Welcome to the Swiss Banking Ombudsman. The Swiss Banking Ombudsman is a neutral and free of charge information and mediation office for clients of banks and financial service providers. We handle questions and complaints concerning banking and financial services provided by the member (and affiliated) institutions of the Swiss Bankers Association. Our aim is to explain matters clearly and understandably and to help find negotiated solutions acceptable to both parties, thereby avoiding costly and time-consuming court proceedings. In addition, the Swiss Banking Ombudsman runs a Central Claims Office for persons searching for dormant assets held with Swiss banks.
Our 2025 Annual Report is now available.
Annual Report (PDF)
Complaint
How can I submit a question or a complaint to the Ombudsman? Here you can proceed to the next step and submit your request easily online.
Search for assets
How can I search for dormant assets? Here you can proceed to the next step and submit your request easily online.
Messages
-
Artificial intelligence (AI): opportunities and risks for the SwissBanking Ombudsman
At his annual media conference, the Swiss Banking Ombudsman drew a positive overall conclusion for 2024. “Once again, we saw an increase in the number of queries and requests (…)
-
Guidance for bank clients in uncertain times
At his annual media conference, the Swiss Banking Ombudsman drew a positive overall conclusion for 2024. “Once again, we saw an increase in the number of queries and requests (…)
-
Swiss Banking Ombudsman: Watch out for fraud!
The Ombudsman’s office continues to be confronted with a large number of cases in which clients have fallen victim to fraudsters. As a rule, the bank is not liable in such cases.
Selected cases
-
Correspondent bank error in an international transfer
The client transferred US dollars from her account at a South American bank to her US dollar account in Switzerland. Her account at the recipient bank was credited (…)
-
Fees for closing a vested benefits account after the client moved abroad
The client gave up his job in Switzerland and emigrated to the USA. His small pension assets with the pension fund of only CHF 1 600 were transferred to an account (…)
-
Fee-free continuation of a custody account containing Russian shares that cannot be sold due to the measures in connection with the situation in Ukraine
The client wanted to terminate his relationship with the bank. In this context, the bank informed him that the Russian shares in his custody account could not be sold (…)