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Home/Bank Intelligence/Switzerland/J. Safra Sarasin
J. Safra SarasinJS
J. Safra Sarasin Switzerland review

Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG

Our review of J. Safra Sarasin Switzerland for ultra-high-net-worth families. We researched the legal entity that holds the licence and books the account, not just the brand.

Booking centreSwitzerland
RegulatorFINMA
Legal formLicence holder
GroupJ. Safra Sarasin Group (part of the wider J. Safra Group)
Founded1841
Websitejsafrasarasin.com
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PPLI.com
Private Bank Rating
84
out of 100
Editorial assessment on UHNW criteria
Reviewed 2 November 2026 · Q4 2026 edition
Updated every quarter
Rating signed byNoam CohenEditor, Bank Intelligence
About the rating
The rating

What the PPLI.com rating of J. Safra Sarasin considers

This is our editorial assessment of J. Safra Sarasin. We look at the areas below, which matter to a family deciding where to keep its assets, and weigh them together with what clients tell us and the service they get. Retail products, branches and apps play no part. The public sources we used are listed at the foot of the page.

Conduct and enforcement

What regulators, prosecutors and courts have concluded about this licence holder in recent years.

Protection of client assets

Whether custody assets are ring-fenced by law in the booking centre, whether deposits are protected, and whether the custody terms can be read before signing.

Service for complex families

The breadth of private banking services the bank publishes for this booking unit, including work with external managers and family offices.

Cost transparency

Whether a prospective client can see the tariff and the bank's policy on third party payments before asking.

Ownership and control

Whether the bank's owners are public, how official assessments rate the anti-money-laundering regime of any owner's home jurisdiction, and whether a politically exposed person holds a significant stake. The same test applies to every bank.

Client opinions and service

What clients of J. Safra Sarasin and their advisers tell us in confidence, and the service the bank gives to families. We never publish names. Tell us about yours

PPLI.comPrivate Bank Rating84
Rating on public information80
Adjustment for client experience+4
PPLI.com rating84

Positive feedback from clients of the bank received by PPLI.com about its service. The adjustment was made by the editor on 2 November 2026 and will be reviewed in the next quarterly edition.

The rating expresses the opinion of PPLI.com on the date shown. It is not a statement of fact about the bank, not a credit rating, not a forecast of failure and not investment advice. Read about the rating.

The record

Regulatory and legal record

What regulators, prosecutors and courts have decided, recorded against the legal entity they named, with the status, the amounts as published and a link to the original document. Claims and investigations still under way are marked as open.

201523 December 2015

Swiss Bank Program Category 2 non-prosecution agreement

Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG entered a Swiss Bank Program non-prosecution agreement covering 1,275 US-related accounts with aggregate maximum value of about USD 2.2 billion since August 2008 and paid USD 85.809 million. The US Department of Justice noted that under its 2001 Qualified Intermediary agreement the bank continued to serve certain US customers without disclosing their identities to the IRS.

Safra Sarasin will pay a penalty of $85.809 million.
US Department of Justice (Swiss Bank Program) · Settlement without admission · Penalty USD 85.8 million · Primary source
The bank at a glance

Identity, protection and services

Legal identity

Legal nameBank J. Safra Sarasin AG
LEI5493008LFIYZKT5TJ445
LicenceBank  Source
RegulatorFINMA
Legal formLicence holder
OwnerNot published  Source

Ownership

Group parentJS International Holdings Limited (Bahamas; GLEIF ultimate parent) - J. Safra Group, owned by Jacob J. Safra and David J. Safra  Source
ControlJacob J. Safra and David J. Safra; family owned  Source (31 December 2025)
Holder of 10% or moreJ. Safra Sarasin Holding AG in Bank J. Safra Sarasin AG  Source (31 December 2025)
Holder of 10% or moreJS International Holdings Limited in J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG (ultimate parent per GLEIF)  Source
Holder of 10% or moreJacob J. Safra in J. Safra Group (top)  Source (31 December 2025)
Holder of 10% or moreDavid J. Safra in J. Safra Group (top)  Source (31 December 2025)

Ownership is shown as published, with its date. It describes who owns the bank; it does not, by itself, suggest any wrongdoing by the bank or its owners.

Financial strength, as reported

Credit ratingsNot published
CET1 ratio34.5% (2025-12-31)  Source
assets under managementCHF 228.5 bn (2025-12-31)  Source

Services published for this booking unit

Private clients
Discretionary management
Advisory mandates
Custody only (execution and safekeeping)
Lombard lending
Mortgage lending
Multi currency accounts
Trust and fiduciary services
Family office services
Wealth planning
Consolidated reporting
External asset manager desk

Offered at this booking centreOffered by the group, not confirmed hereNot located, which does not mean unavailable
Checked on the bank's own pages, 2 November 2026.

Access and costs

Minimum relationshipNot published
US personsNot published
Fee scheduleNot published
Third party paymentsNot published
Transfer out termsNot published

Protection of client assets

Deposit protectionAll banks with a Swiss office must be members of esisuisse: privileged deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 per client per bank, including non-resident clients and foreign currency deposits, within a system cap.
Custody lawSwiss Banking Act art. 37d: custody assets held for clients are separated from the bankrupt bank's estate and handed over to the clients, with privileged deposits protected under arts. 37a and 37h.
Custody termsNot published
Your experience

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If you bank with J. Safra Sarasin or advise clients who do, your experience forms part of its PPLI.com rating. Every response is read by the editor and treated in strict confidence.

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Our commitment to confidentiality

Your name, email and telephone number are seen only by the PPLI.com editor. They are never published, never passed to J. Safra Sarasin or any other bank, and never used for marketing. We may contact you once to clarify your assessment. Once verified by our editors, your assessment can lead to a disclosed adjustment of this bank's PPLI.com rating. It is never published with your name.

Sources

  1. US Department of Justice (Swiss Bank Program): justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-four-banks-reach-resolutions-under-swiss-b

For J. Safra Sarasin

Before we publish a significant negative finding, we give the bank the facts and time to comment, on the same timetable for every bank. Corrections we verify are published with the date of the change. Write to [email protected] quoting reference BK-CH-SAFRA-SARASIN-ED91E6.

About this file

Researched by the PPLI.com research desk from the public sources listed. The rating is our editorial opinion; read how we rate.

Important information. Editorial opinion of PPLI.com on the date shown, based on public information, client experience and editorial judgment. Not a statement of fact, a credit rating or investment, legal, tax or financial advice; verify with the bank and your own advisers before acting. No liability is accepted for reliance on this content. Bank names and logos are used for identification only. Ratings are updated every quarter. This is the Q4 2026 edition, and a rating can change between editions if something material happens. Full disclaimer
Rating signed by Noam Cohen, Editor, Bank IntelligenceReviewed 2 November 2026Methodology 2.3Reference BK-CH-SAFRA-SARASIN-ED91E6
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