What the bank really wants to understand
Behind all the forms are three questions: who you are, where your money comes from and why you need an account here in particular. The third one is underestimated most often — and the bank takes it seriously, because an account with no clear purpose is a source of risk for it.
A convincing connection with the country — work, studies, property, family, business — makes opening an account easier than the size of the first deposit does.
- Identification — a passport, proof of address, sometimes a second document
- The source of funds — documents linking the money to an event: salary, a sale, dividends
- The purpose of the account — a clear explanation of why you need it in this country
- Tax residency — where you pay taxes — the exchange of information depends on it
What to prepare in advance
The set differs from country to country, but the core is the same. Collecting it before the trip means not losing a week on the spot.
- A passport with plenty of validity left
- Proof of your residential address — in the bank's country or in your country of residence
- Documents about your income for the recent months
- Documents on the source of large amounts, if you plan to bring them in
- Translations of the documents into the language of the country or into English, certified by local rules
Why banks refuse
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No connection with the country
An account just to have one is the most common reason for a refusal. The bank needs a clear purpose.
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An incomplete set
Proof of address or a translation of a document is missing. A formality, but a blocking one.
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An unclear source of funds
The amount is there and the document behind it is not. For the bank that is a stop signal.
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The bank's internal policy
Some banks do not work with clients from certain countries at all — and are not obliged to explain it.
How long it takes
The rough guide is from a few days to a few weeks, and almost all of that goes not on the bank's decision but on preparing the documents and on the compliance review. Only the first part can be sped up, and it has to be done before the application.
While there is no account
Weeks usually pass between the decision to open an account and the first payment through it. All that time the money is needed here and now, and the task is solved the same way as an ordinary transfer without an account.
- Cash in the country you are in — against a passport, with no bank details
- Cryptocurrency as an intermediate step, if you have a wallet
- A transfer to the account of a relative or a partner — with a clear payment reference
How it works with us
We do not open accounts and do not advise on banking requirements — that is the work of a bank and a lawyer. But while there is no account or while it is being reviewed, money can still be brought to a person without one.
The fee is 1%, the rate is locked before payment, and there are no limits on our side.
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Without an account
Cash against a passport or crypto to a wallet.
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100+ countries
The destination is picked for where you are.
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The rate is locked
The amount to be received is known before payment.
