Best US business bank accounts for non-residents (2026)

Forming a US LLC from abroad is the easy part. Getting it a bank account is harder: most fintechs limit which countries the owners can live in, and traditional banks usually want you in a branch.

You don’t need a Social Security number, though. The accounts below all accept non-resident owners of US companies with a passport and an EIN, and they all open online.

This article compares them on what matters most if you live outside the US: who can open an account and which address you need. All fees and rules were checked on the providers’ own websites in November 2026.

Best US business bank accounts for non-residents

Comparison table

Which one you can open depends on where you live. A founder in South Africa or Hong Kong isn’t on Revolut’s or Bluevine’s lists, for example, but isn’t on Mercury’s prohibited list either.

Revolut Business lets people who live outside the US open an account for a US company, as long as they live in an eligible country: the EEA (except Bulgaria), the UK, Switzerland, the UAE, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand or Singapore. You apply online with your passport, and Revolut aims to reply within 24 hours.

The catch is the address. Revolut asks for a document that proves your company’s physical presence in the US, plus proof of your EIN. If your LLC only has a registered agent, check this before you pay for a plan.

Once approved, you get local US account details for ACH and domestic wires, and you can hold 25+ currencies. The US plans are:

• Basic ($10 a month): $1,000 of exchange allowance and 10 free local transfers
• Grow (from $40 a month): $20,000 of exchange, 100 local and 5 international transfers
• Scale (from $140 a month): $80,000 of exchange, 1,000 local and 25 international transfers.

In the US, Revolut is not a bank. Banking services come from Lead Bank, Member FDIC, and the business cards are prepaid.

New US companies that open their first account through our link and add $0.01 get $200, until 31 December 2026. The terms are on our Revolut Business bonus page, and our Revolut Business review covers plans and fees. We use Revolut Business at one of our own companies, in Europe.

Mercury supports US companies founded by people living abroad, and you don’t need to be a US citizen or resident. The company must be formed in the US and have existing or planned US operations.

Its address rule is stricter than it looks. Your principal place of business can be in the US or abroad and can be your home, but registered agent addresses, P.O. boxes and UPS Store addresses are not accepted.

The account itself is free: no monthly fee, free ACH and domestic wires and free USD international wires. Sending other currencies costs 1%. Paid plans start at $35 a month ($29.90 billed annually) and add invoicing and accounting extras.

Mercury is a fintech, not a bank. Deposits sit at Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., and a sweep network spreads them across up to 20 banks for up to $5 million of FDIC insurance. It got conditional approval for a US bank charter in April 2026 but is still waiting for final authorization.

The main risk is its list of 48 prohibited countries, which includes Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Ukraine and Croatia. Mercury won’t open an account for a founder who lives in one of them, or for a business that operates or does business there. The list has changed before: in 2024, Mercury closed accounts linked to several countries at short notice.

Bluevine opened to owners living abroad in July 2026. You apply online with a passport and an EIN and verify your identity on camera, with no SSN and no trip to the US.

It has the simplest address rule here: your US legal address can be a registered agent, as long as you also have a physical operating address in the US or your home country. LLCs and corporations can apply, but sole proprietorships and non-profits can’t.

You need to live in one of 25 supported countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the UK.

The Standard plan has no monthly fee and pays 1.3% APY on up to $250,000 if you spend $500 on the card or receive $2,500 in customer payments that month. Plus ($30 a month) pays 1.75% on up to $250,000 and Premier ($95) pays 3.0% on all balances, and both fees can be waived with a high balance and card spend.

Bluevine is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services come from Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC, with FDIC insurance up to $3 million through its program banks. Loans, credit and treasury products aren’t available to international owners yet, and outgoing wires carry a fee.

Wise Business is a money services business, not a bank. For a one-off $31, a US company gets account details in 22 currencies, including USD. There is no monthly fee or minimum balance. Conversions start at 0.23%, domestic payments in are free and incoming USD wires cost $6.11.

Non-US owners can sign up with a photo ID instead of an SSN. Wise accepts a registration agent’s address as your registered address, but your trading address must be a physical place: virtual offices, mail forwarding and P.O. boxes don’t count. It also can’t onboard businesses located in Nevada or US territories.

Treat it as a way to get paid and convert money, alongside a bank account. FDIC cover only applies if you opt in to its interest feature, and eligibility rules apply. See our Wise Business vs Revolut Business comparison for the numbers.

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

Yes. Banks must identify every customer, but the federal rule only requires a taxpayer ID from US persons. For a non-US person, a passport number is enough, as the FDIC confirms.

An SSN requirement is therefore the provider’s own policy. Relay, for example, asks for a valid SSN, so it isn’t on this list. None of the four accounts above asks for an SSN or an ITIN.

Can you open an account at a traditional US bank?

Sometimes, but plan to go in person. At Chase, for example, online applications are limited to LLCs with a single member or manager. Otherwise every member of a member-managed LLC must be at the branch. Non-permanent residents show a passport plus a second ID, and the LLC needs an EIN. LLCs registered more than a year ago also need proof of good standing.

If your company was formed in one state but operates in the state where you open the account, Chase also asks for proof that it can operate there.

Policies vary by bank and branch, so call before you travel. Bring your formation documents, EIN letter, operating agreement and proof of real activity, such as statements and invoices.

Mercury alternatives for non-residents

If Mercury turned you down or closed your account, your next step depends on where you live and what you need:

• You live in a country on Bluevine’s list: Bluevine is the closest match, with a free plan, FDIC cover and a fully online application.
• Your company has a physical US presence: Revolut Business is worth a look, especially if you hold several currencies.
• You only need to get paid: Wise Business is the simplest option. Check that it serves your country first.
• None of these accept you: Payoneer gives businesses receiving accounts in USD and other currencies. It isn’t a bank account, and it charges $29.95 a year if you receive under $6,000 in 12 months.

Airwallex is another option for US companies. Its US fee schedule lists the Explore plan at $0 a month and charges $15 for each incoming Fedwire.

What do you need to open a US business bank account as a non-resident?

Each provider has its own list, but expect to need:

• An EIN: it is free from the IRS. Without a US presence you can’t use the online form, so you apply with Form SS-4 by phone, fax or mail, writing “foreign” on line 7b if you have no SSN or ITIN. Fax usually takes about 4 business days
• Formation documents: your certificate of formation or articles of organization
• A passport: for each owner with 25% or more
• A physical address: one that meets the provider’s rules in the table above
• Business details: what you do, where the money comes from and how you’ll use the account.

If your EIN is still pending, Mercury lets you apply with your completed Form SS-4 and gives you 90 days to send the final document.

What a US account doesn’t solve

Opening an account doesn’t change where you pay tax, so check two things with an accountant.

A single-member LLC owned by a non-US person has to file Form 5472 with a pro forma Form 1120 for any year with reportable transactions, and these include money you put in or take out. It can’t be e-filed, and the penalty for missing it is $25,000.

Your home country may also tax the LLC’s profits, and countries treat LLCs in different ways.

Bottom line

The choice comes down to where you live and which address you have. Revolut Business is our pick if you live in an eligible country, have a physical US presence and work in several currencies, and it comes with a $200 bonus until 31 December 2026.

Mercury is the best free account if your country isn’t on its list and you have a real address. Bluevine fits best if all you have in the US is a registered agent, and Wise Business suits you if you mainly need to get paid and convert money.

If your company isn’t American, see our guides to business bank accounts in Europe and in the UK. To invest your LLC’s spare cash, see the best brokerage accounts for LLCs.

Please remember that the above should not be construed as financial advice and is intended only as an information resource. Check eligibility and fees for your country before you apply.