Where a non-resident can actually open an account
Bank websites rarely say it plainly, and forum answers age fast. This matrix covers 44 institutions across 10 countries with the answer that matters first: can a non-resident open it at all, and from where.
44 entries shown
Verified 2 Oct 2026bank pages and recent expat-verified reports, per row
Every row was checked in August 2026 against the institution's own pages where it publishes the rule, and against 2026 dated guides and law firm briefings where it does not. Mercury, N26, Sabadell, Kaspi and Chase come straight from the institution. Three rows rest on weaker ground and say so in their own note: the Barclays International fee detail, the Millennium BCP fee and deposit, and HSBC UAE.
Six things decide most outcomes here. Branch discretion matters more than policy in Turkey and Serbia, where the same bank can say yes at one branch and no at another; the state banks, Ziraat and VakifBank, are the Turkish route, while private banks now mostly refuse non-residents. The UAE is in-person only and offers non-residents savings accounts with real minimum balances, typically AED 25,000 to 100,000. Kazakhstan tightened hard: the IIN has been in-person only since February 2024, remote onboarding for non-residents ended by 2026, and Halyk requires a residence permit, leaving the AIFC eResidency route with Freedom Bank as the only partial workaround. Germany and the UK effectively refuse true non-residents at domestic retail banks, so what is left is N26 and other EEA fintechs in Germany, which still require EEA residency, and the British offshore arms, HSBC Expat and Barclays International, with minimums of GBP 50,000 to 100,000. US retail banks all want an in-person visit and a US address, so the genuinely remote routes are Mercury, which needs a US entity, and USD details from Wise or Payoneer. Georgia and Serbia are the friendliest traditional bank jurisdictions on this list, though the fully remote window in Georgia has narrowed to power of attorney and agent flows.
Fintech access follows residency, not nationality, and this is the August 2026 position. Wise balances are open to residents of roughly ninety countries including Georgia, the United States, the United Kingdom, the EEA and several Gulf states, and closed to Turkey, Serbia and Kazakhstan; Wise publishes the current country list itself and that list, not this table, governs your own residency. Revolut covers the EEA, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, Brazil and Mexico as of January 2026, and none of Turkey, Serbia, Georgia or Kazakhstan; its UAE status is reported inconsistently, which the UAE fintech row states outright. N26 covers about twenty four European countries and requires residence, though no Anmeldung in Germany. Payoneer reaches more than 190 countries on a receiving account model. Mercury is nationality agnostic outside sanctioned countries but requires a US LLC or C Corp and an EIN.
Currency context for August 2026: the dirham is pegged at 3.6725 to the dollar and the lari trades around 2.7. A TRY 30,000 minimum was worth roughly 620 to 690 US dollars through 2026, and lira figures move fast enough that any TRY minimum in this table is better read as an order of magnitude than as a price.
