# J. Safra Sarasin: Conservative Family-Owned Private Banking > Family-owned Swiss private bank: ~CHF 224bn AUM, 25+ offices from Basel to Singapore and Panama. Minimum not published — CHF 0.5–1m market benchmark. Author: Алёна Дунаева — юрист, Family Office (https://wiki.private.law/authors/dunaeva) Last modified: 2026-07-16T09:48:00.000Z Canonical: https://wiki.private.law/en/safra-sarasin Topics: banking Jurisdictions: switzerland Semantic tags: private-banking, wealth-planning --- J. Safra Sarasin is a Basel-based private bank owned by the Safra family. The brand merges two traditions: the Basel house of Sarasin with over 180 years of history, and the international banking group of the Safra family. Among Swiss family-owned banks, it is one of the most consistently conservative. ## Profile The core of the model is wealth preservation — protecting capital rather than chasing returns. From Sarasin the bank inherited its sustainable investing expertise; from the Safra family, unusually strong positions in Latin America and the Middle East — a geographic mix rare among Swiss houses. Headquarters are in Basel (Elisabethenstrasse 62), the regulator is FINMA. Assets under management stood at around CHF 224bn at the end of 2024. > 🍓 J. Safra Sarasin is a bank for conservative capital preservation: family ownership, ~CHF 224bn AUM, 25+ offices from Basel to Singapore and Panama. No published minimum — the market benchmark is CHF 0.5–1m, with entry agreed on request. ## Minimum investment The bank publishes no official minimum. The market benchmark runs from CHF 500,000 to 1m depending on the booking centre ([goldblum.ch](https://goldblum.ch/banks/bank-j-safra-sarasin-ltd) — a market estimate, not a bank tariff). Final terms are confirmed by the bank individually. | Parameter | Value | Confirmation | | --- | --- | --- | | Entry threshold | Not published; CHF 0.5–1m benchmark | Market estimate, on request | | AUM | ~CHF 224bn (end-2024) | Bank figures via industry reviews | | Headquarters | Basel | [jsafrasarasin.com](https://jsafrasarasin.com/en/company/locations.html) | | Offices | 25+ | [jsafrasarasin.com](http://jsafrasarasin.com/) | | Regulator | FINMA | — | Data as of July 2026. ## Locations and booking The official location map ([jsafrasarasin.com](https://jsafrasarasin.com/en/company/locations.html), data as of July 2026): Switzerland — Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Lugano, Bern, Lucerne; Europe — Luxembourg, Monaco, Gibraltar (Bank J. Safra Sarasin (Gibraltar) Ltd with a full banking licence), London, Frankfurt, Munich, Dublin, Warsaw; Asia — Singapore and Hong Kong; Middle East — Dubai (DIFC) and Doha; Americas — Nassau and Panama. Over 25 offices in total. For a client this means a choice of booking between Switzerland, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Singapore and Hong Kong — a range few banks of comparable size can match. ## Compliance and difficult passports The bank publishes no policy by citizenship: onboarding runs through case-by-case compliance, where residency, source of funds and the applicant's sanctions exposure decide the outcome. Its long-standing Latin American and Middle Eastern books suggest a habit of working with international clients — but nothing is automatic. ## Who it suits Capital owners whose priority is preservation: a conservative mandate, a family-owned bank free of quarterly market pressure, and a wide booking map. Peers in the family-owned league are [Pictet](https://wiki.private.law/en/pictet-private-bank) and [LGT](https://wiki.private.law/en/lgt-private-bank); the segment overview sits in [private banking](https://wiki.private.law/en/private-banking). It does not suit those after aggressive trading ideas or investment-banking firepower — that is closer to [UBS](https://wiki.private.law/en/ubs-private-bank) — or portfolios well below CHF 500,000, where a private mandate does not add up. ## FAQ ### **What is the minimum to open an account with J. Safra Sarasin?** The bank does not publish a figure. The market benchmark is CHF 0.5–1m depending on the booking centre; terms are confirmed individually on request. ### **Where can an account be booked?** Key centres are Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Gibraltar (full banking licence), Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai (DIFC), Nassau and Panama. Data as of July 2026. ### **Who owns the bank?** The Safra family. The bank combines the Sarasin house of Basel, with 180+ years of history, and the family's banking group; governance remains in family hands. ### **How conservative is the investment approach?** The profile is wealth preservation: capital protection, sustainable investing (the Sarasin heritage) and deep Latin America and Middle East expertise. Speculative strategies are not what this house is for. --- ## FAQ ### What is the minimum to open an account with J. Safra Sarasin? The bank does not publish a figure. The market benchmark is CHF 0.5–1m depending on the booking centre; terms are confirmed individually on request. ### Where can an account be booked? Key centres are Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Gibraltar (full banking licence), Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai (DIFC), Nassau and Panama. Data as of July 2026. ### Who owns the bank? The Safra family. The bank combines the Sarasin house of Basel, with 180+ years of history, and the family's banking group; governance remains in family hands. ### How conservative is the investment approach? The profile is wealth preservation: capital protection, sustainable investing (the Sarasin heritage) and deep Latin America and Middle East expertise. Speculative strategies are not what this house is for. --- ## Factual claims - Headquarters are in Basel (Elisabethenstrasse 62), the regulator is FINMA. - Data as of July 2026. - The official location map (jsafrasarasin.com, data as of July 2026): Switzerland — Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Lugano, Bern, Lucerne; Europe — Luxembourg, Monaco, Gibraltar (Bank J. - It does not suit those after aggressive trading ideas or investment-banking firepower — that is closer to UBS — or portfolios well below CHF 500,000, where a private mandate does not add up.