Introduction
Switzerland is generally open to inward investment with preferences in specific sectors such as pharmaceutical, financial services and technology, to name just a few. Of course, Switzerland is also famous for welcoming wealthy individuals to live and or retire.
A (relatively) Safe Haven
Switzerland’s political neutrality on the world stage, coupled with its banking secrecy laws has made it a relatively safe haven for all types of investment and investors. Recent changes to banking secrecy means that foreigners and foreign residents can no longer assume that their Swiss based assets are fully secret. An example of this being the cooperation between Swiss and EU based banks to share information on the owners and assets of Swiss banking deposits. The 2010 Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act has also meant that US citizens and companies know that their investments in Switzerland cannot be hidden. This means that there is no stigma attached for US investment in Switzerland.
Types of Investment
Switzerland offers the usual types of investment that you would expect including investment in Swiss directly traded, stocks and shares, local real estate, ownership of Swiss companies or starting a business. There is currently no “investor visa” scheme or similar in Switzerland.
Who is Investing?
Switzerland is fairly open to most nationals who wish to invest. 2017 saw a major rise in investment into Switzerland from US investors, which may due to a number of factors, with the political climate in the USA surely being a factor. Figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis put the total US investment in Switzerland at 250 billion USD at the end of 2017. Many more investors are coming from non-EU countries. It is not clear whether the UK Brexit decision will result in any increase in investment to Switzerland either from British citizens or non-British citizens transferring assets from the UK.
Hot Sectors For Investment
Apart from the more traditional and relatively solid investments into the pharmaceutical industry, Switzerland offers a great location, infrastructure and conditions for technology investors. There is a real push by the Swiss government and investment agencies on innovation technology as a key inward investment sector.
Conclusion
A safe, innovative, stable environment, combined with the highest quality of life. Is it your time to invest in Switzerland?
(Note: This is the personal view of the author and should not be taken as investment advice).
(Author: Kenneth Carr, Group Financial Controller, MW Relocation SA)
MW Relo is a Swiss based moving and relocation provider covering all areas in Switzerland with an international partner network. MW Relo was created by our founder and CEO, Mr. Mark Muss. Mark has more than 26 years’ experience in the international moving, relocation and global mobility industry. He has managed operations in 14 countries and has overseen more than 60.000 relocations during these years. MW Relo is proud to be a Swiss based provider, with a global professional partner supply chain network to ensure we can provide all services to clients, wherever they need.