I-Profits Blog - Tips Tricks

How does a non-resident open a U.S. bank account?

I do affiliate marketing on the Internet. I am a non US resident but I would like to open a U.S. checking account to enable me to collect my payments from Clickbank and PayPal. I have my international passport as identification. Which U.S. banks offer this service? What are the requirements for non-residents to open accounts?


This can only be a general response, because each of the thousands of financial institutions has its own policies for opening accounts for non-residents. It's accurate to say that many of those banks would not open such an account at all.

Find a bank that routinely does business with non-residents, whether they visit the U.S. or not. Citibank is one that comes immediately to mind, and many of the other larger banks are probably good candidates.

Your email address suggests you reside in the United Kingdom. Citibank is one of several U.S. banks with offices in the UK, and you might find it helpful to contact their UK office to begin a discussion. Other banks included on an undated list of U.S. banks with a presence in the UK found on the U.S. Embassy's web site include Bank of New York, Bank of America, Mellon Bank and Wachovia Bank. All showed offices in London. Those banks are those most likely to have offices in other major cities in the UK.