US Business Bank Accounts for Non-Residents
For founders who live outside the US and own a US LLC or C-corp: which accounts open for owners abroad, the ID and US address each one asks for, the countries it cannot serve and what sending money abroad costs, read from each provider's own pages.
Account terms read on each provider's own pages, all checked on or after . Eligibility, the documents a provider asks for and the countries it serves change: confirm them with the provider before you apply.
A founder who lives outside the US can apply for a US business account for a US company at Mercury (best all-round account for founders abroad), Bluevine (best if you have no US address), Meow (best for free wires abroad), and Wise Business (best for holding and converting currencies). Each term below links to the provider's page that states it, and the popular startup accounts that need a US resident, a Social Security number or US addresses are listed after them.
A US company can usually get a US business account even when its owners live elsewhere, but not at every provider. Mercury, Bluevine, Meow, Wise and Lili say on their own pages that owners abroad can apply and verify with a passport or another photo ID, while Relay, Novo and Found require a Social Security number or owners who live in the US, Grasshopper Bank requires a US citizen or permanent resident, and Slash requires every address on the application to be in the US.
For a founder abroad, the terms that decide it are rarely the fees. Check whether owners may live outside the US, whether a Social Security number is required, what US address the company needs (several providers refuse a registered agent's or a mail-forwarding address) and which countries of residence the provider cannot serve. Some of those lists are long: Mercury cannot open accounts for founders who live in about 50 listed countries, and Bluevine serves owners who live in 25.
Most accounts also ask for the company's EIN, and the IRS online application is not open to a company whose principal place of business is outside the US: such a company applies by phone, or with Form SS-4 by fax or mail. The IRS page on getting an EIN gives the number and addresses for international applicants.
US accounts that open for owners living abroad
Each provider's own pages say a US company whose owners live outside the US can apply. Each term links to the page that states it.
- 1
Mercury
Best all-round account for founders abroad
Owners can live outside the US and verify with a passport, the base plan costs $0 and USD wires abroad are free. Founders who live in one of about 50 countries Mercury lists cannot apply, whatever their citizenship.
- Owners living abroad
- Yes; no US citizenship or residency needed (source: support.mercury.com)
- ID the owners need
- A passport for owners outside the US (source: support.mercury.com)
- Countries it cannot serve
- About 50, by residence: Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam... (source: support.mercury.com)
- Sending money abroad
- USD wires free; 1% fee on other currencies (source: mercury.com)
Open an account at MercuryTerms read on mercury.com on Mercury: eligibility, perks and how to apply All 274 Mercury Perks, compared - 2
Bluevine
Best if you have no US address
Its page for international owners asks for a valid passport, needs no US address and opens entirely online, but only for owners who live in the 25 countries it lists, among them India, Germany, the UK, Canada and Australia.
- Owners living abroad
- Yes, for owners living in 25 listed countries (source: bluevine.com)
- ID the owners need
- A valid passport; no SSN (source: bluevine.com)
- Countries it cannot serve
- Owners living outside its list of 25 countries (source: bluevine.com)
- Sending money abroad
- $25 + 1.5% per foreign-currency payment (source: bluevine.com)
- Deposit insurance
- Up to $3M FDIC per depositor (source: bluevine.com)
Open an account at BluevineTerms read on bluevine.com on Bluevine: eligibility, perks and how to apply - 3
Meow
Best for free wires abroad
Its terms say owners need not be US citizens or residents, the business address it asks for can be abroad, and it charges no monthly, ACH or international wire fees.
- Owners living abroad
- Yes; owners need not be US citizens or residents (source: meow.com)
- ID the owners need
- An official government ID if not a US citizen (source: meow.com)
- Countries it cannot serve
- Sanctioned places; it serves 180+ countries (source: meow.com)
- Sending money abroad
- No international wire fees (source: meow.com)
- Deposit insurance
- FDIC at partner banks; more through IntraFi (source: meow.com)
- 4
Wise Business
Best for holding and converting currencies
Owners abroad verify with a photo ID, the registered address can be your formation agent's, and the account holds and converts many currencies. It is a money service business rather than a bank, and it cannot onboard companies from Nevada.
- Owners living abroad
- Yes; non-US owners verified with a photo ID (source: wise.com)
- ID the owners need
- A photo ID; an SSN only from US owners (source: wise.com)
- Countries it cannot serve
- No companies from Nevada or US territories (source: wise.com)
- Monthly fee
- One 31 USD set-up fee (source: wise.com)
- Sending money abroad
- Wire transfers from $1.13 (source: wise.com)
- Deposit insurance
- Pass-through FDIC up to $250K on interest funds (source: wise.com)
- Bank or fintech
- Money service business, not a bank (source: wise.com)
- 5
Lili
Best for citizens of the 20 countries it lists
Owners living abroad open with a passport and the EIN letter, with no US visit, but only citizens of the 20 countries Lili lists (Brazil, China, India and Mexico among them), and it refuses a registered agent's address.
- Owners living abroad
- Yes, with a passport and the EIN letter (source: lili.co)
- ID the owners need
- A foreign passport and the EIN (source: lili.co)
- Countries it cannot serve
- Citizens of countries outside its list of 20 (source: support.lili.co)
- Monthly fee
- $0 on the Core plan (source: lili.co)
- Sending money abroad
- $25 per outgoing wire (source: support.lili.co)
- Deposit insurance
- Up to $3M FDIC through a sweep network (source: support.lili.co)
- Bank or fintech
- Fintech; banking by Sunrise Banks, N.A. (source: lili.co)
- 6
Brex
Best if your company has a US office
Owners abroad can give a passport number instead of an SSN, but every applicant needs a US physical address and US operations, and a virtual address is accepted only when an owner or officer is physically present in the US.
