Bank account / student visa issues!

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
Hello everyone,

Past few weeks I applied for a residence permit as a student in the Canton of Zurich. I am supposed to start my semester in February 2021.

However, I received a letter from the migration office which they informed me that they can not accept the bank in which I possess the amount of 21'000 CHF.

They requested that I must have the financial means in a bank that is recognised by FINMA. The problem is that in my country there are no banks that also have a branch in Switzerland- known by FINMA.

I do not have a person that would guarantee neither.

any advises ?

ex. 1. Is it possible for me to open a bank account from where I live (without being present in Switzerland) and deploy the financial means ?

any information regarding this issue would be helpful

2
NEON .... https://www.neon-free.ch/en/ or even UBS. You just need your passport or id if you are European...

3
I am trying to contact UBS and maybe make an appointment but I do not know if the appointments work online. I can not go in person.

Thanks for your reply

4
You can do everything online .... neon is good as well.

You can use N26 was well..: plenty options

5

Are they recognised by the Swiss though?

“The Canton of Zurich Migration Office does only accept bank statements from banks domiciled in Switzerland (a Swiss bank or a foreign bank with a branch in Switzerland).”

https://ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/mai…achelor-en.pdf

Neon isn’t on the list that is linked in that pdf. I doubt any other online only banks will be either.

6
Neon it’s a Swiss bank.... N26 it’s authorized to work in CH. there’s also Dukascopy .... all of these are recognized and accepted in CH.

7
Still, they have to be banks the migration office accepts. Nothing to do with Finma or other banking regulations.

8
Neon isn't a bank - It's an app. When you sign up you become a customer of Hypothekarbank Lenzburg

9
yeah, it must be a bank that is recognisable by FINMA.

Also, I need to open an account online because I can not be in person to open it (I do not have the visa yet)

10
Neither N26 nor Neon on the FINMA list of institutes with a Swiss Banking license. FINAM is btw. the authority which grants Swiss banking licenses.

That one is certainly on the list.

Dukascopy is also on the list. So that is an option.

Here the FINMA list: https://www.finma.ch/de/~/media/finm...er/pdf/beh.pdf