People who believe they may be entitled to assets deposited at a bank in Switzerland have always had the option of a direct inquiry at the bank or individual banks in question.
Moreover, it’s possible to launch a central search for dormant assets, via the Swiss Banking Ombudsman’s office.
In addition, assets that have been dormant for a long time (>60 years) are being published online on a publication list, so that entitled parties might learn of the existence of these assets and claim them before they are to be turned over to the state.
Additional information of a general nature on assets without contact and dormant assets is available on the website of the Swiss Bankers Association.
THE Three ways to search for assets
I know the bank
If you believe yourself to be entitled to assets deposited at a bank known to you, it is recommended that you contact the bank directly.
I don’t know which bank
If you believe yourself to be entitled to assets deposited at a bank, but don’t know at which bank, one option is to conduct a search via the Swiss Banking Ombudsman’s office. According to the guidelines on the treatment of assets without contact and dormant assets held at Swiss banks, all banks in Switzerland must report their assets without contact and dormant assets to a central database. The Central claims office connected to the Swiss Banking Ombudsman can query this centralised database for entitled persons.
See published long-term dormant assets
If you believe yourself to be entitled to assets on the publication list, you can submit your claim directly on the publication platform on the Internet. Your submission will be forwarded electronically to the bank concerned. In the context of the publication of long-term dormant assets, the Banking Ombudsman acts as an information office for applicants for general questions about the publication and publication platform and as a contact office for any problems.