| Country | Institution | Non-resident can open | Remote | Minimum | Monthly fee | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Ziraat Bankasibank | Conditionalconditional; Ziraat's SWIFT page opens an account on a transfer from any bank abroad against a passport copy, a Turkish ID number, address, phone number and mother's maiden name, with no residence permit mentioned; the bank publishes no general eligibility statement for non-residents | partial; a postal route exists for opening from abroad (SWIFT transfer, then an originally signed letter with the passport copy posted to the branch); the in-app onboarding needs a Turkish ID card | ~TRY 30,000 (~US$625) initial deposit commonly requested from non-residents | no maintenance or monthly fee line in the bank's deposit account tariff (rows updated to 21 Jul 2026); charges are per transaction only | for an account opened on a transfer from abroad: passport ID page copy, Turkish ID number, address, phone number and mother's maiden name, with the transfer order naming the currency, account type and branchZiraat Bankasi foreign exchange transfer (SWIFT) page, product and service fee list and remote onboarding page, read 2 Oct 2026; no minimum deposit is published |
| Turkey | VakifBankbank | Yesyes, conditional: passport + tax number usually sufficient, but branch discretion; policies vary between branches of the same bank | no remote route for foreigners; VakifBank Mobile onboarding offers only Turkish ID card and population card identity types, so a foreign national goes to a branch | none fixed; some branches ask for US$2,000-5,000 deposit (sometimes temporarily blocked) from non-residents | TRY 0; VakifBank's tariff lists the account operating fee on all demand accounts at 0.00 TL (line updated 12 Mar 2024) | for non-Turkish citizens the bank's AML policy verifies identity with a passport, a residence permit or a ministry-approved ID, plus address and contact details; no tax number or minimum deposit condition is publishedVakifBank product and service fee page, remote onboarding page and anti-money laundering policy, read 2 Oct 2026; no page states whether non-residents as such are accepted |
| Turkey | Is Bankasi / Garanti BBVA (typical private banks)bank | ConditionalIs Bankasi: yes; its expat page asks for a passport (a residence permit only if applicable), a Foreigner's ID Number or Tax ID Number and a Turkish address or the address in the passport, and states no refusal of non-residents. Garanti BBVA publishes no non-resident eligibility rule | Is Bankasi: partial; the app lists foreign nationals who meet its conditions with a Foreigner's ID Number and passport data but sends them to the nearest branch for the process | high informal thresholds when they open at all | TRY 0 on demand TL accounts at both Is Bankasi and Garanti BBVA (Garanti's TRY 1,050 per six months applies only at its Northern Cyprus branches) | Is Bankasi: passport not older than 10 years (or residence permit if applicable), Foreigner's ID Number or Tax ID Number, proof of a Turkish address such as a utility bill from the last three months or the address printed in the passport; opened at the nearest branchIs Bankasi expat and online account pages and Garanti BBVA's demand TL account page, read 2 Oct 2026; neither bank publishes a minimum deposit |
| Turkey | Wise / Revolut / Payoneer (fintech route)fintech | Nono TRY route exists: Revolut is not available in Turkey at all; Wise serves Turkey residents for transfers but offers no TRY balance/IBAN; Payoneer works for Turkish residents receiving USD/EUR | yes (Wise/Payoneer signup remote for Turkey residents) | none | none (per-transfer fees; Payoneer receiving 1-3%) | ID + selfie; note this route serves Turkey RESIDENTS getting foreign-currency access, it does not give a foreigner a Turkish accountCenoa comparison + Revolut supported-country lists (investingintheweb, datawallet), Aug 2026 |
| Georgia | Bank of Georgia (incl. SOLO premium)bank | Yesyes, with a source-of-funds questionnaire; citizens of Russia and Belarus must first apply through kyc.bog.ge and cannot open a first account by power of attorney | partial, remote via notarized POA sent to Tbilisi (agent-assisted, 50-200 GEL service fee); fully hands-off opening has narrowed by 2026; in-person is smoother | none mandatory for standard; SOLO premium tier expects meaningful deposits | ~GEL 2-10/mo standard (~US$0.55) + GEL 10 opening fee; SOLO tier ~GEL 22/mo (SOLO tier, GEL 220/yr prepaid) | Passport, source-of-funds questionnaire, Georgian phone number helpful; multi-currency GEL/USD/EUR standardBank of Georgia non-resident page, read 2 Oct 2026; the fee figures are not published there and date from Aug 2026 |
