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 22 Aug 2026bank pages and recent expat-verified reports, per row
Method and freshness: all rows built from an Aug 2026 web-search pass over 2026-dated guides, law-firm pages, and (where possible) official bank/provider pages. Strongest-sourced rows: Mercury (official support pages), N26 (official availability page), Sabadell Key Account (bank's own blog), Kaspi (guide updated Mar 2026), Chase (bank's own education page). Weakest rows are flagged in sourceNote: Barclays International fee detail, Millennium BCP fee/deposit, HSBC UAE - verify on bank pages before relying.
Key reality checks: (1) Branch discretion dominates in Turkey and Serbia - the same bank can say yes at one branch and no at another; state banks (Ziraat, VakifBank) are the Turkish route, private banks now mostly refuse non-residents. (2) UAE is in-person only, savings-accounts-only for non-residents, with real minimum balances (AED 25k-100k standard). (3) Kazakhstan tightened hard: IIN is in-person-only since Feb 2024, remote onboarding for non-residents ended by 2026, Halyk requires a residence permit; the AIFC eResidency + Freedom Bank route is the only partial workaround. (4) Germany and the UK effectively refuse true non-residents at domestic retail banks - the routes are N26/EEA fintechs (Germany, but EEA residency still required) and HSBC Expat/Barclays International offshore arms (UK, £50k-100k minimums). (5) US retail banks all require an in-person visit plus a US address; the genuinely remote routes are Mercury (US entity required) and Wise/Payoneer USD details. (6) Georgia and Serbia are the friendliest traditional-bank jurisdictions on the list, though Georgia's fully-remote window has narrowed to POA/agent flows.
Fintech availability by residency (Aug 2026): Wise balances - supported for residents of ~90+ countries including Georgia, US, UK, EEA, UAE-adjacent Gulf states, but NOT Turkey, Serbia, Kazakhstan (list taken from a mirror of Wise's help page - reverify on wise.com). Revolut - EEA, UK, US, AU, NZ, SG, CH, JP, BR, MX (Jan 2026); not TR, RS, GE, KZ; UAE status conflicting between sources (licensed vs live) - flagged in the UAE fintech row. N26 - ~24 European countries, residence required, no Anmeldung needed in Germany. Payoneer - near-universal (190+ countries), receiving-account model only. Mercury - nationality-agnostic except sanctioned-country owners; requires a US LLC/C-Corp + EIN.
Currency context (Aug 2026): AED pegged 3.6725/USD; TRY 30,000 ~ US$650-750 at 2026 rates (inflating - recheck TRY figures at use time); GEL ~2.7/USD.
| Country | Institution | Non-resident can open | Remote | Minimum | Monthly fee | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Ziraat Bankasibank | yesyes - conditional: no residence permit needed, but a Turkish tax number (vergi kimlik no) is mandatory; branch-level discretion and nationality screening apply | no - in-branch; some intermediaries arrange opening via notarized POA | ~TRY 30,000 (~US$625) initial deposit commonly requested from non-residents | typically TRY 0 maintenance on standard accounts; card/SMS fees apply | Passport, Turkish tax number (free at tax office or online at ivd.gib.gov.tr for some nationalities), proof of address, TR phone number2026 foreigner-banking guides (RestProperty, Ideal&Partners) + Ziraat-focused intermediary page (maira-consult); searched Aug 2026. Consistently named the most non-resident-friendly Turkish bank |
| Turkey | VakifBankbank | yesyes - conditional: passport + tax number usually sufficient, but branch discretion; policies vary between branches of the same bank | no - in-branch | none fixed; some branches ask for US$2,000-5,000 deposit (sometimes temporarily blocked) from non-residents | low/none on standard accounts; confirm per package | Passport, Turkish tax number, proof of address; large network, full SWIFT support2026 expat guides (Sadaret Law, splawistanbul); Aug 2026 search. Advice from multiple sources: try several branches if one refuses |
| Turkey | Is Bankasi / Garanti BBVA (typical private banks)bank | mostlymostly no - since 2025-26 KYC/AML tightening they usually refuse non-residents without a work/student residence permit unless substantial deposits are placed | no | high informal thresholds when they open at all | n/a | Residence permit typically demanded; passport + tax number alone is routinely refused2026 Turkish law-firm guides (Karanfiloglu, CR Partners, Kaymaz) all report private banks tightened; Aug 2026. State banks (Ziraat, VakifBank, Halkbank) remain the realistic route |
| 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 - one of the most non-resident-friendly jurisdictions, but enhanced KYC/source-of-funds questionnaire since 2023; refusal risk for some nationalities (esp. RU/BY without local ties) | 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 standardeasyglobalbanking + gegidze 2026 guides, agency pages (pbservices.ge, veridia.ge); Aug 2026 |
| Georgia | TBC Bank (incl. TBC Concept)bank | yesyes - same regime as Bank of Georgia; Concept is the premium non-resident tier | partial - POA-based remote opening possible; regulator permits remote onboarding with POA | 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-residentsSame 2026 sources (gegidze, taxters, angels-investment); Aug 2026 |
