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A residency or a company is only useful if you can bank where you live and where you do business. We match you with the right banks, prepare your file the way they expect it, and introduce you to the banks we work with. We can also help you build a US credit score and hold the best US travel cards, without living there.
The honest picture
What banking abroad does and does not do
Offshore banking no longer means secrecy from tax authorities. Under the Common Reporting Standard, the system banks use to share account details with tax authorities worldwide, and FATCA, its US equivalent, a Swiss or Singapore account is reported to wherever you are tax resident. Opening an account never changes where you pay tax.
What it does give you is resilience. Your money is spread across more than one country, so capital controls, a bank failure, a frozen account or a political shift at home cannot cut you off. You get access to strong, stable banks, accounts in several currencies, wealth management, lending against a portfolio, and privacy from the public.
Account options
The right account for each need
Most clients need two or three of these, not all of them. Minimums are indicative and change often, so we confirm them with each bank before you apply.
| Type | Where | Rough minimum | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday | A local bank in each of your countries of residency, plus a leading multi currency account | None | Every client |
| Business | Banks and fintechs in the countries where your company is formed and does business (for example the US, the UAE or Hong Kong) | Low | Anyone running a company, whether we formed it or not |
| Backup | A second bank in a different country from your main one, chosen to suit your passports, residencies and currencies | Low | Staying paid if one account is frozen, a bank changes its policy or a system goes down |
| Expat banking | The offshore arms of large UK banks in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man | Roughly £50,000 to £100,000 | People who want a familiar big name bank outside their home country |
| Private banking | Switzerland, Singapore or Liechtenstein | Roughly US$250,000 to US$1 million and up | Wealth management in the most stable jurisdictions |
| Asset protection | Banks in jurisdictions with strong asset protection laws, often alongside a trust or LLC | Low to moderate | People in professions where lawsuits are a real risk |
| Crypto friendly | Banks that accept crypto clients (for example in Switzerland, Panama or Gibraltar) | Varies | Clients with crypto wealth, including El Salvador applicants |
| Investing | International brokerages that accept non residents | Low | Anyone investing across global markets |
Country notes
Where each jurisdiction fits
United States
Our main banking jurisdiction. Business accounts for US companies, access to the US financial system and payment platforms, and a route into the US credit system and its travel rewards cards, all without living there.
Switzerland
No residency needed. Private banks usually expect CHF 250,000 to 1 million or more, plus annual fees. The benchmark for stability and multi currency wealth management. Many Swiss banks do not accept Americans.
Singapore
Excellent and very stable, but non residents mostly get in through private or priority banking with high minimums.
Hong Kong
Personal accounts for non residents are hard to get. For business accounts, specialist fintechs are usually easier than the large banks.
Georgia
Remote opening, low minimums and US dollar accounts, which makes it one practical option for a backup account.
Channel Islands and Isle of Man
Well known UK banking brands for expats, held outside the UK. A natural fit for Britons and Australians.
Cook Islands
A small banking sector with some of the strongest asset protection laws in the world.
Panama
Banks that work with crypto clients and offer premium cards, and that pair well with Panama residency and companies.
United Arab Emirates
Local accounts come with residency and a free zone company. Slow to open, solid once you are in.
US credit cards
A US credit score, without living in the US
Some of the best residency countries for tax have weak banking. That is why we pair them with the United States, and especially the US credit system, which issues the best travel rewards cards in the world: points that pay for business and first class flights and hotels, airport lounge access, travel insurance and no foreign transaction fees. You do not need to live there or have a Social Security number to hold them. We help you build the credit history that gets you approved.
- 01
Your ITIN
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, the US personal tax number for people without a Social Security number. It lets the US credit bureaus open a file in your name. Usually two to three months, and often set up alongside a US LLC.
- 02
Your first card
With no US history yet, the first card is the hard part. We prepare your file and arrange an appointment at a major US bank, where the first card is usually opened in person during a short trip.
- 03
Build the score
Small, regular spending paid in full every month. Within about six to twelve months most clients have a strong score, without debt or interest.
- 04
Premium cards
With a solid history you can apply for the top tier travel and rewards cards, and use their sign up bonuses and benefits wherever you live.
You will need a US address for statements and should use your real details on every application. Each bank makes its own credit decision and no one can guarantee approval or a particular score. Pay in full and on time: the aim is a strong history, not debt.
Keeping accounts open
Consistency is everything
- Choose one primary identity, one passport, one address and one tax residency, and use it for every bank. Other passports are for travel and backup.
- When a form asks for all of your citizenships or residencies, list them all, the same way every time. Accounts get closed for hidden or inconsistent details, not for holding several passports.
- Banks outside the US ask for every tax residency, not every citizenship. Citizenship only matters for tax if you are American.
- Accounts are usually closed for a nationality or residence the bank does not support, inconsistent details, a high risk passport, or transfers nobody can explain.
- Always keep a backup account, so a single bank or fintech changing its policy overnight cannot leave you stuck.
- Declare every account in your real tax home. Americans must also file the FBAR, the annual US report of foreign accounts.
The Brief
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How it works
- 01
Review your profile
Your residency, citizenships, company and the way money moves through your business.
- 02
Choose the banks
Which accounts you actually need, where, and in which currencies.
- 03
Prepare the file
Source of funds, company documents, references and translations, organised the way banks expect.
- 04
Introduction
We introduce you to the bank and help with compliance questions until the account is open.
We do not open accounts ourselves, hold or move client money, or give investment advice. Every bank makes its own decision and no one can guarantee an account. Where tax or legal questions arise, our local teams of licensed professionals handle them.
Diversify Before You Need To
Bank where you live
Tell us where you are moving, what your company does and how you get paid. We will tell you which accounts make sense.
Book your free 15 minute call
No cost and no obligation. Just a clear next step.