Depositary & Custodian Banking

A Global Hub for Cross-Border Fund Structures

Luxembourg’s depositary and custodian banks are uniquely equipped to handle complex, cross-border mandates, servicing a wide array of regulated fund vehicles, including:

• UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities).
• AIFs (Alternative Investment Funds).
• RAIFs, SIFs, and other Luxembourg-based fund structures.

This capability makes Luxembourg a trusted partner for asset managers, institutional investors, and fund promoters around the world.

A Threefold Mandate under EU Regulation

In line with European directives such as UCITS V and AIFMD, Luxembourg’s depositary and custodian institutions play a tripartite role designed to safeguard investor interests and ensure regulatory integrity:

1. Safekeeping of Assets

• Custody of financial instruments (e.g., listed securities, cash holdings).
• Recordkeeping and verification of ownership for non-custodiable assets (e.g., real estate, private equity, loans).

2. Oversight Responsibilities

• Monitoring compliance with investment rules and legal documentation.
• Verification of NAV calculations, subscriptions, and redemptions.

3. Cash Flow Monitoring

• Ensuring proper receipt of investor subscriptions and fund disbursements.
• Tracking cash movements to detect anomalies or inconsistencies.

Through this comprehensive oversight framework, depositaries act as trusted gatekeepers, ensuring transparency, risk mitigation, and alignment with EU regulations.

A Diverse and Experienced Ecosystem

Luxembourg’s depositary and custodian services are delivered by a robust mix of institutions, including:

• Global custodians with extensive cross-border servicing capacity.
• Universal banks integrating fund servicing with broader financial services.
• Specialist depositary institutions focused on alternative assets and niche fund strategies.

This ecosystem benefits from Luxembourg’s deep legal, regulatory, and operational infrastructure, as well as its multilingual talent pool and proven expertise in global fund administration.

Key trends

• In 2023, alternative investment funds for which Luxembourg banks serve as depositaries experienced strong growth—particularly RAIFs, which saw a 43% increase in assets compared to 2022. Private equity funds also contributed significantly to this momentum, with depositary banks recording an asset increase of EUR 108 billion over the previous year.

• This rapid expansion highlights the urgent need to streamline operational workflows, strengthen resource capacity, and accelerate digital transformation. Today, many alternative and non-standardised funds still rely heavily on manual processes, posing efficiency and scalability challenges for depositary institutions.

• Despite this surge in alternatives, UCITS and traditional asset classes—such as equity and bond funds—continue to dominate the market. In fact, UCITS retained its leading position, representing 66% of total assets under depositary in 2023, amounting to EUR 4 trillion.