Services and professional fees
International Bank Account Opening Services and Fees
Clear pricing for private clients, holding structures and operating companies. We first assess whether the mandate is realistic, then define the work and the point at which each fee becomes payable.
- Free initial eligibility review
- From CHF 250 KYC preparation
- CHF 1,000 standard private-client introduction after opening
- CHF 5m+ discretionary fee review for suitable low-risk profiles
The fee logic
Know what you are paying for, and when
International account opening is rarely one task. The work normally has three distinct stages: deciding whether a case is bankable, preparing the evidence a bank will need, and approaching an institution whose appetite fits the client. We price those stages separately so that the cost follows the work.
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Eligibility review
We look at residence, nationality, account purpose, expected assets, source of wealth and the proposed structure. The aim is to identify obvious obstacles before anyone spends money on a mandate.
Free
No obligation. A review is not a promise that a bank will approve the account.
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KYC preparation
We organise the client story, documentary evidence and source-of-wealth explanation into a coherent file. The scope depends on how much reconstruction and verification the profile requires.
From CHF 250
From CHF 250 for salaried private clients and from CHF 1,000 for entrepreneurs, holding structures and companies. Paid before substantive review, analysis or drafting begins; it can be waived in some cases.
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Bank introduction
For a standard private-client mandate, we identify a realistic fit, prepare the approach and support the onboarding dialogue through to the bank’s independent decision.
CHF 1,000
For a standard private client, payable only after the account is successfully opened.
Why the stages are separate
A bank introduction cannot repair an unclear file
A useful introduction begins before a bank sees the client’s name. If the ownership chain is incomplete, the source of a large liquidity event is poorly explained, or the account purpose does not match the proposed bank, changing institutions usually changes nothing.
That is why KYC preparation is a distinct professional service. The work remains useful even if the first bank asks for further evidence or the client later decides to approach another institution. A new bank may use different forms or request updates, but the underlying chronology and evidence should not need to be reinvented.
Our role is to improve clarity and institutional fit. The bank still performs its own due diligence, risk assessment and commercial review, and it alone decides whether to open an account.
KYC preparation
The fee reflects the evidence, not the number of pages
A salaried executive with one residence and a documented investment portfolio is not the same assignment as an entrepreneur whose wealth moved through several companies, jurisdictions and asset sales. We confirm the scope before the engagement begins.
| Typical profile | What usually needs to be established | Professional fee |
|---|---|---|
| Simple salaried private client | Employment income, savings history, account purpose and standard identity and tax-residence evidence. | From CHF 250 |
| Standard KYC mandate | A broader source-of-wealth narrative, supporting records and a bank-ready document sequence. | CHF 1,000 |
| Established business owner | Company ownership, dividends, retained earnings, business sale or other events that explain accumulated wealth. | From CHF 1,000 |
| International operating company | Ownership and management, counterparties, commercial rationale, transaction corridors and expected account activity. | From CHF 1,750 |
| Multiple entities or residences | A reconciled timeline across structures, countries, tax residences and material transfers. | From CHF 2,750 |
| Trust, foundation or PEP-related review | Control and beneficial ownership, settlor or founder wealth, beneficiaries, governance and enhanced due-diligence evidence. | From CHF 4,000 |
Payment and cancellation
KYC preparation is prepaid. Once substantive analysis, document review or drafting has started, that fee is non-refundable because the work has already been performed. If the initial review shows that a mandate is not realistic, we say so before recommending paid preparation. In some cases we waive the KYC preparation fee; any waiver is confirmed in writing before work starts.
Private-client introduction
The standard fee is due after the account opens
For a standard private-client profile, the introduction fee is CHF 1,000. There is no retainer for this tier, and the fee is payable only after a bank successfully opens the account.
A higher-risk private-client mandate is CHF 2,000 in total: the CHF 1,000 standard introduction fee plus a CHF 1,000 enhanced-profile surcharge. The difference reflects additional screening, a narrower field of potential institutions and more involved communication with compliance teams.
Higher risk is not determined by one passport or one country score. Banks look at the complete picture: current and former residence, tax position, industry, source of wealth, transaction corridors, public exposure, sanctions proximity, connected parties and the quality of the evidence.
We discuss that classification during the initial review. If a mandate requires a different scope, the price and payment timing are agreed in writing before work begins.
Holding and wealth structures
Accounts for companies, trusts and foundations
Non-operating structures require a different review from a personal account. The bank needs to understand why the structure exists, who ultimately controls it, how assets entered it and how the account will be used. For trusts and foundations, the review can also extend to the settlor or founder, protectors, beneficiaries and distribution rules.
The professional fee is CHF 5,000. Because structures differ, the payment schedule is agreed in writing after we review the ownership and documentary position.
