Press releasePublished on 13 August 2025

Federal Council initiates consultation on automatic exchange of information with eight more partner states

Bern, 13.08.2025 — During its meeting on 13 August 2025, the Federal Council initiated the consultation on the introduction of the automatic exchange of financial account information (AEOI) with eight more states. The AEOI with these partner states is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2027, with the first exchange of data to take place in 2028. By expanding its AEOI network, Switzerland is reaffirming its commitment to compliance with international standards. The consultation will run until 14 November 2025.

Strengthening the integrity and transparency of the financial centre and combating illicit financial flows are part of the Federal Council's financial market policy. This is aimed at ensuring that the Swiss financial centre remains a world-leading, modern and globally active financial centre. With the introduction of the automatic exchange of information with emerging market and developing economies, Switzerland is committed to international standards to combat financial crime, tax evasion, money laundering and corruption.

Against this backdrop, the Federal Council is proposing that the AEOI also be agreed with the following eight states: Armenia, Cameroon, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia. The AEOI with the new partner states will not enter into force until they meet the requirements of the AEOI standard. In addition, before the first exchange of data, the Federal Council will once again check whether the requirements of the AEOI standard – especially as regards data security and confidentiality – are met.

The revision of the Federal Act on the International Automatic Exchange of Information on Tax Matters (AEOIA) is currently being discussed by Parliament. Among other things, the revision envisages delegating the responsibility for determining which states are to be included in the list of AEOI partner states to the Federal Council. If this new arrangement is adopted and comes into force on 1 January 2026, the introduction of the AEOI with the aforementioned partner states would no longer have to be approved by Parliament, and would instead be decided directly by the Federal Council. As a result, the current proposal would not be necessary.

Otherwise, the Federal Council plans to submit the dispatch on the introduction of the AEOI with these partner states to Parliament in autumn/winter 2026.

Documents