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Swiss bankers are under obligation to keep any information about you or your account strictly confidential.

This bank secrecy is among the strictest in the world and stems from an age-old historical tradition. It is established in Swiss law. Any banker who reveals information about you without your consent risks several months in prison.

The only exceptions to this rule concern serious crimes such as gun smuggling and drug trafficking.

Bank secrecy is not lifted for tax evasion. This is because failure to report income or assets is not considered a crime in Switzerland. As such, neither the Swiss government, nor any other government, can obtain information about your bank account. They must first convince a Swiss judge that you have committed a serious crime punishable by the Swiss Penal Code.

Bank secrecy will not be lifted for private matters such as inheritance or divorce if you have kept your banking information strictly confidential. It is up to plaintiffs to prove that the account exists if they wish the judge to pursue the case. In this respect, the numbered account provides the maximum degree of confidentiality.

Other pages of interest:

What does bank secrecy cover? Historical origins of Swiss bank secrecy The legal foundations of bank secrecy Swiss bank secrecy and tax evasion Swiss bank secrecy and money laundering Swiss bank secrecy with respect to divorce, inheritance and bankruptcy Numbered accounts