From 2016, it will also be possible without the bank counter
Until now, it was not possible to open a bank account without personally showing up at the bank counter and presenting your identification papers. That will soon be a thing of the past. As of January 1, 2016, this process can be fully electronic.
With the total revision of the Money Laundering Ordinance, the Financial Market Authority (Finma) has created the legal basis for the digitalization of customer acquisition: Article 49, paragraph 2 of the totally revised Money Laundering Ordinance stipulates that the copy of an ID card from a recognized provider of certification services will in future suffice as confirmation of authenticity.
Digital pioneer
So opening a bank account or taking out insurance via the Internet will soon be a reality. Thanks to Yellow Identification and SuisseID (the Swiss standard for digital identity), the Mail via a one-stop solution package: authenticated ID copy, digital identity and electronically legally valid signature in accordance with ZertES.
A certified copy of the identity document can be obtained at any post office, together with the SuisseID is valid in the digital world. The yellow identification is a prerequisite for obtaining a SuisseID, according to Swiss Post.