| Georgia | TBC Bank (incl. TBC Concept)bank | Yesyes; TBC publishes an opening procedure for people without Georgian citizenship: an international passport plus a self-declaration on the purpose of the account, signed at the bank; no separate non-resident rule for the Concept packages | partial; an expat can start in TBC Mobile Banking, but the opening is finalised in a branch with the original passport; the power-of-attorney form covers receiving services, not a remote opening | none mandatory standard; Concept expects balances | comparable to BoG (~GEL 1.5-2/mo standard; Concept tier fee higher) | Passport, source-of-funds; compliance interviews possible for non-residentsTBC Bank terms and fees (opening an account for natural persons with no Georgian citizenship) and its banking for expats page, read 2 Oct 2026; package fees and minimums are not published for non-residents |
| Georgia | Wisefintech | Yesyes for Georgia residents, Georgia IS on Wise's balance-supported country list (rare for the region); gives multi-currency balances + USD/EUR/GBP details, no GEL balance | yes, fully remote app onboarding | none | none; receiving in 22 currencies is free; the Wise card is not offered in Georgia | Passport/ID + selfie, Georgian addressWise pricing page for residents in Georgia and the Wise card availability article, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Georgia | Payoneerfintech | Yesyes for Georgia residents | yes | none | $0 monthly; receiving 1-3%, annual inactivity fee if dormant | ID; provides USD/EUR/GBP receiving accountsPayoneer supported-country lists; Aug 2026 |
| Serbia | Banca Intesa Beogradbank | Yesyes; the general terms in force 4 May 2026 open accounts to residents and non-residents on an application, an identity document, the documents AML rules require and a signed agreement, with a dedicated RSD sight account and FX account for non-residents | partial; the terms allow opening through an attorney with a power of attorney certified in the prescribed form; no online or video route is described | none typical | opening free; non-resident RSD sight account RSD 220 a month, non-resident FX account RSD 120 a month charged only in months with activity (tariff in force 4 May 2026) | identity document, the documents law and AML rules require, signed agreement; non-resident FX accounts in AUD, CAD, JPY, GBP, USD or EUR; on the non-resident RSD account e-banking is limited to utility and telecom bills up to RSD 60,000 per transactionBanca Intesa Beograd general terms for consumer payment accounts and retail fee tariff, both in force 4 May 2026, read 2 Oct 2026; no minimum deposit is published |
| Serbia | Raiffeisen banka Srbijabank | Yesyes, but the non-resident RSD current account needs a registration of stay issued by a Serbian authority and an employment contract with an employer registered in Serbia, and carries no cheques or overdraft | no; distance contracting is reserved for residents, a non-resident opens in person or through an attorney with a certified power of attorney not older than two years, in Serbian or with a sworn translation | none typical | RSD 0 on the non-resident RSD current account and the basic payment account for non-residents (residents pay RSD 150 a month); opening free (tariff of 14 Jul 2026) | signed request on the bank's form, identity document, a document showing residence or stay in the last year, a Serbian registration of stay, an employment contract with a Serbian-registered employer and the framework agreement; the same list for the FX current accountRaiffeisen banka general terms for payment services to individuals (RBPU061, applied from 14 Jul 2026) and its retail fee tariff of 14 Jul 2026, read 2 Oct 2026; no minimum deposit is published |
| Serbia | OTP banka / UniCredit Srbijabank | Yesyes, both process non-resident requests; UniCredit noted for fast processing, OTP for good mobile app | no for non-residents: UniCredit's video-call onboarding is for Serbian residents; OTP takes an online application and finishes the opening in branch | none typical | UniCredit basic payment account RSD 150 a month, Standard package RSD 350; OTP basic payment account RSD 150; non-resident e-banking at UniCredit is view only | Passport, foreign address, possibly Serbian TINUniCredit Bank Srbija account packages and general terms in force 1 Jan 2026; OTP banka basic services payment account page; read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Serbia | Payoneer (Wise/Revolut NOT available)fintech | ConditionalPayoneer: yes for Serbia residents. Wise balances and Revolut are NOT offered to Serbia residents as of Aug 2026 | yes (Payoneer) | none | $0 monthly; receiving 1-3% | ID; USD/EUR/GBP receiving accounts, the standard freelancer route in SerbiaWise/Revolut supported-country lists (Serbia absent from both); Payoneer country list; Aug 2026 |
