Electronic Signature

Digital identification for asset managers

Franziska Klein

November 12, 2025

Electronic Signature

For financial intermediaries in Switzerland – especially asset managers – the obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and FINMA regulations are key. Both require that customers be identified beyond doubt, beneficial owners be recorded, and business relationships be monitored on an ongoing basis. These regulatory requirements are complex but essential for preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. In practice, however, they often lead to high administrative costs – especially when identifications are carried out manually or using external tools.

From AMLA to FINMA-compliant digital identification

The AMLA sets out the basic due diligence and reporting requirements, while the FINMA circulars (in particular RS 2016/7 “Video and Online Identification”) specify how financial intermediaries may implement digital identification processes in a legally compliant manner.

According to these guidelines, the following points are particularly important:

Unambiguous identification of the contracting party using official identification documents (FINMA RS 2016/7 Rz 9–33).

Admissibility of electronic procedures, such as video identification or auto-identification, provided that these meet FINMA's technical and organizational requirements (margin nos. 34–47).

Use of an electronic copy of an identity document with a qualified electronic signature (margin nos. 38 f.) as a recognized alternative to physical identification.

Complete documentation and audit-proof archiving of the entire identification chain.

For asset managers in particular – who are considered financial intermediaries within the meaning of Art. 2 para. 3 AMLA – choosing a compliant but practical digital identification procedure is crucial in order to balance efficiency and compliance.

‍

signeer: AMLA and FINMA-compliant identification without additional effort

signeer is more than just a signature solution: it is a complete platform for electronic signatures that covers all signature levels in accordance with ZertES (CH) and eIDAS (EU) – from simple (EES) and advanced (FES) to qualified electronic signatures (QES).

What makes it special:

As the only Swiss signature solution currently available, signeer integrates a FINMA-approved identification procedure directly into the signature process.

This means that asset managers can:

Identify in accordance with FINMA (in accordance with RS 2016/7 Rz 38 f., “electronic copy of ID with QES”),

automatically issue QES,

and sign electronically in a legally compliant manner – all within the same platform, without additional tools, apps, or manual process steps.

signeer thus combines AMLA compliance, FINMA conformity, and digital contract processing in a seamless workflow.

‍

Tamper-proof signature processes with complete audit trail

Every transaction on signeer is fully logged: from identification to the final signature.

This means:

Tamper protection through cryptographically secured documents,

complete audit trails for internal and external auditors,

traceability of all signature actions and authentication steps.

signeer not only meets legal requirements, but also offers practical verifiability in the context of FINMA audits or internal compliance audits.

Ready to use immediately – no integration project or IT effort required

signeer is web-based and can be used immediately – no system integration, no infrastructure changes, no installations.

‍

Financial intermediaries can thus digitally implement their AMLA and FINMA-compliant processes within a few days.

Result: AMLA compliance, FINMA-compliant identification, and qualified electronic signatures in a continuous flow – secure, traceable, and immediately productive.

‍

Conclusion

FINMA allows digital identification – but only if it is implemented correctly from a technical and legal perspective. With signeer, asset managers now have access to a platform that combines electronic signatures with FINMA-compliant identification for the first time: