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are you looking for a real USA bank account or simply a $US bank account but in a bank in a foreign country.
I am Canadian with a $US bank account with my broker for purposes of trading US stocks. I also , if I wanted to could get a $US account with my bank....say for example I am an import/export person to the USA...most businesses want to deal in their own currency so it is better to deal with it through having a US dollar bank account.
I don't want a USA bank because , even if it were possible, I don't want to get involved in US taxes and have my personal info easily available to the USA though that is probably naive.
1) A bank that accepts non residents. I think ultimately all banks will accept you, provided that you as a customer are worth the extra effort going through the process of screening. It is clear that as a non-resident there is a little bit of overhead compared to a normal local citizen.
2) Remotely open a bank account. I think that is the real pain-point. There is something in banking terms called KYC (Know Your Customer). That is not only in USA, all financial institutions are obliged to know their customer. That could mean see you, take your passport, verify your social security number, in Belgium and in many EU countries we have a national number, that uniquely identifies you. Even some institutions (for sure in EU for non residents will ask you a paper from the police for good moral conduct and no criminal convicts).
It all boils downs to avoid money laundry and the bank can in no way be linked to money laundry or any criminal activity, or financing of entities on the OFAC (Ofic for Foreign Asset Control), (like the evil Putins of this planet), see the recent billions dollar penalty for BNP for doing business with countries on USA sanction list.
Conclusion
As you are in EU territory, most likely the easiest way is to go through a bank that has a corresponding banking relationship and is able to help you introduce. Normally all banks have foreign 'friend' banks.
Again the question (as correctly mentioned by Underexposed) is do you need
- a local account that can easily participate in the domestic ACH, do you need a local payment card ? a checking account ?
- or do you only need a US$ account, where a corresponding bank solution could be suitable, and in some cases even better, as it allows you to offset on loans, etc..
Thanks for your points of view.
I should have pointed out the purpose first which is bound to fulfill a little need, that is being able to withdraw funds out of PayPal account which can only be done through a US bank account from Andorra as PayPal won't consider this country's market as valuable yet (population = 75000) although our gouvernment here tries to push things ahead. No success yet even if it's not a matter a fiscal paradise fear anymore.
Contacted already a few banks subsidiaries and failed. They would always require to be local or physical opening indeed, have an american security system number or else.
I think I found an alternative through Payoneer service. Will try to set this up next week as this appears to be jeopardy sometimes.
Sounds like a complicated move to just withdraw funds from paypal.
Move them into an account that is linked to an EU account
Withdraw them
and wire them to your Andora account with a SEPA payment.
That will be your cheapest option.
Have seen other people in trouble with Paypal
because they were located in Monaco
funds were frozen for 6 months !
I would have opened a french PayPal account to withdraw to a french bank but ...I just got kicked out of some major french one with poor manner for being an andorran resident. They would fear unnecessary control checks and complications. It makes me laugh a lot because Andorra has much more anti-laundry money rules and practical banking cautions that I ever saw happening in France. Much more serious and far from the tax haven imaginery idea.
Finding alternative french banks sound complicated but guess I'll try swiss banking and should be fine if Payoneer does not work. Andorra is out from SEPA zone but not for long anymore.
Thanks
So as I see it you have had a PayPal prior to 2010 when the US government did not lay down the law on where PayPal transfers could take place and it complied.
So your money in PayPal is locked up there....However, could you not use that money to buy goods and services??? Buy something for delivery in your home country and pay for it through PayPal. Draw down your account this way.
that is a good plan...
and for more;. the costs are on the merchant side and not on the payer side
if you recover your money or transfer your money, it will cost money