| UAE | Emirates NBDbank | Yesyes, conditional: savings account only (current account/chequebook requires UAE residence visa) | no, must enter UAE on tourist/visit visa and sign in branch | AED 5,000 on the standard savings account; AED 3,000 on the Personal Banking Classic and Plus packages, AED 100,000 Beyond, AED 500,000 Priority | fall-below fee AED 26.25 a month when under the minimum (Key Facts Statement 01/2026) | Passport + UAE entry stamp, proof of home address, 3-6 months bank statements / source of funds, sometimes reference letterEmirates NBD Key Facts Statement for current and savings accounts (01/2026) and the savings account page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| UAE | Mashreq Bankbank | Yesyes, conditional: savings only, with a passport and a two-month home-country bank statement | no, in-person | AED 3,000 initial balance and AED 3,000 monthly minimum average on the Basic Savings Account | fall-below fees apply below tier minimum | Passport + entry stamp, home-country statements, source of fundsMashreq Basic Savings Account page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| UAE | FAB / ADCB / RAKBANKbank | Yesyes, conditional: FAB and ADCB savings accounts are open to non-residents; RAKBANK serves non-residents only in its Elite tier | no, in-person branch visit during a UAE stay | FAB AED 3,000 minimum monthly balance; ADCB AED 5,000; RAKBANK Elite AED 350,000 relationship balance over three months | fall-below fees; otherwise usually none | Passport, visit visa or entry stamp, three-month stamped bank statement; ADCB also asks for a letter of introduction from an existing customer of more than a yearFAB Personal Savings Account, ADCB savings and call accounts and RAKBANK non-resident banking pages, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| UAE | HSBC UAEbank | Conditionalconditional, realistic mainly via an existing HSBC Premier relationship (global Premier customers can be onboarded cross-border) | partial, cross-border referral for existing Premier clients; otherwise in-person | Premier-level relationship balances (six figures AED) | none at Premier tier if criteria met | Existing HSBC relationship, passport, proof of address/incomeHSBC UAE international account opening page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| UAE | Wio / Liv / Revolut UAE (digital)fintech | Nono: Wio needs a passport and a UAE work visa with an Emirates ID within 60 days, Liv a valid Emirates ID. Revolut has held CBUAE licences since 17 June 2026 but has not launched and the UAE is not on its sign-up list. Wise gives no AED IBAN to anyone | n/a for non-residents | n/a | n/a | Emirates ID = residence visa prerequisiteWio New to UAE page, Liv primary account terms, Revolut newsroom of 17 June 2026 and its supported countries list, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| USA | Chasebank | Yesyes, conditional: non-residents accepted with ITIN (or SSN) and a US physical address; no purely foreign-profile opening | no, in-branch visit required in nearly all cases | $0-25 opening deposit | $15 a month on Total Checking, $0 with $500 of electronic deposits, a $1,500 beginning-day balance, a $5,000 average balance or a linked qualifying account | Passport + second ID, ITIN, US address, in-person visitChase Total Checking page, read 2 Oct 2026; Chase's non-resident guidance page gives no acceptance policy of its own |
| USA | Bank of Americabank | Yesyes, conditional: explicit non-US-citizen program; ITIN-based, requires US physical address; must NOT be a US citizen or green-card holder for that program | no, branch enrollment explicitly required for ITIN-based accounts | $100 to open | $12 a month on Advantage Plus, waived with a $250 direct deposit or a $1,500 minimum daily balance (fee schedule of 7 Aug 2026) | Passport, ITIN, US physical address, branch visitBank of America personal schedule of fees of 7 Aug 2026 and its non-resident account page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| USA | Mercuryfintech | Yesyes, for non-US residents who own a US LLC or C-Corp (business account); excluded by country of residence, a long list beyond sanctions that