Open a US bank account for your LLC | Speed LLC
An LLC without a business bank account loses its main advantage. Here are the banks that accept non-residents, and how to present an application that gets approved.
Forming an LLC is straightforward. Opening a US bank account for it is less so, and that is where most projects stall. The reason is structural: since the attacks of 2001, a US bank must know the true identity of its customers, and a director resident abroad makes that verification harder.
The institutions that accept non-residents
The big retail banks — Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo — almost always require physical presence and a Social Security number. Three categories of provider are genuinely accessible remotely.
| Type | Examples | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| US neobanks | Mercury, Relay | 100% online opening, no SSN, designed for startups | No cash deposits, support by messaging |
| Multi-currency accounts | Wise Business | US details, favourable exchange rates, fast | Not a bank: no credit and no cheque book |
| Traditional banks | Chase, BoA | Full range of services, brand recognition | Travel to the United States and an SSN usually required |
The file to prepare
A rejected application is almost always rejected for a missing or inconsistent document. Gather everything before you begin: an application abandoned halfway through takes longer to restart than to prepare properly.
- Articles of Organization filed, with the registration number assigned by the state.
- The LLC's EIN, issued by the IRS. This is the document most often missing.
- A signed Operating Agreement, stating how the shares are allocated.
- Identification for the manager or managers: a valid passport.
- Recent proof of address in the manager's name, in their country of residence.
- A description of the LLC's activity: what you sell, to whom, and how you get paid.
What gets an application rejected
- A vaguely described activity. “Consulting” with no detail looks like an unverifiable business. Write “software development services for European clients, billed per day”.
- Inconsistent addresses between the state, the bank and your ID. Use your registered agent's address for the company everywhere, and your real address for yourself.
- A regulated activity without a licence: money transfer, crypto-assets, lending. These sectors trigger enhanced due diligence and are often refused.
- A company name too close to a well-known brand, which raises a suspicion of fraud.
- An application filed before the EIN. Without that number, the application is rejected outright.
Take payments from clients as soon as you open
A bank account is not enough to get paid: you need a way to take card payments. Stripe and PayPal accept an LLC owned by a non-resident, provided you have the EIN and a bank account in the company's name. The order matters: LLC, then EIN, then bank, then payments.
Our formation guide covers the steps that come before opening the account.
Ready to form your LLC?
€499 all inclusive, state fee included. No travel to the United States.
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