How to open a deposit in a foreign currency in a bank? How to open a deposit in a foreign bank.

• For users of this system, a list of services is provided that provide resolution of organizational issues in the process of opening an account in foreign organizations.
• But to sign the contract, you still need to meet with a representative of the bank or personally appear at the selected financial institution. This feature is only available to people who can deposit more than $1 million.

• in state banks 100% ;
• compulsory insurance 0 90% , but not more 20 thousand euros;
• add. guarantee - up to 30% equity jar.

Almost anyone can open an account or a deposit in a foreign bank, but in reality this procedure is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. Subtleties of work foreign organizations having the right to exercise banking operations, as well as step by step guide you will learn how to open an offshore account in them if you read this article.

For a Russian businessman, an account abroad can bring a lot of advantages. This means opening an account in a bank in another country, and not just an account in a foreign country. credit institution, which has a representative office in our country. In essence, even European banks that work in our country are Russian, even though they are based on foreign capital. It follows that they are subject to exactly the same risks.

Why and who may need an account in a foreign bank?

An account in a foreign bank may become necessary for those who intend to conduct their business abroad, open a special merchant account for the development of their Internet business, and simply for those who wish to increase their money. The reason is simple - some banking organizations can offer higher than in Russia, interest on deposits in foreign banks.

It is also worth considering that accounts in a foreign bank are private. Western bankers are really concerned about privacy, and the concept of " banking secrecy” is not just an empty phrase for them. In almost all respects, we have profitable deposits in foreign banks.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a deposit in a foreign bank

In fact, this process is somewhat complicated, and without knowing certain nuances, it is almost impossible to achieve the goal. Let's try to analyze the subtleties at each stage of opening a deposit in a foreign bank.

Choosing a country in which to make a deposit

The country for placing your funds should be chosen depending on the nature of the purposes for which you need such an account. Banks of Western European countries are considered to be very prestigious, but the vast majority of them are not interested in settlement and cash services for non-residents, for this reason they are not suitable for such purposes, since it is at least unprofitable for the client. It is better to carry out such financial transactions through Estonian and Latvian banking institutions. Banks in Hong Kong and Singapore will welcome foreigners who do business in Southeast Asia, but are reluctant to accept deposits - only if the size of the investment is very solid. Those who want to keep their funds but refuse to participate in international trade can open a deposit in a foreign bank, for example in Switzerland, because there are very high requirements for the minimum balance indicator, and also, as a rule, the number of transactions is somewhat limited. When choosing a suitable country, one should take into account the political and economic situation in the region, and it is better to analyze the future perspective - the more stable the better.

Registration of a new or purchase of a "ready-made" company

To open such a deposit, you need a company that is registered in a country with preferential taxation. Offshore enterprises are not necessarily used for doing business, for example, some of them are created only for the purpose of owning foreign assets and opening a bank account. Today, it is not so difficult to acquire an offshore company, while both the purchase and the annual commission will not be so expensive. In order to acquire a company registered abroad, it is necessary to apply to the appropriate specialized firm. The procedure can be carried out in just one day. Another option is to register your LLC in another country. This path is suitable for those who are really serious about doing business abroad. A foreign company that owns a Russian LLC can resolve many property disputes regarding the area of ​​international law and, in case of bankruptcy, provides protection to the real owner from subsidiary liability.

Choosing a bank

Today, the banking institutions of the Baltic States, which can serve in Russian, are becoming more and more common, and the cost of banking products is quite small. Banks in Germany, Denmark and Austria are also very reliable. When choosing an institution for opening a deposit in a foreign bank, it is necessary to analyze the reliability rating banking institution, the minimum amount deposit (for example, in Switzerland, the size is very large), requirements for customers in other countries, since not every bank is ready to do business with foreign citizens, the possibility of prompt and convenient replenishment of the deposit. The most famous foreign banks for deposits:

• In Germany - KfW.
• In France - Caisse des Depots et Consignatioms.
• In Holland - Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten.
• In Switzerland - Zurcher Kantonalbank, CIM Banque.
• In Saint Lucia - Hermes.
• In Latvia - Rietumu.
• In Austria - Meinl Bank.

Applying for opening a bank account

To open an offshore bank account, the following documents are required:

• A completed application form for opening a bank account with the original signature of the future owner of the deposit or director of the enterprise.
• A copy of the package of documents that certify information about the identity of the client (usually a passport or driver's license).
• It is desirable to have a letter of recommendation from other banks.
• Constituent documentation of the enterprise.

Sometimes a banking institution requires the personal presence of a potential depositor. The term for opening a deposit in a foreign bank directly depends on the chosen country and the internal regulations of the banking institution - sometimes this procedure lasts one day, and sometimes at least several months.

