Gokce Tandogdu
ITIN Specialist, itin.net
Yes, but the answer depends on what kind of account and which institution.
Business accounts: yes, comfortably remote. For a non-resident-owned U.S. LLC, fintech-style business banks like Mercury, Relay, and Brex are designed for remote onboarding. You provide the LLC's formation documents, EIN confirmation letter (CP-575), Operating Agreement, your passport, and a proof of address (a foreign utility bill or bank statement works). Account opening is typically 1 to 3 business days. This is the standard path for non-resident founders.
Personal accounts: harder, but possible. Most major U.S. retail banks (Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo) require in-person account opening for non-resident individuals. The realistic remote options for personal banking are international banking programs like Citigold International or HSBC Premier International, which require qualifying balances. For lighter-weight remote personal accounts, Wise Personal gives you a U.S. account number for receiving funds but is not a full U.S. deposit account.
What you'll need. For a business account: a U.S. LLC (typically Wyoming, Delaware, or New Mexico), an EIN, the CP-575 letter from the IRS, an Operating Agreement, your passport, and proof of address. For a personal account at the eligible programs: passport, ITIN, proof of address, and the program's minimum balance.
What goes wrong. Inconsistent addresses across documents (LLC registered agent, EIN file, bank application) cause delays. Funding from countries on the bank's risk list causes holds. Online application forms occasionally do not accept ITIN where the bank's policy says they do — apply through a banker by phone in that case.
Through our banking partners we coordinate the document set, handle the introduction, and resolve the friction points that typically cause non-residents to be rejected on a first DIY attempt.