To obtain a personal loan in Switzerland, you must meet the legal requirements of the Consumer Credit Act (KKG), particularly regarding solvency and financial stability. Each bank also evaluates specific criteria such as your age, professional status, income, and type of residence permit to ensure the feasibility of your project.
Loan requirements in Switzerland vary depending on age.
Individuals under 18 years and over 70 years are automatically declined.
If employed or an IV pensioner:
Loans are available for individuals aged 18 to 65 and must be fully repaid before the 65th birthday.
If retired:
The loan must be fully repaid before the 70th birthday, and a minimum income of CHF 3,000 net per month is required.
Since January 2016, to protect young adults from over-indebtedness, advertising must not target individuals under 25 years of age, whether online, on billboards, or in gaming halls.
Loan approval requirements for those under 25 are significantly stricter. Age is evaluated as a trust indicator: the younger you are, the lower your age-related scoring, which makes access to personal loans more challenging.
If you currently have debt enforcement actions or loss certificates, it is impossible to obtain bank approval for your application, even if your creditworthiness is deemed good.
If you had debt enforcement actions in the past, your chances remain affected. However, obtaining a loan is not automatically excluded. In cases of severe financial incidents such as seizures or bankruptcies, your chances are significantly reduced or close to zero.
For Swiss nationals:
For foreign nationals:
Financial documents:
Optional documents:
For Swiss nationals:
For foreign nationals:
Financial documents:
Optional documents:
For Swiss nationals:
For foreign nationals:
Financial documents:
Proof of address:
For Swiss nationals:
For foreign nationals:
Financial documents:
Optional documents:
For Swiss nationals:
For foreign nationals:
Financial documents:
Optional documents:
Calculation example
Loan of CHF 20'000. An effective annual interest rate between 4.9% and 10.95% and a term of 48 months generate total interest between CHF 2'018.10 and CHF 4'549.60. Term: 6-120 months; Maximum annual interest rate (including all credit charges) 10.95%. The granting of a loan is prohibited if it leads to the over-indebtedness of the consumer.(Art. 3 LCD)
Your professional situation, whether you are actively employed or not, is one of the criteria defining your eligibility for a personal loan.
Two Main Reasons:
The following cases exclude you from applying for a personal loan:
A loan in Switzerland is possible with the following employment relationships, whereby credit institutions apply different conditions:
If you're selfemplyed and would like to apply for a loan as a self-employed person or managing director of a GmbH or AG, the following conditions apply:
Nationality and place of residence are prerequisites for obtaining a personal loan. Individuals with Swiss citizenship, permit B, cross-border commuter permit G, and legitimation cards D, E, F can apply for a personal loan.
However, this does not apply to foreign nationals with an F, N, or S permit or residence authorization.
In the following cases, you are excluded from applying for or obtaining a personal loan:
Individuals with a C permit are subject to the same personal loan regulations as Swiss nationals residing in Switzerland.
The most important requirement for applying for a personal loan in Switzerland with a B permit is the issue date of the permit.
If your permit was issued more than 12 months ago, you can apply. If it was issued less than 12 months ago, your application will be denied.
Please note that additional restrictions may apply to B permit holders. Depending on the credit institution, the required minimum duration since the permit was issued may be longer, or other factors, such as marital status, may be considered.
We are happy to advise you on whether and at which credit institution your chances of obtaining a loan with a B permit are favorable.
The conditions for granting a personal loan in Switzerland to cross-border commuters depend on the duration of the employment contract and place of residence.
Previously, it was clearly defined which regions in neighboring European countries you had to reside in to be recognized as a cross-border commuter when working in Switzerland. This regulation has now been generalized: The only condition today is that you must live in an EU or EFTA country.
If you hold a management position in a company but have no capital shares, or if you hold capital shares in an AG, the same lending conditions apply to you as for regular employees.
Duration of Employment Contract
To qualify for a loan as a cross-border commuter, the first requirement is the minimum duration of your employment contract with the same employer in Switzerland. This varies depending on the canton:
Here you can find more information about loans with a G permit:
Are you a holder of a legitimation card of type D, E, or F and an international civil servant?
If you are an employee of an international organization in Switzerland or a permanent mission in Geneva, the first requirement for obtaining a personal loan is that your primary residence is in Switzerland.
