation.
✓
A regime sized for boutiques
The SO model keeps supervision proportionate. Federal standing without a bank-scale compliance department.SO keeps it proportionate.
✓
Thresholds that phase you in
Below CHF 50,000 revenue, 20 clients and CHF 5 million, management stays pre-commercial. The licence arrives when the business does.50k · 20 · 5M triggers.
✓
Franc and stability
The currency, legal system and political continuity that wealth buys Switzerland for. Your firm sells the same qualities.You sell what wealth buys.
✓
Zug economics
Roughly 12% combined corporate tax with lean cantonal administration. Heartland standing at challenger cost.Heartland at challenger cost.
✓
Standing without the union
No EU passport, and global reach anyway: Swiss firms serve international wealth by reputation, treaties and paired structures.Reach without the union.
How it compares
How Switzerland differs from other routes.
The comparison in plain terms: no EU passport, and the strongest private-wealth brand in the world instead.
Switzerland vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Switzerland | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | FinIA - FINMA + SO | EU MiFID or offshore |
| Capital | CHF 100k / CHF 1.5M | €75k-€750k EU tiers |
| Passport | None - Swiss standing | 30 EEA states |
| Clientele | Global private wealth | Union-anchored |
Regime
SwitzerlandFinIA - FINMA + SO
Other jurisdictionsEU MiFID or offshore
Capital
SwitzerlandCHF 100k / CHF 1.5M
Other jurisdictions€75k-€750k EU tiers
Passport
SwitzerlandNone - Swiss standing
Other jurisdictions30 EEA states
Clientele
SwitzerlandGlobal private wealth
Other jurisdictionsUnion-anchored
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Portfolio manager - FINMA·SO | ≈12% Zug combined | CHF 100k + ¼ fixed costs |
 Luxembourg | Investment firm - CSSF | ≈23.9% aggregate | €75k-€750k, four eyes |
 England | Investment firm - FCA | 25% main rate | MIFIDPRU £75k-£750k |
 Singapore | CMS licence - MAS | 17% + incentives | S$1M-S$5M base capital |
SwitzerlandLicense typePortfolio manager - FINMA·SO
Taxation≈12% Zug combined
RequirementsCHF 100k + ¼ fixed costs
LuxembourgLicense typeInvestment firm - CSSF
Taxation≈23.9% aggregate
Requirements€75k-€750k, four eyes
EnglandLicense typeInvestment firm - FCA
Taxation25% main rate
RequirementsMIFIDPRU £75k-£750k
SingaporeLicense typeCMS licence - MAS
Taxation17% + incentives
RequirementsS$1M-S$5M base capital
Before you apply
Requirements for the Swiss licence.Requirements for the licence.
Two examiners. The SO first, FINMA above it. The checklist below is what a passing file contains.
01
Swiss company. AG or GmbH with registered seat and effective management in Switzerland.
02
Initial capital - CHF 100,000 fully paid in cash; CHF 1.5 million for the securities firm.
03
Own funds. Maintained at one quarter of fixed annual costs per FinIA, monitored continuously.
04
SO affiliation. Membership of a supervisory organisation, applied for in parallel with FINMA.
05
Qualified managers. Professional training and experience per FinIA, individually assessed.
06
Fit-and-proper shareholders. Qualifying holdings vetted to beneficial-owner level.
07
Business plan. Client base, AUM projections and three-year numbers examiners can test.
08
Risk and internal control. Proportionate architecture, with PI insurance where it substitutes own funds.
09
AML/CFT programme. AMLA compliance with a named responsible officer.
10
Custody arrangements. Client assets with Swiss or approved foreign custodians.
11
Substance. A real Swiss operation both the SO and FINMA can visit.
01
Swiss AG/GmbH, run locally.
02
CHF 100k paid in cash.
03
Own funds ¼ fixed costs.
04
SO affiliation secured.
05
Managers FinIA-qualified.
06
Holdings vetted to UBO.
07
Testable business plan.
08
Risk control, PI insurance.
09
AMLA programme, officer.
10
Swiss custody, real office.
Reflects FinIA, FinSA and their ordinances as of 2026. Below the commercial thresholds no authorisation is required. We tell you outright when you do not need the licence yet.FinIA/FinSA + ordinances, 2026.
How it works
From first call to the FINMA register.
01
Feasibility
Thresholds, service set and canton. Some models stay pre-commercial; we gate the project strictly.Gate before spend.
02
Company and bench
Swiss entity, capital paid in cash, qualified managers and shareholders vetted.Cash capital, CVs.
03
SO affiliation
The supervisory organisation examines first. Membership secured with the file FINMA will see.First examiner passed.
04
FINMA authorisation
The federal application through EHP. Questions answered until the register entry is made.Register entry made.
05
Live operation
Custody live, mandates migrated, ongoing SO supervision running. The heartland stamp earned.Mandates migrated.
Quick facts
RegulatorFINMA
Ongoing supervisionSO
CapitalCHF 100,000
Own funds¼ fixed costs
Securities firmCHF 1.5M
Commercial triggers50k · 20 · 5M
Timeline6-12 months realistic
Tax (Zug)≈12% combined
The SO examines before FINMA decides. A file that satisfies the first examiner rarely surprises the second.
