AML / KYC

President Guy Parmelin and Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, as well as Martin Schlegel, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, will attend the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Bangkok from 15 to 17 October 2026. A meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors will also take place during the Annual Meetings. The Swiss delegation will additionally use the event for bilateral talks.

During its meeting on 14 October 2026, the Federal Council was informed about the third national report on the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. Switzerland's risk exposure in this area remains stable. The greatest threats stem from organised crime, corruption, and property and tax crime.

During its meeting on 2 October 2026, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the continuation of international monetary assistance. Switzerland should continue to be able to provide international monetary assistance of up to a total of CHF 10 billion under the Monetary Assistance Act. The Federal Council also decided that, within the International Monetary Fund (IMF), funds may be transferred to reduce interest rates on loans to low-income countries.

State Secretary Alexandre Fasel today received his counterpart from the German Federal Foreign Office, Géza Andreas von Geyr, for political talks. Their discussion centred on the close relations between Switzerland and its largest trading partner, Germany, as well as issues relating to competitiveness and security in Europe. The two state secretaries also discussed their countries' respective positions on other geopolitical developments.

On 19 September 2026, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter will attend the informal meeting of the EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) in Ireland. The purpose of the meeting is to promote exchanges on international financial and tax issues.

Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter will attend this year's meeting of the finance ministers of German-speaking countries in Liechtenstein on 24 August 2026. The main focus will be on long-term financial policy challenges, financial sector resilience and the strengthening of European competitiveness.

During its meeting on 19 August 2026, the Federal Council decided to bring the Federal Act on the International Automatic Exchange of Information on Salary Data into force with effect from 1 January 2027. The Federal Council is thus laying the legal foundations for the exchange of information set down in agreements with France and Italy.

During its meeting on 12 August 2026, the Federal Council launched the consultation on amendments to the Banking Act and the Liquidity Ordinance. The proposed measures complete the overall package aimed at strengthening the stability of the financial centre. The requirements on bank governance and on crisis preparations for systemically important banks are to be increased. In addition, the tools and powers of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) are to be extended, and banks' access to liquidity from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is to be expanded. The consultations will run until 19 November 2026.

The Federal Council will recommend that Parliament reject the popular initiative “For a sustainable and future-oriented Swiss financial centre (financial centre initiative)” without a direct or indirect counter-proposal. This was decided during its meeting on 12 August 2026. The Federal Council is already committed to ensuring that the Swiss financial centre operates in a sustainable manner. However, it views the additional bans called for by the initiative as questionable from an international perspective.

The Federal Department of Finance (FDF) intends to submit a report to the Federal Council by the end of 2027 on optimising Swiss financial market regulation. To support this work, a working group comprising external experts is being set up to ensure that the sectors concerned are involved.

At the conclusions of its annual consultations with Switzerland, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) emphasizes the importance of Switzerland’s strong institutions and appropriate economic policy frameworks. In a challenging external economic environment, these underpin stability and growth.

During its meeting on 24 June 2026, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the Protocol of Amendment to the Agreement between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) on the automatic exchange of financial account information to improve international tax compliance. The Agreement will be aligned with the revised OECD standard and also contains new provisions on administrative assistance for the recovery of VAT claims. The overwhelming majority of consultation participants agree with the proposal.

During its meeting on 12 June 2026, the Federal Council decided on the entry into force of several pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The revised Anti-Money Laundering Act and the new Act on the Transparency of Legal Persons and the Identification of Beneficial Owners will enter into force on 1 October 2026.

During its meeting on 22 April 2026, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the revision of the Banking Act. In the future, systemically important banks in Switzerland will have to fully back their participations in foreign subsidiaries with Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital. This targeted measure is key to strengthening financial stability. Parliament will be able to debate the legislative proposal from summer 2026. At the same time, the Federal Council amended the Capital Adequacy Ordinance. The amendments concern the capital backing for certain balance sheet items such as software, and will come into force on 1 January 2027. The solution proposed by the Federal Council is more moderate than planned, due to the results of the consultation procedure. In terms of capital requirements, the result is thus a balanced overall package that takes account of the comments received.

President Guy Parmelin and Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, as well as Martin Schlegel, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Swiss National Bank, will attend the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington from 15 to 17 April 2026. A meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, as well as a ministerial meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will also take place during the Spring Meetings. The Swiss delegation, led by Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, will additionally take the opportunity to hold bilateral talks.

Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter will meet her UK counterpart, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, in London on 24 March 2026. The ministers will discuss the agreement on mutual recognition in financial services and current geopolitical challenges, among other things.

During its meeting on 20 March 2026, the Federal Council approved the strategy on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. With this first-ever comprehensive overview, the Federal Council is strengthening the framework, which will continue to protect the integrity of the Swiss financial centre in years to come.

During its meeting on 20 March 2026, the Federal Council decided to lower the interest rates for outstanding COVID-19 credits with effect from 31 March 2026. The interest rate will now be 0% for credits up to CHF 500,000 and 0.5% for credits exceeding CHF 500,000.

The amending protocol that regulates the taxation of home office for frontier workers for the long term entered into force on 9 February 2026 following the completion of the approval process in Switzerland and Italy.

During its meeting on 12 December 2025, the Federal Council was informed by the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) about the most recent open finance developments in Switzerland. In order to achieve the targets set in 2022, the FDF intends to use precise indicators to review further progress in the banking and insurance sector. For the time being, there will be no regulatory requirements for open data interfaces. Open finance is intended to strengthen the digital self-determination of clients, as well as the innovative capacity and competitiveness of the financial sector.