Swiss Investment Platforms Compared: Where to Start Investing as an Immigrant

The types of investment platforms available in Switzerland

Swiss residents can access three broad categories of investment platform. Swiss-regulated brokerages include Swissquote, the largest and most established, as well as Saxo Bank Switzerland and Cornertrader. These are fully regulated by FINMA and hold client assets in Switzerland. International brokers with Swiss access include Interactive Brokers, which accepts Swiss residents and provides access to a wider range of products at generally lower fees. Pillar 3a investment platforms are a special category that combines retirement savings with investment access, with VIAC, Finpension, and Frankly as the main providers.

Swissquote: the established choice with higher fees

Swissquote is the dominant Swiss retail brokerage and the most straightforward option for an immigrant who wants a Swiss-based, fully FINMA-regulated account. The platform is available in English and offers access to Swiss and international equities, ETFs, and bonds. The main drawback is cost: trading fees and custody charges are higher than international alternatives.

Interactive Brokers: the cost-efficient option

Interactive Brokers accepts Swiss residents and offers access to US-listed ETFs, European UCITS ETFs, and a wide range of international markets at significantly lower fees than Swiss domestic brokers. The platform is more complex and less localised for Swiss users. For Swiss residents the relevant consideration is whether to invest in US-domiciled ETFs or European UCITS ETFs. IBKR allows access to both.

VIAC and Finpension: the gold standard for Pillar 3a investing

For Pillar 3a specifically, VIAC and Finpension have transformed the Swiss pension investment landscape. Both offer equity-heavy investment strategies at annual fees of 0.4 to 0.55 percent, compared to the 1.0 to 1.5 percent annual fees typical of bank-based 3a accounts. Over a 20-year investment horizon the fee difference compounds into a significant wealth gap. Both platforms are app-based and available in English.

The Swiss dividend withholding tax: what investors need to know

Switzerland imposes a 35 percent withholding tax on dividends paid by Swiss companies. This is automatically deducted at source. For Swiss tax residents, this withholding tax is fully reclaimable through the annual tax return. For non-Swiss domiciled funds holding Swiss equities, the reclaim process is more complex. This is one reason why for most immigrant investors, global index ETFs that include Switzerland as a small allocation are simpler than Swiss-specific equity products.