The Discreet Investor
★Official CIM Banque Partner
Swiss private bank account with CIM Banque
A Swiss bank in Geneva, operating since 1990: multi-currency accounts, private banking, Lombard lending and a trade-finance desk — with remote video onboarding and a CHF 10,000 initial deposit. Switzerland, without the private-bank entry ticket.
We are an official partner of CIM Banque
Your application doesn't go in cold — it reaches the bank through an established partner channel, prepared by a team that knows exactly what the bank's compliance expects to see.
The credentials
Swiss, in every sense that matters
FINMA supervision
A Swiss bank under the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority — one of the world's most demanding regulators.
Deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 per client under the Swiss depositor protection scheme, esisuisse.
Geneva since 1990
Founded as Unibank (Suisse) SA in 1990 and operating as CIM Banque since 1993.
Many currencies
Accounts in CHF, EUR, USD, GBP, JPY, HKD and other major currencies.
8 things a CIM Banque account buys
Swiss banking, remotely
The account can be opened by video conference — no trip to Geneva to get started.
Multi-currency
Hold francs, euros, dollars, sterling, yen and more in one Swiss relationship.
Low running cost
Account maintenance of CHF 90 a quarter for individuals — modest by Swiss standards.
E-banking gives access to forex, futures and securities trading from the same account.
Lombard loans
Borrow against your portfolio without selling it — classic Swiss private-bank credit.
Advice & management
Financial and investment advice, plus discretionary portfolio management.
Visa, Mastercard and American Express, plus Swiss prepaid travel cards.
No opening fee above CHF 20k
The CHF 150 opening fee is waived when the first deposit exceeds CHF 20,000.
| Initial deposit | CHF 10,000 (or USD/EUR equivalent), within 1 month |
| Account maintenance — individuals | CHF 90 / quarter |
| Account maintenance — companies | CHF 120 / quarter |
| Opening fee | CHF 150 — waived above CHF 20,000 |
| Outgoing EUR transfer (e-banking) | from €10, tiered by amount |
| Express same-day transfer | Double the standard fee |
| E-banking security token | CHF 100 |
| Account closing | CHF 300 |
Set by and paid directly to the bank; figures may change and are confirmed with the bank at signup.
- Clients who want a real Swiss account
- Investors needing trading and Lombard credit
- Apostilled passport copy and proof of address
- A clear account of the source of funds
- Remote video verification
- A meeting with a bank representative within 6 months
- Typically 1–2 months
- Depends on the file and the answers to the bank
Corporate accounts for companies with substance
CIM opens accounts for operating companies — including a trade-finance desk for guarantees and documentary credits. The bank looks for a real business behind the company, and says so in writing.
- Operating and trading companies
- Holdings with a documented business
- Original or apostilled corporate documents
- Balance sheet, apostilled passports of owners and signatories
- Office lease in the country of registration
- Employment contracts and financial reporting
Trade finance
- Bank guarantees
- Documentary credits and collateral accreditation
Substance first
Since August 2019, CIM asks corporate clients to prove real presence in the country of registration — an office, staff, financial reporting. A company that can't is classed as passive and reported under the automatic exchange of information. We check substance before anything is filed, and tell you honestly whether your structure passes.
Procedure
Four steps to your CIM Banque account
We check eligibility, source of funds and — for companies — substance, before anything is apostilled.
Dossier 2–4 weeks
Apostilled documents, bank forms and the business description, prepared to Swiss standards.
Video verification days
The bank verifies you remotely; we handle every follow-up question from compliance.
Account live 1–2 months overall
The CHF 10,000 initial deposit activates the account; e-banking and cards follow.
Published, not gated
Our CIM Banque fee, in the open
One-off fee, separate from the bank's own package fees.
- Eligibility pre-screening before anything is submitted
- Apostille and document checklist, handled step by step
- Submission through our official partner channel
- Preparation for the video verification
- Handling of every compliance follow-up question
- Support until the account is live and funded
One-off fee, separate from the bank's own business tariffs.
- Substance check of the company before filing
- Apostilled corporate documents checked against the bank's list
- Submission through our official partner channel
- UBO, balance-sheet and source-of-funds documentation
- Introduction to trade-finance services where needed
- Support through the first operational flows
The honest map
What the CIM Banque brochures skip
- The CHF 10,000 initial deposit must arrive within a month of opening
- A meeting with a bank representative is required within 6 months
- Companies without real substance are classed as passive and reported under automatic exchange
- Swiss banking isn't secret banking — CRS information exchange applies
- A FINMA-supervised Swiss bank, with CHF 100,000 depositor protection
- One of the lowest entry tickets into genuine Swiss banking
- Trading, Lombard loans and advisory in one relationship
- A trade-finance desk that most small Swiss banks don't offer
FAQ
The questions that decide CIM Banque files
What do you charge? +
€1,199 one-off for a personal account and €1,699 for a corporate account — covering pre-screening, the apostilled dossier, submission through our official partner channel and support until the account is live. The bank's fees and the CHF 10,000 initial deposit are separate.
Do I need to travel to Geneva? +
Not to open the account — verification is done by video. The bank does require a meeting with one of its representatives within six months of opening.
How much do I need to deposit? +
CHF 10,000, or the equivalent in USD or EUR, within one month of opening. The CHF 150 opening fee is waived if the first deposit exceeds CHF 20,000.
Is a Swiss account still private? +
It is confidential, not secret. Switzerland takes part in the automatic exchange of information (CRS), so account data is reported to your country of tax residence. Plan for transparency, not secrecy.
Who regulates the bank? +
CIM Banque is a Swiss bank supervised by FINMA, and eligible deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 by esisuisse.
What does the bank need from a company? +
Apostilled corporate documents, a balance sheet, apostilled passports of owners and signatories — and proof of real substance: an office, employees and financial reporting in the country of registration.
Alternatives
Banks to compare with CIM Banque
- Multi-currency accounts, trading desk
- 5 currencies, US persons accepted
CIM Banque, opened right the first time — through an official partner.
Free pre-screening of your eligibility before anything is submitted. Reply within one business day.