How to Open a US Bank Account as a Non-Resident in 2026
Want US banking without living in the US? There are four different routes for non-residents — from USD payment rails and US investments to business banking and personal accounts. Learn which setup fits your actual need and what banks look for before approving you.
Transcript excerpt
The US bank account that most non-residents ask for first is actually the hardest one to get. When clients say they want US banking, they usually mean one of the four very different things. Some simply want to get paid in dollars. Some want their investments and their assets actually held in the US away from the EU and the UK. Some want a US company with proper business banking rails. And some want the personal account with a big American bank. With new EU rules changing how banks outside of the EU can serve EU residents from January 2027, picking the right route matters more now than it actually did before. So therefore, in this video, I'll take you through all four roots in one order, and by the end, you'll know exactly which one fits what you actually need. So, let's actually take a step back and start with the outcome. For once, what you really want is steady access to the US financial system in a setup that still holds when a bank takes a close look at you and your business. The mistake I see again and again with clients is though where they start. They go straight for the personal bank account with a big US bank because that sounds like the real thing. Even though in practice it is actually the hardest route and you often don't really need that.
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