Commercial banking
Operating-company accounts
A commercial account is judged on the business itself: products or services, trading history, customers and suppliers, management, licences, expected volumes and the economic reason for using the proposed banking centre. Banks also test whether projected payments match the company’s real activity.
These mandates start from CHF 12,500. We quote the work after reviewing the company and agree the payment stages before approaching a bank. The fee reflects the substantially broader due diligence and the limited number of institutions that may fit a cross-border operating business.
Fee comparison
Services, prices and payment timing
This table is the quickest way to compare the principal routes. The initial review determines whether a standard fee applies or whether the mandate needs a tailored scope.
| Service | Professional fee | When payable | Important point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial eligibility review | Free | No payment | Preliminary assessment only; not bank approval. |
| KYC preparation | From CHF 250 | Before substantive work begins | From CHF 1,000 for entrepreneurs, holding structures and companies. Can be waived in some cases. Non-refundable once analysis, review or drafting starts. |
| Standard private-client introduction | CHF 1,000 | After successful account opening | No retainer for the standard tier. |
| Higher-risk private-client introduction | CHF 2,000 total | As confirmed after review | Includes the standard fee plus CHF 1,000 enhanced-profile surcharge. |
| Holding company, trust or foundation | CHF 5,000 | Schedule agreed in writing | For non-operating structures; KYC complexity may affect scope. |
| Operating-company account | From CHF 12,500 | Schedule agreed in writing | Final quote depends on activity, jurisdictions and ownership. |
Interactive fee guide
Which route is closest to your case?
Choose the closest profile to see the likely starting point. This tool is indicative; the free eligibility review is where we confirm fit, risk and scope.
Indicative route
Standard private-client route
KYC from CHF 250 + CHF 1,000 after opening
Start with the free review. If the case is suitable, KYC preparation is scoped first and the standard introduction fee is payable only after the account opens.
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Scope
What our fee covers, and what remains separate
Our professional work may include
- Preliminary eligibility and profile assessment
- KYC and source-of-wealth document review
- Structuring the client narrative and evidence sequence
- Identifying a plausible institutional fit
- Preparing and coordinating the bank approach
- Supporting reasonable onboarding questions within the agreed scope
Usually separate
- The bank’s account, custody, trading and transaction fees
- Translation, notarisation, apostille and courier costs
- Legal opinions, tax advice and regulated investment advice
- Third-party verification or specialist due-diligence costs
- Work outside the written mandate or caused by a material profile change
- Any cost not expressly included in our engagement terms
Frequently asked questions
Questions clients ask before engaging us
Why is KYC preparation charged separately from the bank introduction?
KYC preparation is substantive work in its own right. It creates a coherent account of ownership, wealth and purpose that can remain useful even if the bank changes. The introduction is a separate stage focused on institutional fit and onboarding coordination.
Can I use the prepared KYC file with another bank?
Yes. The core chronology and evidence belong to your case and can usually support another application. However, each bank has its own forms, risk questions and document-validity rules, so updates may be necessary.
When do I pay the standard private-client introduction fee?
The CHF 1,000 standard private-client introduction fee is payable after the account is successfully opened. There is no retainer for this standard tier. Different payment terms may apply to enhanced-risk, structural or commercial mandates and will be agreed in writing.
Is the KYC preparation fee refundable?
It is refundable only before substantive work starts. Once we begin analysis, document review or drafting, the fee is non-refundable because the professional work has been undertaken.
Does every client placing more than CHF 5 million receive a discount?
No. We may consider a discretionary reduction of our own professional fee where expected placement exceeds CHF 5 million and the profile is not PEP-related or otherwise high risk. Complexity, documentation and scope still matter. Any reduction is confirmed in writing before engagement.
What makes a profile higher risk?
Banks assess the whole relationship. Relevant factors can include residence and tax history, industry, public functions, sanctions exposure, connected jurisdictions, ownership complexity, source of wealth and the expected flow of funds. No single nationality or country score decides every case.
Can you guarantee that a bank will open the account?
No. We can assess fit, prepare the case and support the process, but the bank conducts its own due diligence and makes the final decision independently.
Are bank charges included in your fee?
No, unless a written proposal expressly says otherwise. Bank account, custody, investment and transaction fees are charged by the institution. External legal, tax, translation, notarisation and verification costs are also separate.
Start with fit, not paperwork
Request a free eligibility review
Tell us where you live, what the account must do, the approximate assets involved and how the wealth was created. We will use that information to assess whether there is a realistic route and which service, if any, is appropriate.
Easy Global Banking is an independent consultancy. We are not a bank, financial institution, asset manager, law firm or tax adviser. Our work does not constitute legal, tax or investment advice, and no service guarantees that a bank will accept an application. Banks apply their own onboarding, compliance and commercial criteria. Fees, scope and payment terms are governed by the written engagement agreed with the client.