Americans living in Switzerland are reporting multiple problems dealing with Switzerland’s financial institutions – from denial of services to hefty fees. Now some are not accepting checks issued in the United States.
As one reader, who lives in canton Zurich, wrote to The Local, his bank will no longer accept US-issued checks from October 2026, which he relies on to live in Switzerland.
What is happening?
Contacted for clarifications, Renate Meier, spokesperson for the Swiss Banking Association (SBA) said the group is “not aware of a general deadline of October 2026 after which Swiss banks would no longer accept US checks.”
“This leads us to believe that the information may relate to a decision taken by an individual bank rather than to a Switzerland-wide change affecting the entire banking sector,” she added.
Digital payments prevail
Paper checks are generally no longer used as a form of payment in Switzerland, having been phased out over the years in favour of electronic payments.
The reader’s bank, UBS, explained to The Local that since there has been “a significant decline in the use of checks over recent years, a number of Swiss banks have already substantially reduced or completely discontinued their check services.”
This practice applies to all checks, and not just those from the United States.
They are replaced by “numerous digital payment solutions, including online bank transfers, which are convenient and cost-effective alternatives,” UBS added.
Other banks, on the other hand, may still accept US checks from long-standing clients, though they, too, may discontinue this practice in favour digital transfers.
Is it possible to transfer money from the United States to a Swiss bank?
Yes, you can forego checks altogether by setting up an automatic international payment from a major US bank, including to Switzerland, provided that you have a Swiss bank account in the first place.
READ MORE: Which bank is best for Americans in Switzerland?
If you don’t have a bank account in America, you can set up transfers through companies like Western Union or Wise – though keep in mind that there will be fees attached.
Follow the rules
There are certain conditions you must comply with (on the Swiss side) before you can deposit money in a Swiss bank – regardless of whether it comes from the United States or elsewhere.
That’s because Switzerland is no longer a tax haven it used to be decades ago and there are strict laws in place to prevent abuses.
First, you must be a client in good standing, with an account and/or other assets at the bank. And if you are a US national (even if you are a Swiss citizen too), you must declare all your assets in Switzerland to Uncle Sam each year, even if you don’t actually owe any taxes.
Also, banks may limit the amount of money you can transfer each time. While small sums may not raise suspicion, you will have to justify larger ones, so the bank knows it is not illicit.
Say you sold your property in the United States, or inherited money, and want to deposit the windfall in your account in Switzerland, where you are a resident.
You must show proof that the funds come from legitimate sources and that you paid whatever tax you owned to the US government before parking it in your Swiss account.
So, there is a way to get your money from the United States to Switzerland without paper checks.
