The Swiss Money Laundering Act is about to undergo a comprehensive revision.

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After several attempts, there is now consensus in parliament that the anti-money laundering provisions in Switzerland should be extended to certain advisory professions that do not have power of attorney over third-party assets.

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This means that numerous legal advisory professions operating in Switzerland will now be subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act and supervised by a self-regulatory organization.

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On 26 September 2025, Parliament decided on the new rules. This affects persons who professionally perform financial transactions, including fundraising, in connection with the following specific legal transactions: ​​

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• Purchase and sale of real estate

• Establishment and creation of non-operational legal entities based in Switzerland or legal entities based abroad

• Management and administration of non-operational legal entities

• Deposits and distributions of non-operational legal entities

• Purchase and sale of legal entities, provided that the purchase or sale is carried out by a non-operational legal entity

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Furthermore, anyone who professionally provides addresses or premises as a domicile or registered office for legal entities for a period of more than six months is considered an advisor.

The law provides for exceptions in the area of real estate transactions with a low risk of money laundering and in the monopoly area of lawyers and notaries. Other specific exceptions, for example in agriculture, also exist.

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The Federal Department of Finance has publisehd the draft ordinance and awaits market feedback until 31 January 2026.

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It is to be expected that the rules will come into force in early to mid-2026 with short transition periods.