On the ground in Switzerland
Run from our Zug office.
Prifinance - Switzerland
Zug · Switzerland
Zug, Switzerland
01
Feasibility first
Thresholds, route and canton modelled before anything is spent. Including whether you need the licence at all yet.Strict threshold gate.
02
The dual file
SO affiliation and FINMA authorisation scripted as one sequence. Two examiners, one coherent story.SO + FINMA, one story.
03
Bench and qualification
Managers whose training and track record pass FinIA assessment. Recruited where the file needs them.CVs that pass FinIA.
04
Launch and custody
Swiss custody, banking and cross-border rules mapped. Mandates migrated cleanly onto the licence.Custody and mandates.
We also have offices in
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in Switzerland.
Federal restraint plus cantonal competition. Zug turns the combination into one of Europe's best operating rates.
Federal 8.5% statutory
Charged on post-tax profit. Roughly 7.8% effective on pre-tax terms, the fixed federal layer.≈7.8% effective layer.
Zug ≈12% combined
Cantonal competition does the rest. The combined federal-cantonal-communal rate lands near 12% in Zug.Combined all-in.
Withholding 35% - reclaimable
Swiss dividends carry the anticipatory tax; treaties and participation rules recover most of it. Planned, not suffered.Reclaimable by treaty.
VAT 8.1%
Europe's lowest headline rate, and core wealth-management services sit in the exempt finance perimeter.Exempt finance core.
Treaties 100+
One of the deepest networks in the world. Cross-border fee and dividend flows route cleanly.Deepest networks.
Wealth-manager economics
Fee income at cantonal rates, no union-style levies. The boutique keeps what it earns.No union levies.
Tax summary
Federal CIT8.5% statutory
Combined (Zug)≈12%
Dividend withholding35% · treaty relief
VAT on servicesExempt core · 8.1%
Tax treaties100+
*Figures as of 2026 per federal and cantonal schedules. The 35% anticipatory tax is reclaimable under treaty and participation rules. Modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Swiss company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, supervised firm.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Switzerland · FINMA
Launch your investment firm in Switzerland with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from incorporation and SO affiliation to FINMA authorisation and custody - run through our Zug office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Switzerland the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Swiss investment licence - the questions we hear.
What licence does a wealth manager need in Switzerland?+
Authorisation as a portfolio manager under FinIA - FINMA licenses the firm, a supervisory organisation (SO) carries ongoing supervision. Where dealing on own account or client accounts enter, the securities-firm licence under direct FINMA supervision applies instead.
When does management become licensable?+
At commercial scale per the ordinance: gross revenue above CHF 50,000 a year, contractual relationships with more than 20 participants, or assets under management above CHF 5 million. Below all three, no authorisation is required - we apply the gate first at feasibility.
What capital is required?+
CHF 100,000 paid in cash for the portfolio manager, with own funds maintained at one quarter of fixed annual costs per FinIA - professional indemnity insurance can substitute part of the own-funds requirement. The securities firm requires CHF 1.5 million.
What is a supervisory organisation?+
An SO is a FINMA-licensed body that supervises portfolio managers day to day - the proportionate layer that keeps boutique compliance affordable. Affiliation is applied for in parallel with the FINMA licence, and we script both files as one.
How long does licensing take?+
SO affiliation and FINMA authorisation together run 6-12 months realistically, driven by the completeness of the file and the bench's qualification evidence.
Is there an EU passport?+
No - Switzerland is outside the EEA passporting system. Swiss firms serve union clients under member-state rules, reverse solicitation or a paired EU licence - we build dual Swiss-EU structures where the client map demands it.
How are Swiss investment firms taxed?+
Federal tax of 8.5% statutory plus cantonal and communal layers - roughly 12% combined in Zug. VAT runs at 8.1% with exempt core services; the 35% dividend withholding is reclaimable under treaties and participation rules.
What substance does the regulator expect?+
A real Swiss operation: registered seat and effective management in Switzerland, qualified managers whose training and experience pass FinIA assessment, and premises both the SO and FINMA can visit.
Switzerland or Luxembourg for a wealth manager?+
Switzerland sells the brand and Zug economics without the EU passport; Luxembourg sells the passport and the fund cluster at a higher aggregate rate. Where your clients sit - global private wealth or union institutions - decides. We model both.
Why Prifinance for Switzerland?+
A Zug presence, the SO-FINMA dual file run as one sequence, and strict feasibility gating - including telling you when your model does not need the licence yet.
What licence?+
FinIA portfolio manager.
When triggered?+
50k · 20 clients · 5M.
Capital?+
CHF 100k + ¼ costs.
What's an SO?+
Day-to-day supervisor.
How long?+
6-12 months realistic.
EU passport?+
No - dual builds instead.
Taxes?+
≈12% Zug; WHT reclaimed.
Substance?+
Real seat, qualified bench.
Or Luxembourg?+
Brand vs passport.
Why you?+
One file, two examiners.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
Start today
One message away from your Swiss investment licence.
Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Swiss route fits your project and what it will cost.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of FINMA or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.