covers Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Philippines and Vietnam among others; Turkey, Georgia, Serbia and Kazakhstan are not on it | yes, fully remote, no US visit ever | $0 | $0 (FDIC-insured via partner banks; free domestic wires) | US entity (Delaware/Wyoming LLC typical), EIN from IRS, passport for each 25%+ owner, real business presence/websiteMercury help center, prohibited countries and eligibility articles, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| USA | Wise (USD account details)fintech | Yesyes for residents of supported countries, who get USD ACH, routing and wire details remotely; USD details are not available to residents of Turkey, Serbia, the UAE, Russia, China, Pakistan and about 25 others; Kazakhstan is not excluded | yes, fully remote | none | none; conversion about 0.3 to 2% per transfer | ID + selfie + proof of address in a supported countryWise help articles on USD account details, where Wise can be used and the Turkey restrictions, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| USA | Payoneer (USD receiving)fintech | Yesyes, residents of 190+ countries incl. Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Kazakhstan get US-based USD receiving details | yes | none | $0 monthly; 1-3% receiving fees; ~$29.95/yr inactivity fee if dormant | ID; best for marketplace/freelance income, not a full checking accountPayoneer official pages + country lists; Aug 2026 |
| UK | HSBC Expat (Jersey)bank | Yesyes, designed for non-UK residents in eligible countries | yes, remote application | £75,000 in savings or investments, or an existing HSBC Premier relationship with £10,000 to save or invest; the salary route is gone | £0 while the criteria are met | Passport, proof of address, proof of wealth/income; note deposits protected only up to £50k under Jersey DCS, not UK FSCSHSBC Expat bank account page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| UK | Barclays International (IoM/Jersey)bank | Yesyes, purpose-built expat banking, but effectively HNW-only: £100,000+ held or invested for main tiers | yes, online application | £100,000+ | £40 a month once the average balance stays under £100,000 for four consecutive months | Passport, address proof, source of wealthBarclays international bank account page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| UK | UK high-street domestic accounts (Barclays UK, Lloyds, NatWest, Monzo, Starling)bank | Nono, effectively refused: domestic current accounts require a UK residential address (and usually UK residency); neobanks Monzo/Starling are UK-resident-only | n/a | n/a | n/a | UK address + residency proof; non-residents are directed to the offshore/international arms aboveStarling and Monzo eligibility help pages, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| UK | Wise (GBP account details)fintech | Yesyes, the practical non-resident route: residents of ~70 countries get a GBP account number + sort code remotely | yes, fully remote | none | none | ID + selfie; e-money safeguarding, not FSCSWise official help pages; Aug 2026 |
| UK | Revolutfintech | Nono for UK non-residents at the UK entity, Revolut UK (full UK banking licence granted Mar 2026) requires UK residency; residents of EEA/AU/NZ/SG/JP/BR/US/CH sign up via their home-country entity instead | yes (in your own country of residence) | none | £0 standard tier | Residency in a Revolut-supported countryRevolut supported-country pages + 2026 licence reports (mappr/investingintheweb); Aug 2026 |
| Germany | Deutsche Bankbank | Noeffectively no, requires German registered address (Anmeldung/Meldebescheinigung) and branch visit; true non-residents are turned away from retail accounts | no | n/a | ~€7/mo on standard packages (for residents) | Meldebescheinigung, ID, often SCHUFA check2026 expat guides (living-in-germany, germanycompass, bankdaten.de); Aug 2026 |
| Germany | Commerzbank / Sparkassen (typical branch banks)bank | Noeffectively no, same Anmeldung + branch requirement; no non-resident retail product | no | n/a | n/a | German registered addressSame 2026 expat-guide cluster; Aug 2026 |
