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US bank account guide 2026

US bank account for non-residents: opening one for your LLC from abroad

Updated 11 November 2026FinCEN, FDIC and IRS rules, 2026About 11 minutes to read
The short answer

A non-US founder can open a US business account for an LLC without an SSN, a US address or a visit: US rules ask for the EIN and your passport.

Most founders abroad use an online business account backed by a partner bank. Know who insures your money, sign a W-8BEN, and keep invoices for every large payment.

Which account fits me? My documents
No SSN needed $250,000 FDIC cover per depositor, per bank, and only at a bank Banking apps are not banks. Your money is insured only through their partner bank, and only if their records hold up.

Your LLC is formed and has its EIN. Now US clients want to pay it by ACH, and the platforms want a US account. US law doesn't require an SSN, a US address or a branch visit, but banks add rules of their own, and the account types differ in ways that matter: who insures your money, and who can close it. Here's what to expect, from the FinCEN, FDIC and IRS rules.

Key takeaways

  • US rules ask for the LLC's EIN and each 25% owner's passport; no SSN, US address or visit.
  • Three kinds of account: a branch bank, an online business account backed by a partner bank, or a payment account.
  • FDIC cover is $250,000 per bank, and a banking app is never itself insured.
  • You give the bank a W-8BEN in your own name, never a W-9 for the LLC.
  • Where you live and log in from, and what you sell, drive most refusals and closures.
  • The US isn't in the CRS, but deposit interest can still be reported to your country.
Chapter 1

Which US business account fits your LLC?

Wyoming LLC, owner abroad2026
SSN or ITINNot required by law
US addressNot required by law
Tax form you signW-8BEN
FDIC cover, per bank$250,000
Where you live affects which providers accept you: pick it
Most important to you
Branch bankA chartered US bank; most want a visit, and many an SSN or ITIN
Online business accountAn app in front of a partner bank; opened remotely with a passport
Payment accountA money transmitter, not a bank; US details, multi-currency, no FDIC
1
Key takeaway

A branch bank, an online business account or a payment account.

Chapter 2

Can a non-resident open a US business bank account?

Yes. The customer identification rule in 31 CFR 1020.220 and the due diligence rule in 31 CFR 1010.230 ask a bank for the LLC's name, address and EIN, and for every owner of 25% or more plus one person in control, with ID. A passport is acceptable, checked remotely. The LLC can give a real business address abroad.

The law requires
  • The LLC's EIN, or proof it has been applied for
  • Owners of 25% or more, and one controller, identified
  • A physical address, which can be outside the US
Banks may add
  • An SSN or ITIN for owners
  • A US address or phone number
  • A website, contracts or invoices showing real business

Since 13 February 2026, banks need not re-identify owners each time an existing customer opens another account.

2
Key takeaway

The law asks for an EIN and a passport, not an SSN or a US address.

Chapter 3

US business bank account requirements: your checklist

Owners
Owned through
3
Key takeaway

EIN letter, formation papers, operating agreement, passport, proof of address.

Chapter 4

Why US banks refuse non-resident LLCs

You live in
The LLC sells

No percentages: each provider decides for itself, and doesn't have to explain a refusal. Under US sanctions today: Cuba, Iran, North Korea and parts of Ukraine; Syria's programme has ended.

4
Key takeaway

Where you live and what you sell decide most refusals.

Chapter 5

FDIC insurance at banking apps: what it covers

FDIC cover is $250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category. A banking app is not a bank: the FDIC says such companies are "never FDIC-insured". Your money is covered only through the partner bank, by pass-through insurance, and only if the records show what is yours.

  1. Say you hold$900,000 in one app accountSwept across four partner banks: covered up to $250,000 at each, so up to $1,000,000 in total.
  2. 2024A middleman failedWhen a company between apps and banks collapsed, customers waited months while records were rebuilt.
  3. November 2026The fix is still a proposalThe FDIC's record-keeping rule for these accounts was proposed in 2024 and never finalised.
5
Key takeaway

Insured at a bank, not at the app that sits in front of it.

Chapter 6

W-8BEN or W-9 for a foreign-owned LLC, and the 1099-K

W-8BENSigned by you, the foreign owner, in your own name; the LLC's name can go on line 7
W-8BEN-EIf a company you own holds the LLC instead
Never a W-9A single-member LLC is disregarded, so the owner certifies, not the LLC
$20,000 and 200Payment apps and marketplaces issue a 1099-K above both; card processors report any amount
6
Key takeaway

You sign a W-8BEN in your own name, never a W-9.

Chapter 7

Is a US bank account reported to your home country?

The US doesn't take part in the CRS, so a US LLC's account usually isn't reported to your tax office the way a European account would be. Two exceptions: deposit interest paid to individuals is shared with 55 jurisdictions, and some countries get information back under FATCA agreements. Either way, your own country's rules on declaring foreign accounts and companies still apply to you.

7
Key takeaway

The US is not in the CRS, but deposit interest can still be shared.

Chapter 8

Why US business accounts get closed

What triggers reviews
  • Logging in from a country the provider doesn't serve
  • Large or unusual payments without invoices
  • A business that drifts from what you described
What keeps it open
  • Invoices and contracts for every large payment
  • Prompt answers to the bank's questions
  • A second account elsewhere, so a closure isn't a crisis

Banks must report suspicious activity and are not allowed to tell you they have, so a closure can come without a reason. Some providers have also closed accounts based on where the owner lives or logs in from, after changing their country lists.

8
Key takeaway

Logins from a new country and unexplained payments close accounts.

Chapter 9

US bank account questions, answered

?!
Can a non-resident open a US bank account for an LLC?
Yes. US rules ask for the LLC's EIN and each 25% owner's passport. Banks may add their own requirements, such as an SSN. Founders in India, Pakistan and Nigeria also have home rules on receiving the money; each has its own guide.
Do I need an SSN or ITIN to open a US business bank account?
Not under US law. Many branch banks ask for one; most online business accounts open with a passport.
Do I need a US address for my LLC's bank account?
No legal rule requires one. The LLC can give a real business address abroad, though some providers ask for a US one.
Is my money FDIC insured in a banking app?
Only through its partner bank, up to $250,000 per bank, and only if the records show what is yours. The app itself is never insured.
Do I give the bank a W-9 or a W-8BEN?
A W-8BEN in your own name if you own the LLC personally, a W-8BEN-E if a company owns it. Never a W-9.
Is a US bank account reported under the CRS?
No, the US is not in the CRS. Deposit interest can still be shared with your country, and your own disclosure duties apply.
Do you open the bank account for me?
We set it up with you when we form your Wyoming, Delaware, New Mexico, Florida or Nevada LLC, and it almost always goes through.

Changelog

  • 11 November 2026: first published.
  • 13 November 2026: official sources linked inside the text.
Your Wyoming LLC

A US LLC with the bank account set up alongside it.

We set up the account with you while we form your LLC, and in almost every case it goes through.

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