Switzerland trust cost depends first on the law that governs the deed, then on the parties, the assets and the trustee's yearly work. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust or foundation in Switzerland on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case.
The set-up fee for a Switzerland trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Trust structure
Switzerland has no trust law of its own; a trust is set up under another place's law[1]
Foreign law rules
The Hague Trusts Convention entered into force for Switzerland on 1 July 2007[2]
Reporting to authorities
The Swiss legal basis for automatic exchange of financial account information took effect on 1 January 2017[3]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 13,000
Trust set-up in Switzerland: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a licensed local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
Standard foundation
USD 10,500
Foundation set-up in Switzerland: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed or foundation charter drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a licensed local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
This fee includes the local partner trustee's acceptance fee as agreed with One Pacific Trust.
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
Set-up costs pay for the work done before the trust holds any asset. In Switzerland the first choice is the law that will govern the deed, because Switzerland has no trust law of its own and a trust is set up under another place’s law (source: Fedlex, Swiss federal law).
Structure design and onboarding checks. Agreeing with counsel which law fits your aims, and verifying the settlor and the people connected with the trust.
Drafting. A law firm in the place whose law governs the deed drafts it. A Swiss lawyer can review how the structure sits with Swiss rules, and each firm charges for its own time.
Trustee acceptance and account opening. The trustee reads the file against the deed, accepts office and opens the accounts.
Local roles. We work with a local partner where the work is done in Switzerland, and your engagement letter sets out what it does.
Foundations and companies. If the structure includes a foundation or a company, forming it carries its own incorporation and agent costs.
The Hague Trusts Convention entered into force for Switzerland on 1 July 2007 (source: HCCH, Trusts Convention status table). Your lawyer confirms what that means for your deed. The set-up guide shows the order of the work.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Each year the trustee holds title to the assets, keeps accounts and records, holds meetings with minutes and refreshes identity checks.
The Swiss legal basis for automatic exchange of financial account information took effect on 1 January 2017 (source: State Secretariat for International Finance, Automatic exchange of information).
If a bank account is needed, we tell you who opens it and what they ask for. The trustee also keeps tax residence records current for each person involved.
Some tasks are charged when they happen rather than yearly: a distribution to a beneficiary, a change of beneficiary or protector, an amendment to the deed and a change of trustee.
The engagement letter says which tasks fall under the yearly arrangement and which are charged separately. Read it with your own lawyer before you sign.
Third-party costs
Third parties set their own charges. Your quote says which we pass through at cost and which you pay directly.
Cost
Who charges it
When it arises
Drafting the deed under the governing law
Law firm in that place
At set-up, and at each amendment
Advice on how the structure sits with Swiss rules
Swiss lawyer
Before signing, and if your position changes
The role it holds in your structure
Local partner
At set-up, then each year
Account opening and holding the assets
Swiss bank or custodian
At set-up, then ongoing
Forming a foundation or a company
Counsel and a corporate services provider
At set-up, then each year
Tax advice where you live
Your own adviser
Before signing, and if your position changes
Basis: the intake questions we ask clients with a Swiss link and the sources cited on this page, checked 2026-11-06. The set-up fee shown on this page is for a standard trust or foundation; other lines are quoted after we review your case.
Government or registry charges may apply in the place whose law governs the deed. Your lawyer confirms whether any does in your case.
What changes the total
Four things move the total more than any others.
The governing law. The place you choose decides which law firm drafts the deed and which rules the trustee follows.
The kind of assets. A listed portfolio at a Swiss bank is simpler than shares in an operating company or property.
The number of people and countries. More beneficiaries and more countries mean more identity checks and more reporting.
How much of the work you do yourself. Complete documents at the start save time on every later step.
A quote rests on five answers: the structure in mind, the kind of assets, the number of beneficiaries, the countries involved and whether a foundation interests you.
We reply with an estimate. It is not a binding offer, and we confirm it after we have seen the documents and the assets.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Switzerland?
Switzerland has no trust law of its own, so you pay a law firm in the place whose law governs the deed, plus a Swiss lawyer if you want the structure reviewed against Swiss rules. Onboarding checks, trustee acceptance, account opening and any foundation or company are separate lines in the quote.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Switzerland?
Yes. The trustee charges each year for holding office, accounts, records, meetings and identity refreshes. Keeping tax residence records up to date for everyone involved is part of that work. A distribution or a change of trustee brings an event charge. Should you need a bank account, your quote names who opens it and lists their requests. The engagement letter says which lines are yearly and which are not.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Switzerland?
Tell us where you live, the assets involved, how many beneficiaries there are, which countries are connected and which law you are considering for the deed. We answer with an estimate and the assumptions behind it, which we confirm after reviewing your documents. The estimate is not a binding offer.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
Hong Kong
Singapore
BVI
Jersey
