How to Find a Deceased Person’s Bank Account
To find a deceased person’s bank account, it is helpful to know the name and address of the bank where
the money was deposited since there is no central register of dormant bank accounts in Switzerland. Depending
on the date when the account in question was opened, you may contact the following institutions:
a) Swiss bank accounts opened by individuals who are not or were not Swiss nationals or
residents of Switzerland after May 9, 1945
The Ombudsman of the Swiss Banks is an impartial source of information and an intermediary whose
services are free of charge. He handles specific complaints made against banks based in Switzerland.
For reasons of confidentiality, please note that inquiries cannot be made by e-mail.
Swiss Banking Ombudsman
Bahnhofplatz 9
P.O. Box 1818
CH-8021 Zurich, Switzerland
Tel.: ++41 43 266 14 14 (Monday through Friday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. GMT+1)
Fax: ++41 43 266 14 15, Internet:
http://www.bankingombudsman.ch/english/
The Ombudsman also runs a contact office for individuals searching for
dormant assets. If someone
thinks that he or she might be entitled to assets held by a Swiss bank, but does not know which bank, the
contact office can initiate a search. Since this facility only searches for dormant assets, it does not
provide services connected with active or terminated bank-client relationships. A handling fee of SFr 100
is charged, and a search questionnaire can be obtained from the Swiss Banking Ombudsman.
In principle, the Ombudsman could also search for the assets of individuals who have had no contact
with their bank since the end of World War II. However, it must be pointed out that searches extending
that far back have little chance of success since the Swiss Bankers Association and the Independent
Committee of Eminent Persons (ICEP) already published the names of relevant clients in 1997 and in
2001. Please note that the Ombudsman is not responsible for issues concerning the names published in
1997 and in 2001, or for Holocaust-related matters.
b) Accounts of victims and targets of Nazi persecution
In February 2001 and January 2005, two lists of accounts of possible victims or targets of Nazi
persecution were published on the Internet. The lists were compiled by the ICEP, which conducted an
extensive investigation in Swiss banks between 1996 and 2000. For additional information, please visit
the Claims Resolution Tribunal homepage at
http://www.crt-ii.org. You may also contact the Claims
Resolution Tribunal (CRT-II) directly at the following address:
Claims Registration Office / Claims Resolution Tribunal
P.O. Box 1279
Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY 10113, USA
Tel.: 1-800-697-6064
c) Claims of individuals who were not victims of Nazi persecution related to accounts
published in 1997 and in 2001 from dormant accounts since May 9, 1945
Although the 1997 list is no longer available, Swiss banks still accept claims related to an account
included on that list. The 2001 lists are published at
http://www.crt-ii.org. Requests concerning those
lists may be sent to:
Contact Office for Swiss Bank Accounts Dormant Since World War II
P.O. Box 2761
CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
Tel.: ++41 61 272 08 11, Fax: ++41 61 272 07 12
