US business bank accounts for non-residents: what you need

The short answer

If your company is formed in the US, a non-resident owner can usually open a US business account. Mercury and Relay both accept non-US owners, and banks such as Chase can too, though each excludes some countries and asks for more paperwork. If your company is registered outside the US, Mercury and Relay won't take it, and you'll need either a US entity or USD account details from a provider that serves foreign companies.

This page is about accounts for companies. If you want a personal US bank account for non-residents, the rules differ: Chase's guide for individuals says you may need ID, proof of a US address and, in place of a Social Security number, an ITIN. Align doesn't offer personal accounts.

Which situation are you in?

What US rules actually require

No US rule says the owner of a US company has to live in the US. The barrier is mostly provider policy.

Under the federal Customer Identification Program rule, a bank must collect identifying information before opening an account. For a company, that includes a physical location, such as a principal place of business. For a non-US person, the bank can take a taxpayer number, a passport number and country of issuance, an alien ID number, or the number of another government-issued document with a photo. For a foreign business without an identification number, it must ask for government-issued documents showing that the business exists.

So a bank can open your account without a Social Security number. It isn't obliged to. Each one sets its own risk policy on top of these rules, and that's why the same application can pass at one provider and fail at another.

Requirements by provider

As of November 2026, from each provider's own pages:

Wise and Airwallex work differently: they serve companies registered outside the US, so they appear below as the other route.

Mercury. Mercury says customers "must be formed and registered in the United States or a U.S. territory" and have existing or planned US operations. It's "proud to support U.S. companies founded by people across the globe", but it can't support founders or financial controllers living in the countries on its list. Align vs Mercury and Mercury alternatives go further.

Relay. Relay requires a business "registered and operating in the United States". Non-US owners are accepted with an operating presence in the US, and they also have to state the source of the business's first income, whether it's new or established, their personal income and the countries it operates in. Business and owner addresses must be physical US addresses in Relay's document list, so ask how this works if an owner lives abroad.

Relay's country rule is the strictest here. It can't open an account for any owner who holds citizenship or residency in one of 31 countries, which include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Ukraine. A second passport can disqualify you even if you live somewhere else.

Chase and other banks. Chase asks for two forms of ID, a tax ID, proof of business registration and basic details such as annual sales. Non-permanent residents can use a passport. Owners of 10% or more without a Green Card must give passport or matricula details. Single-member LLCs and privately held corporations with one authorized representative can apply online, while multi-member LLCs and companies owned by another business must visit a branch. Banks differ, so ask yours before you travel.

Wise. Wise issues USD details to business accounts if the address is in an eligible country. It lists places where USD details aren't available, including Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Türkiye and the UAE. Its US pricing page shows a 31 USD fee to unlock local details, no fee to receive ACH, and 6.11 USD to receive a wire or SWIFT payment.

Airwallex. Airwallex's US global account receives ACH and Fedwire. Your business must be registered in one of 69 listed countries and territories, and it says other eligibility criteria also apply.

Revolut Business also has a US offer. We couldn't check its current pages for this guide, so see Align vs Revolut Business, last checked in October 2026.

Before you apply: a checklist

Providers apply different rules to the same facts, so check these first:

1. Every owner of 25% or more, and at some banks 10%. List their citizenships, including second passports, and where they live.
2. The exclusion lists. Compare those against each provider's list on the day you apply. Lists change.
3. Your EIN. You'll need the IRS confirmation letter, and Relay accepts a CP-575 or 147C. Outside the US, the IRS takes applications by phone, fax or mail, so plan ahead.
4. Formation documents. Articles of organization or incorporation, plus an operating agreement if there are several members.
5. A real address. Don't rely on your registered agent's. Ask the provider what it accepts before paying for a virtual office.
6. A clear answer on US activity. Mercury and Relay both ask about US operations. Describe your actual customers and suppliers.
7. Your website and a plain description of your business. Providers review the business, not just its documents, and many restrict some industries.
8. Your source of funds. Have contracts or invoices that support the volumes you expect.

The KYB documents guide lists what compliance teams usually want.

If your company isn't American

You have two practical choices. You can form a US company and accept the running costs, which start at around $1,400 a year for a foreign-owned single-member LLC: see Stripe Atlas alternatives. Or you can keep your company where it is and add USD account details.

The second route covers most needs if your aim is to get paid. US customers pay you by ACH or domestic wire, like any US supplier. Getting paid by US customers without a US entity covers the invoice and tax form. What it doesn't give you is a relationship with a US bank, so it won't help if a lender, investor or landlord asks for one.

Where Align fits

Align isn't a bank, and it doesn't offer personal accounts or US bank accounts. It gives registered companies based outside the US a named USD account in the company's own name, through its banking partners: a US account number and routing number for ACH and wires, and a named account for SWIFT. Dollars you receive stay in your USD balance. ACH and wire access isn't switched on automatically: you request it, and the US banking partner runs a second review, and it can decline or set limits.

Mercury or a US bank is the better choice if you have a US company with US operations. Some countries and activities are prohibited, so check eligibility before you apply. Pricing is by quote.

Sources

All accessed 6 November 2026.

• Cornell Law School, 31 CFR 1020.220, Customer identification program requirements for banks
• Mercury, FAQs
• Relay, Signing up for a Relay account, Required documents by entity type and Prohibited countries
• Chase, Get ready to open your business checking account and How to open a US bank account for non-residents
• Wise, Can I get USD account details? and Receive pricing (US)
• Airwallex, Eligible countries and Global Account currencies
• IRS, Employer identification number

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.