Unlike many other European jurisdictions marked by restrictive conditions for foreign direct investment (FDI), Switzerland has been a very attractive jurisdiction for such investments, with few rules, which has encouraged significant foreign investment. In 2016 for example, Chinese investment in the whole EU amounted to US$40 billion, while in Switzerland alone, 2016 Chinese investment came to US$45 billion.
There are currently no general foreign investment controls in Switzerland. However, foreign investment controls do apply to certain industries and sectors—in particular banking, securities and real estate—where prior government approval is required.