| 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 (conversion ~0.3-2% per transfer) | Passport/ID + selfie, Georgian addressWise balance-country list via aggregator mirror (grokipedia/wise help) - verify on wise.com before relying; Aug 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 - NBS framework explicitly allows non-resident accounts for individuals regardless of citizenship | partial - POA opening accepted, but EU-parent banks may insist on in-person KYC for new clients; 1-3 business days with complete docs | none typical | low (package-dependent, roughly €0-3/mo); confirm current tariff | Passport, foreign address, ID number; sometimes Serbian tax ID and proof of source of funds; RSD + EUR/USD/CHF/GBP accounts availableZunic Law 2026 + official welcometoserbia.gov.rs page; Aug 2026. Serbia is notably non-resident-friendly (and non-CRS as of recent reports) |
| Serbia | Raiffeisen banka Srbijabank | yesyes - conditional on standard KYC; flexible packages for foreigners | partial - POA possible; in-person preferred | none typical | package fee applies (order of €2-5/mo); confirm | Passport, address, source of funds on requestRelocation Serbia 2026 bank comparison + Injac Attorneys; Aug 2026 |
| Serbia | OTP banka / UniCredit Srbijabank | yesyes - both process non-resident requests; UniCredit noted for fast processing, OTP for good mobile app | partial - POA route; some require branch visit | none typical | low package fees; confirm per bank | Passport, foreign address, possibly Serbian TINRelocation Serbia + Zunic Law 2026; Aug 2026 |
| Serbia | Payoneer (Wise/Revolut NOT available)fintech | PayoneerPayoneer: 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 3,000-50,000 minimum balance depending on tier (~US$820-13,600) | fall-below fee if under minimum (typically AED 25-100/mo); confirm current schedule | Passport + UAE entry stamp, proof of home address, 3-6 months bank statements / source of funds, sometimes reference letteruaeexperthub + easyglobalbanking 2026 non-resident guides; Aug 2026 |
| UAE | Mashreq Bankbank | yesyes - conditional: savings only; entry-level from AED 10,000 (~US$2,700), priority tier AED 100,000+ | no - in-person | AED 10,000 to AED 100,000+ by tier | fall-below fees apply below tier minimum | Passport + entry stamp, home-country statements, source of fundsuaeexperthub 2026 'which banks still allow it' review; Aug 2026 |
| UAE | FAB / ADCB / RAKBANKbank | yesyes - conditional: savings/fixed-deposit products for non-residents; market-standard maintained minimum AED 25,000-100,000 (~US$6,800-27,200); private tiers AED 250k-500k | no - in-person branch visit during a UAE stay | AED 25,000-100,000 typical maintained minimum | fall-below fees; otherwise usually none | Passport, entry stamp, address proof, bank statements, source of wealth narrative; approval discretionary2026 aggregate guides (globalinvestments, starstormuae, easyglobalbanking); Aug 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/incomeListed among non-resident-accepting banks in 2026 guides; details thinner - verify with HSBC UAE directly; Aug 2026 |
| UAE | Wio / Liv / Revolut UAE (digital)fintech | nono - UAE digital banks (Wio, Liv) require an Emirates ID, i.e. residents only. Revolut UAE is resident-only in any case; as of Aug 2026 sources conflict on whether it is fully live (licensed per one report, 'live in newer markets' per another). Wise gives no AED IBAN to anyone | n/a for non-residents | n/a | n/a | Emirates ID = residence visa prerequisiteuaeexperthub Wise/Revolut UAE review + Revolut country lists; conflicting launch reports flagged; Aug 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 | $12/mo Total Checking unless waived (direct deposit or balance) | Passport + second ID, ITIN, US address, in-person visitchase.com education page + Exiap/Wise how-to guides; Aug 2026 |
| 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 opening deposit | $12/mo Advantage Plus unless waived | Passport, ITIN, US physical address, branch visitGrey/LetMeBank/aspire 2026 guides consistent on branch + US-address requirement; Aug 2026 |
| USA | Mercuryfintech | yesyes - for non-US residents who own a US LLC or C-Corp (business account); founders in sanctioned/prohibited countries (Russia, Belarus, Iran, Cuba, N. Korea, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, etc.) excluded | 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/websiteOfficial mercury.com support pages (eligibility + prohibited countries) - strongest-sourced row; Aug 2026 |