| Germany | N26fintech | Conditionalconditional: you must live in one of 21 supported countries (Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, the Nordics, Ireland, Greece, Estonia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Iceland); Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are not on the list; residence rather than citizenship decides | yes, video-ID, German IBAN in ~30 min | €0 | €0 standard tier | Passport from accepted-document list, residential address in a supported country, smartphoneN26 support page on supported countries, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Germany | Revolut / bunq (EEA route)fintech | Conditionalconditional, EEA residency required (any EEA country); gives EUR IBAN (Revolut: LT or DE IBAN for German residents; bunq: NL/DE IBAN) without Anmeldung hurdles | yes, fully remote app onboarding | €0 | €0 standard (bunq paid tiers from ~€3-9/mo) | EEA residential address + IDRevolut/bunq country pages via 2026 guides; Aug 2026 |
| Spain | Banco Sabadell (Key Account)bank | Yesyes, flagship non-resident account; only requires legal age, valid ID, not on default list | yes, online start with a relationship manager call; activation can finish in branch | none | EUR 40 a quarter; EUR 0 for the first 12 months for new customers until 31 Dec 2026 | Passport, certificado de no residente (Spanish police certificate, €10.41, valid 2 yrs, bank can often obtain it for you), proof of foreign addressBanco Sabadell Key Account page and its fee information document of 27 June 2026, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Spain | BBVAbank | Yesyes; EU nationals with their home ID or passport plus the CUE, non-EU nationals with a valid passport, the whole process at a branch (page updated 23 Mar 2026) | no, branch visit typical for non-residents | none | €10-25/mo range for non-resident accounts unless waived (fee-free with ~€600/mo inflow at several majors) | valid passport (non-EU) or home ID or passport plus CUE (EU), age 18 or over, not on a defaulters list, a mobile phone to validate; in person at a branch; no NIE or non-resident certificate is asked forBBVA pages on opening an account without being resident and with a passport (updated 23 Mar 2026), read 2 Oct 2026; the tariff could not be retrieved, so the fee and remote cells keep their August wording |
| Spain | CaixaBank (HolaBank)bank | Yesyes, conditional: HolaBank is the non-resident programme; Turkish, Serbian, Georgian and Kazakh nationals are not on the online-eligible list | online start only for nationals and residents of 18 listed countries (EU core, the UK, Canada, Norway, Switzerland), with a branch visit within six months; everyone else in branch | none | HolaBank Living Solutions package EUR 140 a year (EUR 35 a quarter) | Passport, non-resident certificate, address proofCaixaBank HolaBank become-a-customer page and the HolaBank Living Solutions fee information document, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Spain | Wise / Revolut / N26 (EUR route)fintech | Yesyes, any SEPA EUR IBAN works for most Spanish purposes (rent, utilities); Wise open to ~70 residencies remotely; Revolut/N26 need EEA residency; Spain-resident sign-up trivial once you have an address | yes | none | €0 standard tiers | ID + supported residency; note some Spanish institutions still prefer a Spanish IBANProvider country lists + 2026 Spain expat guides; Aug 2026 |
| Portugal | Millennium BCPbank | Yesyes; people living abroad with a Portuguese Citizen Card open in the app or website, everyone else through the bank's representative offices in the UK and Switzerland or the Banque BCP branches in France | partial; app or website only with a Portuguese Citizen Card; otherwise a representative office or Banque BCP branch with certified copies authenticated by Hague apostille or a Portuguese consulate | EUR 250 to open (EUR 150 for students aged 18 to 25 at a branch, EUR 50 for customers aged 18 to 35 opening digitally) | Millennium Account EUR 5.20 a month plus EUR 0.21 stamp duty (EUR 64.92 a year) unless the price list's exemption criteria are met | valid ID, Portuguese taxpayer number (NIF), proof of address from the last 12 months (for a foreign address a tax statement or consular document) and proof of professional status from the last 6 monthsMillennium bcp help pages on account opening, the Millennium Account page and the online opening page, read 2 Oct 2026; intermediary openings are not mentioned anywhere on the site |
| Portugal | Caixa Geral de Depositosbank | Yesyes; the Conta Base Extrato is open to adult private individuals, residents and non-residents alike | no for foreigners; online and app opening is reserved for Portuguese Citizen Card holders with fiscal residence in Portugal and a Portuguese mobile number, everything else in branch | initial deposit commonly required (small) | Conta Base Extrato EUR 5.00 a month (EUR 60 a year) plus 4% stamp duty, covering one debit card, Caixadirecta access, three free branch withdrawals a month and free CGD-to-CGD transfers | Passport, NIF, address proof, income proofCGD Conta Base Extrato page, its fee information document of 3 Sep 2026 and the account opening page, read 2 Oct 2026; the minimum deposit and document list could not be confirmed on a current page |
