Fund and asset management · FINMA
Swiss asset manager and fund management authorisation (FINMA)
Switzerland sits at the centre of global private wealth, and its asset management regime was restructured to bring managers under formal FINMA authorisation rather than the looser arrangements of the past. For managers whose clients are wealthy individuals and family offices, the location and the credential both matter.
The regulator
FINMA authorises managers of collective assets and fund management companies under the Financial Institutions Act, with supervisory organisations performing ongoing oversight of smaller portfolio managers. It is principles-led and expects managers to articulate their own risks rather than restate the rules.
What the licence permits
Regulated under the FINMA
- Manage collective assets under Swiss authorisation
- Provide discretionary portfolio management to private and institutional clients
- Operate at the centre of the global private wealth market
- Serve international clients from a strongly branded jurisdiction
Who it suits
Managers serving private wealth and family office capital, and firms whose clients value Swiss standing over European passporting.
Market access
Access to Swiss and international clients. There is no EEA passport, so marketing into the EU depends on national rules or a separate EU manager.
What to weigh
Costs are high and the regime is distinct from the EU model, so EU experience does not transfer directly. Managers needing European distribution generally pair Switzerland with an EEA entity.
We run the Switzerland application end to end
Whether you build from new or acquire an existing licensed entity, BrokLicense handles incorporation, the regulator application, the AML and compliance framework, safeguarding and banking arrangements, and the operating stack. You stay the principal. We do the work, in confidence, and stay on for compliance once you are live.
Cost, capital, and timelines depend on your model and are set out in a first consultation, under NDA, not published here.
Other permissions in Switzerland
Related reading
- Fund Manager or Investment Firm? Choosing the Right Asset-Management AuthorisationManaging mandates and managing funds are different regulated activities under different regimes. Applying under the wrong one costs a year and a rejection.
- The MiFID Investment Firm Licence: What the Permissions Actually CoverA MiFID licence is not one permission but a set you choose from. The combination you pick sets your capital, your obligations, and your supervisory weight.
- Licensing an Investment-Management Firm: What Changes When You Manage Other People's MoneyRunning an asset or portfolio manager sits under a different permission than broking. Here is what the licence covers and what regulators expect.
- EU Passporting Explained: One Licence, Thirty MarketsA single EU investment-firm licence works across the whole European Economic Area. Here is how passporting works and why it shapes where firms base.
Fund and asset management in other Europe jurisdictions
- United KingdomFCA
- ItalyBanca d'Italia / CONSOB
- GermanyBaFin
- SpainCNMV
- AustriaFMA
- IrelandCentral Bank of Ireland
Discuss your mandate in confidence
Every engagement begins under a mutual NDA. Set out the firm you intend to operate and the timeline you are working to, and you leave the first consultation with a recommended jurisdiction, the route to the licence, and a defined scope of work.
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