| USA | Wise (USD account details)fintech | yesyes - residents of ~70 supported countries get USD ACH/routing + wire details remotely without any US presence; NOT available to residents of e.g. Kazakhstan, Serbia, Turkey (balances) | yes - fully remote | none | none (conversion ~0.3-2%; small one-time fee for account details on personal plans) | ID + selfie + proof of address in a supported countryWise supported-country list (verify current list on wise.com - mirrored source used); Aug 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 | £50,000 deposit (or ~£100k+ annual salary) to qualify | £0 if criteria met | Passport, proof of address, proof of wealth/income; note deposits protected only up to £50k under Jersey DCS, not UK FSCSWise/globalinvestments 2026 non-resident UK guides; Aug 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 - remote application | £100,000+ | fee charged if balance falls below threshold (order of £40/quarter historically) - confirm current tariff | Passport, address proof, source of wealth2026 guides (globalinvestments, cambridgecurrencies); fee detail not re-verified on bank page this round; Aug 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 aboveConsistent across osome/localpage/globalinvestments 2026 guides; Aug 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 | effectivelyeffectively 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 | effectivelyeffectively 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 - no Anmeldung needed, but you MUST reside in one of ~24 supported European countries (DE, AT, FR, ES, IT, NL, PL, PT, CH, Nordics, Baltics...); citizens of 164+ countries eligible if resident there; US persons and true non-Europeans excluded | yes - video-ID, German IBAN in ~30 min | €0 | €0 standard tier | Passport from accepted-document list, residential address in a supported country, smartphoneOfficial N26 support availability page + nomadgate; strong source; Aug 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 | partial - online start possible for some nationalities; ID verification, sometimes branch completion | none | EUR 40/quarter standard; EUR 0 for the first 12 months under the current new-customer promo | Passport, certificado de no residente (Spanish police certificate, €10.41, valid 2 yrs - bank can often obtain it for you), proof of foreign addressOfficial bancsabadell.com blog page + waypointsur 2026 guide; Aug 2026 |
| Spain | BBVAbank | yesyes - conditional: standard non-resident account, expat-friendly, English support | 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) | Passport, certificado de no residente, proof of address abroad; NIE only needed once you become residentwaypointsur + spainexpat 2026 comparisons; Aug 2026 |
| Spain | CaixaBank (HolaBank)bank | yesyes - conditional: HolaBank program targets internationals/non-residents | no - branch | none | ~€10-15/mo class unless package conditions met | Passport, non-resident certificate, address proof2026 expat banking guides (idealista, spainexpat); Aug 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 - the default non-resident choice; qualified non-residents accepted | yes - fully remote opening possible with NIF, incl. via intermediaries like Anchorless; the standard pre-arrival route | small initial deposit may be required (order of €0-250; confirm) | ~€5-7/mo typical unless waived - confirm current tariff | Passport, Portuguese NIF (non-EU citizens need a fiscal representative to get one), proof of address <3 months, proof of incomenomadgate + portugalist 2026 guides; fee not re-verified on bank page this round; Aug 2026 |
| Portugal | Caixa Geral de Depositosbank | yesyes - conditional: non-residents accepted in-branch with NIF | no - branch visit | initial deposit commonly required (small) | standard maintenance fee unless package waives it | Passport, NIF, address proof, income proofourmanoverseas/globalcitizensolutions 2026; Aug 2026 |
| Portugal | Novo Bancobank | yesyes - conditional: accepts non-residents but NO remote opening; must be physically in Portugal | no | per package | per package | Passport, NIF, in-person visitnomadgate 2026 guide (explicit on no-remote); Aug 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 - conditional and in-person only: IIN (local tax number, obtainable only in person since Feb 2024), local SIM, document confirming legal basis of stay; card valid 12 months without residence permit | no - remote onboarding for non-residents shut down across all major KZ banks by 2026 | none | none on Kaspi Gold | Passport, IIN from Public Service Center, Kazakh phone number, entry stamp/visa; branch visitwiki.private.law Kaspi non-resident guide (updated Mar 2026) + Astana Times; Aug 2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Halyk Bankbank | effectivelyeffectively no - tightened to require a residence permit for account/card issuance to foreigners | no | n/a | n/a | Residence permit now requiredjarniascyril expat banking guide + internationalinvestment.biz reporting on KZ card clampdown; Aug 2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Freedom Bank Kazakhstanbank | yesyes - conditional: resumed card issuance to non-residents Jan 2026 under new government rules (limited card validity and count); AIFC eResidency program participants can activate fully online - the only remote-ish route left | partial - only via AIFC eResidency; otherwise in-person with IIN | none published | card-plan dependent | IIN (in person or via eResidency platform), passport; compliance screening (esp. RU citizens)bankffin.kz official card/eResidency pages + internationalinvestment.biz Jan 2026 reporting; Aug 2026 |
| Kazakhstan | Payoneer (Wise/Revolut NOT available)fintech | PayoneerPayoneer: 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 |
Methodology
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.