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Opening of bank accounts online – with SuisseID
Press Release 24/08/2015
Good news for those who in future want to open and close bank accounts online: Thanks to the Yellow Identification and SuisseID services, Swiss Post and SwissSign boast innovative solutions which now make this possible and also meet the requirements of the new Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance. With the total revision of the Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has created the legal basis on its side for the digitalisation of customer acquisition – a milestone for the Swiss financial centre..
Previously, the opening of a bank account was only possible upon providing a personal identification document on site and a hand-written signature. As of 1 January 2016, the entire process can be completed electronically: Article 49 (2) of the fully revised FINMA Anti-Money Laundering Ordinance stipulates that a copy of an identification document from a recognised provider of certification services in accordance with the Swiss Electronic Signature Act (ZertES) of 19 December 2003 will in future suffice as authentication.
Swiss Post as a digital pioneer
Conveniently opening a bank account or concluding an insurance policy online – this will soon no longer just be wishful thinking. Thanks to the Yellow Identification and SuisseID services, Swiss Post is currently the only provider to offer a package of solutions from a single source: an authenticated copy of an identification document, digital identity and an electronic legally-binding signature pursuant to the Swiss Electronic Signature Act (ZertES).
About Yellow Identification
MThe Yellow Identification service allows customers to obtain an authenticated copy of an identification document at any post office. Used in conjunction with SuisseID, this is also valid in the digital world. A Yellow Identification is a pre-requisite for obtaining a SuisseID.
About SuisseID
SuisseID is the Swiss standard for digital identity. With it, people identify themselves definitively online and sign legally valid contracts electronically. It is therefore a digital passport and signature in one. Various examples of use can be found at www.swisspost.ch/suisseid zu finden.
