Reinsurance

Any company offering reinsurance in Switzerland must be authorised by SFMA to do so. Licences are issued if the statutory requirements are met.

This SFMA page gives applicants and supervised institutions a practical view of the reinsurance topic. It explains when a licence, approval, notification or registration may be needed, what information should be prepared, and which changes may require contact with the authority.

Types of reinsurance contracts

Insurance-specific reviews consider the classes of insurance, policyholder protection, business plan, solvency, technical provisions, reinsurance, distribution arrangements and the ability to administer claims and contracts reliably.

Licensing requirements

The review focuses on whether the applicant is organised in a way that is suitable for reinsurance within the Getting licensed: insurers area. SFMA will normally look at governance, financial resources, responsible persons, risk controls, compliance arrangements, auditability, outsourcing and whether the planned activity can be carried out without creating avoidable risks for clients, investors, policyholders or market integrity.

Preparing a complete file

Applicants should keep the submission concise but complete: describe the activity, legal structure, people responsible, control framework, financial resources, relevant documents and any cross-border elements. Where uncertainty remains, the issue should be highlighted early rather than left to emerge during review.