The Pension Fund informed us about the possibility for a pensioner domiciled outside Switzerland to receive the transfers of his pension to a non-Swiss bank insofar as this bank has a branch in Switzerland.
The essential rule for the Pension Fund to make such transfers is that the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of the bank account to which the transfer is to be made begins with the letters CH.
European banks having a Swiss subsidiary and agreeing to open an account with an IBAN of the type CH… … for a pensioner domiciled outside Switzerland can be accepted by the Pension Fund’s payment system.
Some examples are known.
If you are having difficulty opening an account, you have the opportunity to become a member of the association AMFIE, the financial cooperative association of international civil servants.
Based in Luxembourg, this association offers services similar to those of a bank (credit card, savings, etc.). Many beneficiaries have already found this solution very practical.
Once the beneficiary is a member of AMFIE, the pension will be paid into that account in Switzerland and in Swiss francs. Then it is possible to transfer the amount (automatically if desired) to another account in another currency of corresponding banks.
Full details on membership and financial services are available at: http://www.amfie.org