| Portugal | Novo Bancobank | Yesyes, conditional: accepts non-residents but NO remote opening; must be physically in Portugal | no | EUR 250 to open the Conta +351 | from EUR 5.50 a month on the Conta +351 package | Passport, NIF, in-person visitnovobanco Conta +351 page and documentation page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Portugal | ActivoBankbank | Nono, digital onboarding requires a Portuguese address and residency card; unsuitable pre-arrival despite being the popular fee-free bank for residents | n/a for non-residents | n/a | €0 (residents) | PT address + residency cardmoveabroadtoolkit/portugalist 2026; Aug 2026 |
| Portugal | Wise / Revolut (EUR route)fintech | Yesyes, SEPA EUR IBAN covers most needs pre-arrival; Wise remote for ~70 residencies; Revolut needs supported residency; PT-resident signup easy after arrival | yes | none | €0 standard | ID + supported residency; note NIF-linked Portuguese IBAN still needed for some purposes (e.g. certain visa/utility flows)Provider lists + Portugal 2026 guides; Aug 2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Kaspi Bank (Kaspi Gold)bank | Yesyes, in person: IIN, local SIM, a document confirming the legal basis of stay; the card is valid one year | no without a residence permit: the card is opened only at Kaspi.kz offices; with a residence permit the app works | none | none on Kaspi Gold | Passport, IIN, Kazakh phone number; citizens of Russia, Turkey, China and other OECD countries also give a home-country tax number and addressKaspi guide articles on opening Kaspi Gold as a foreign citizen and on card validity, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Halyk Bankbank | Yesyes, conditional; a foreign citizen without a residence permit opens an account or deposit only in person at a Halyk outlet and, as a non-resident, gets one card valid 12 months | no; foreign passport holders cannot open online in the Halyk app and no account can be opened by power of attorney | n/a | KZT 0 to open and close a current account; no monthly fee on an active account, only a dormancy fee after 12 months without transactions, up to KZT 1,000 a month (tariffs amended 15 Sep 2026) | without a residence permit: foreign passport, Kazakhstan IIN (obtained at a Public Service Center), application form, a document proving the right to stay (employment contract, school or university enrolment) and a Kazakhstan address document (lease, property or temporary residence); with a residence permit: the permit, IIN and an address documentHalyk Bank knowledge base entry on current account opening for foreign citizens and the retail tariffs amended 15 Sep 2026, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Freedom Bank Kazakhstanbank | Yesyes, conditional: no remote card opening for foreign citizens; AIFC eResidency participants activate fully online for a $49 programme fee | partial, only via AIFC eResidency; otherwise in-person with IIN | none published | 0 tenge to issue, use or top up; physical card delivery is charged | IIN (in person or via eResidency platform), passport; compliance screening (esp. RU citizens)Freedom Bank notice on cards for foreign citizens and its eResidency card page, read 2 Oct 2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Payoneer (Wise/Revolut NOT available)fintech | ConditionalPayoneer: yes for KZ residents. Wise balances and Revolut are NOT available to Kazakhstan residents as of Aug 2026 | yes (Payoneer) | none | $0 monthly; receiving 1-3% | ID; foreign-currency receiving only, no KZT productWise balance-country list (KZ absent), Revolut country list (KZ absent), Payoneer country list; Aug 2026 |
Partner link · how this is funded
Where the fintech route actually works. The table shows it plainly: Wise is the simplest answer in Georgia, the UK, the EU and the US, and it is closed to residents of Turkey, Serbia and Kazakhstan, where Payoneer or a local bank is the route instead. Check your own residency against the table first, then this link.
Check Wise for your countryMethodology
Rows were compiled from bank pages and recent expat-verified reports, then adversarially re-checked; each row carries its own freshness note because eligibility in this domain changes without announcement. Fintech rows depend on your residency, not the target country. Treat a "conditional" as a conversation with the bank, not a promise.