Setup in Switzerland

Setting up a single family office in Switzerland

Updated: 17 October 2026 · Leutrim Miftaraj, FLIORE · Editorial standards · Deutsche Fassung

Short answer

A Swiss single family office is usually an AG or GmbH that manages the wealth of one family only. As long as no third parties are served, a licence under the Financial Institutions Act (FinIA) is generally not required. Success depends on a clear mandate, sound governance, reliable bank relationships and systems that organise structures, wealth and documents from day one.

Steps to a working family office

Define the mandate: reporting, coordination of banks and advisers, real estate and holdings, tax and succession, philanthropy, personal services.
Choose the legal form and seat with tax advisers.
Assess the regulatory position in writing before starting.
Set up governance: family charter or regulations, roles, four-eyes principle for payments.
Build the systems: structure register, consolidated wealth overview, document filing with validity dates.

Legal form and seat

Common forms are the AG (minimum share capital CHF 100,000) and the GmbH (capital of CHF 20,000). The AG offers more flexibility in organisation and in how family members hold shares; the GmbH is leaner but lists its shareholders in the commercial register. The seat affects the taxation of the company and its staff and should be reviewed with tax advisers.

Often a family holding owns the family office, or the family office is itself part of the holding structure. What matters is that the relationship between the family office, family members and wealth structures is clearly governed by contract.

Regulatory position

Managing the assets of persons connected economically or by family ties is generally exempt from the licensing requirement under the Financial Institutions Act. Taking on even individual mandates for unrelated third parties can trigger a licensing requirement as an asset manager or trustee. This boundary should be assessed in writing before the start.

Independently of this, banks require information on the beneficial owners of every structure – on Forms A, K, S and T. A family office that maintains this data centrally answers bank requests faster and consistently.

Foundations that are hard to add later

Family charter or regulations: objectives, decision-making, role of the next generation.
Roles and authorities in the team, four-eyes principle for payments.
Structure register with persons, companies, foundations, trusts and their history.
Consolidated wealth overview across all banks and currencies.
Document filing with validity dates and deadlines; data protection under the revised Swiss Data Protection Act.

In FLIORE

FLIORE provides these foundations from the start: mandates with structures and roles, consolidated wealth in several currencies, an encrypted document vault, deadlines and an audit trail. Data is stored in Switzerland (Zurich region).

At a glance

Typical legal forms	AG (minimum capital CHF 100,000), GmbH (CHF 20,000)
Licensing	Generally no FinIA licence as long as only the own family is served
Data protection	Revised Data Protection Act, in force since 1 September 2023

Frequently asked questions

From what level of wealth is a single family office worthwhile?

There is no fixed threshold. Complexity, the number of structures and the wish for independence from banks are decisive. Many families begin with a lean team and external partners.

Does a single family office need a FINMA licence?

Generally not, as long as it manages only the wealth of the family or of economically connected persons. The boundary should be checked legally.

Which systems does a new family office need first?

A structure register, a consolidated wealth overview and organised document filing. These three foundations support everything else.

AG or GmbH?

Both work. The AG keeps shareholders out of the commercial register and makes transfers in succession easier; the GmbH is cheaper to set up but more personal in character and publicly lists its shareholders.

Sources

This page provides orientation and does not replace legal or tax advice. The cited legal sources in their applicable version are authoritative.

BasicsWhat is a family office?Market SwitzerlandFamily office software for Switzerland BasicsVirtual family office: lean core, strong network Regulation SwitzerlandSwiss Form A: establishing the beneficial owner

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