- Owners living abroad
- Yes, with US operations and a US address (source: brex.com)
- ID the owners need
- Passport or license number instead of an SSN (source: brex.com)
- US address
- A US physical address (source: brex.com)
- Countries it cannot serve
- US-sanctioned countries and people excluded (source: brex.com)
- Deposit insurance
- Up to $6M FDIC through 24 partner banks (source: brex.com)
- Bank or fintech
- Fintech; checking at Column N.A. (source: brex.com)
- 7
Rho
Best with a US office or a US-based owner
Rho offers accounts to owners worldwide and verifies founders without an SSN by passport, but the company needs a US operating address or one owner in the US with a valid SSN.
- Owners living abroad
- Yes, with a US address or a US-based owner (source: rho.co)
- ID the owners need
- A passport for founders without an SSN (source: rho.co)
- Countries it cannot serve
- Sanctioned and listed locations excluded (source: rho.co)
- Sending money abroad
- 1% fee on foreign-currency payments (source: rho.co)
- Deposit insurance
- FDIC up to $250K per entity on checking (source: rho.co)
- Bank or fintech
- Fintech; checking at Webster Bank (source: rho.co)
Startup accounts that need a US person
Popular startup accounts whose own pages require owners who live in the US, a Social Security number or US addresses only, in each provider's words.
Relay: every owner needs an SSN
“Your business must be legally registered and operating in the United States, and every beneficial owner must have a valid SSN.” relayfi.com, read
Novo: owners must live in the US
“No. Novo only supports business owners who live in the US.” novo.co, read
Found: an SSN and a US address
“Found is only available in the United States, to customers with valid U.S. addresses and social security numbers.” found.com, read
Grasshopper Bank: a US citizen or permanent resident
“a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident with a verifiable address in one of the 50 states or District of Columbia” grasshopper.bank, read
Slash: every address given must be in the US
“For business banking and treasury applications, all addresses provided must be located within the United States.” slash.com, read
Also useful for banking and incorporation
Shown only because they fit what this page is about, and ordered by that fit (70%) and what a referral is expected to earn us (30%). We may earn a commission if you sign up through one of these, at no cost to you. They never change the ranking of this page.
Compare the top options
How this comparison is built
The picks are accounts whose own pages say a US company with owners living outside the US can apply, and the "best for" notes are our reading of their terms. The accounts ruled out are popular startup accounts whose own pages require owners who live in the US, a Social Security number or US addresses only. Every term comes from the provider's own page on the date shown, never from a review site; follow each link for the full conditions and disclosures. No provider pays for a placement on this page, and it is not financial or legal advice. Deposit insurance figures cite each provider; the standard FDIC limit and what FDIC insurance does not cover are from the FDIC.
Read the full methodologyCommon questions
Can a non-US resident open a US business bank account?
Yes, for a company registered in the US, at providers that accept owners who live abroad. Mercury, Bluevine, Meow, Wise Business and Lili say so on their own pages, each with conditions: Mercury cannot serve founders who live in about 50 listed countries, Bluevine serves owners who live in 25 listed countries, and Lili serves citizens of 20 listed countries. Brex and Rho also accept owners abroad, but Brex needs a US physical address and US operations, and Rho needs a US operating address or an owner in the US with a Social Security number.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN to open a US business account?
Not at every provider. Mercury, Bluevine, Lili and Rho verify owners without a Social Security number by passport, Wise asks owners outside the US for a photo ID, and Brex accepts a passport or driver's license number instead of an SSN. Relay, Novo and Found require a Social Security number, and Grasshopper Bank requires a US citizen or permanent resident.
Can I use my registered agent's address?
It depends on which address. Wise accepts a registration agency's address as the registered address but needs a physical trading address where you work. Mercury needs a US legal address, and it verifies the physical address where you work, which can be abroad, when the legal address is a registered agent's. Lili does not accept a registered agent address, Brex requires a US physical address, and Bluevine says you do not need a physical US address.
Do I have to travel to the US to open the account?
Not for the online accounts compared here. Bluevine says onboarding can be done entirely online from its accepted countries, Lili says no US visit is required, and Mercury, Meow, Wise and Rho take applications online.
How do I get an EIN if I live outside the US?
Apply to the IRS by phone, or send Form SS-4 by fax or mail: the IRS online EIN application is not available when the principal place of business is outside the US. Some providers let a new company bank before its EIN arrives; Stripe names Brex and Mercury as partners that allow Atlas companies to do so. See the IRS instructions for international applicants.
Is a Wise or Payoneer account a US bank account?
No. Wise says it is registered with FinCEN and is not an FDIC-insured bank, and Payoneer says it is not a bank or deposit-taking institution: its receiving accounts give you local account details for receiving payments. Both are useful for receiving and converting money, while business checking for a US company is held at a bank, directly or through a fintech's partner banks.
Are deposits at these fintechs FDIC insured?
Mercury, Bluevine, Meow, Lili, Brex and Rho are financial technology companies whose deposits are held at partner banks, and FDIC insurance applies at those banks. Several spread balances across a network of banks for higher coverage: Mercury states up to $5M, Brex up to $6M, and Bluevine and Lili up to $3M. Wise offers pass-through FDIC insurance on funds that earn interest.
More best-of guides
New startup perks, in your inbox
Get an email when a new credit, discount, or deal for founders is added. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.