Advantages of the main types of foreign bank deposits

The type of account is also of great importance. A current account is opened in order to maintain current expenses. In such cases, as a rule, interest rates on deposits in foreign banks are very low, and sometimes non-existent. Investment accounts are created for long-term investments in securities or shares. A deposit account is suitable not only for saving money, but also for increasing it due to a high interest rate. But you should not forget that in this case it is impossible to withdraw money until the end of the period specified in the contract.

Offshore company "without an account"

The myth that European banks are very accessible and ready to fight for each of their clients is very firmly rooted in the minds of Russian citizens. But, unfortunately, this is completely untrue. Foreign banking institutions are not at all short of potential customers and they select very strictly, for this reason a person who decides to open an account abroad may face certain difficulties, especially when he wants to carry out this operation on his own. It is necessary to prepare for possible long conversations with representatives of a banking institution, moreover, negotiations will most likely be held in English.

You can open a bank account in a foreign bank with the help of a special company that specializes in such services. Such firms have established contacts with banks, they will assist in choosing a particular bank and conducting negotiations, as well as in correct design all necessary documents.

This method of opening a bank account abroad is the easiest, but it is very important to choose the right firm, as there is a risk of encountering scammers who only need personal number bills and a sample of a person's painting.

It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that some intermediaries who register offshore companies and promise to open in the selected legal sphere also a bank account, in fact they cannot carry out the latter. Typically, these companies can offer a lower cost of services. The result of cooperation with such a "unfortunate company" will manifest itself in the form of an irretrievable loss of funds that were paid for opening an account, and a useless offshore company. The thing is that real reputable companies that are truly capable of opening a bank account will not cooperate with "foreign" offshore companies. And, in the end, such ill-conceived savings on an intermediary can lead to multiplied expenses, and then the saying will be confirmed once again: "The miser pays twice."

What does the law say about opening deposits abroad?

Let's mention one feature of ownership bank account Abroad. The second paragraph of Article 12 of the Federal Law "On currency regulation and currency control" speaks about it. On deposits in foreign banks, the law says that absolutely every Russian citizen is obliged to warn territorial tax authorities about opening an account in a bank located outside the territory of the Russian Federation. At the end of each year, it will be necessary to provide information on the balance on such an account to the tax office. Violation of this law is punishable by a fine of 5 thousand rubles.

Conclusion

As a rule, a foreign bank account is very rarely opened to receive increased income or best level service. Most often this is done for the purpose of confidentiality and a kind of independence from banking system our country. For example, many have decided to open such an account out of fear that the authorities may impose various restrictions on currency conversion and cross-border transfers. In addition, foreign bank accounts can open access to international investment products.

Ability to open freely bank deposits outside the country of residence appeared among citizens of the Russian Federation recently - in 2003. Article 12 federal law dated 10.12.2003 No. 173-FZ "On currency regulation and currency control" gives the right to Russian citizens-residents of the country (that is, living in its territory for more than 183 days during one calendar year) to open accounts in foreign banks and their branches located in OECD and FATF member states.

Literally, this article reads: “Residents open without restrictions accounts (deposits) in foreign currency in banks located in the territories foreign countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) or the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF).” In other words, you will not be able to open a ruble account abroad, while you are completely free to choose a foreign currency for opening a deposit.

Let's consider in what cases such a deposit can come in handy, how to open it and what are its features compared to deposits in Russian banks.

Convenience, benefit and reliability

If you are planning to do business with foreign partners, go to study abroad or educate your children in a foreign university, buy real estate abroad, help relatives living there, etc., it is obvious that Russian bank not very suitable for such purposes. Of course, you can act through foreign branches, for example, Sberbank, Uniastrum, etc., or open an account with a bank that has a representative office in Russia (Unicredit, Raiffeisen, Citibank, etc.).

But if you need to keep decent amount on the most confidential terms, it is probably worth considering a foreign bank as a place to store this money. From this point of view, European banks, in particular "classical" Switzerland, noticeably outperform Russian ones. What can not be said about the profitability of deposits, the interest on deposits is extremely low, in some cases you will be offered 0.0% on the deposit.

Be that as it may, if you have no problems with the tax office (and even more so with law enforcement agencies), but have solid business partners, an educational agreement with a foreign university or a residence permit in the country where you want to place your personal capital, you will be able to open a deposit in a foreign bank in a couple of months.

What profit can be received from a foreign deposit? The answer is pessimistic: very modest. First, some large foreign banks set more than low interest profitability than for the citizens of their country. Nothing prevents you from considering opening a so-called “indexed deposit” (we call them “structural products”, they have not yet become widespread in Russia) - the interest on them is higher, because they involve investing part of the money in securities.

Secondly, some foreign banks charge tangible commissions for opening and maintaining a deposit (you rarely see this when opening a deposit in Russian banks!). Interest for converting into another currency, transferring from a deposit to another account, as well as for withdrawing money from a deposit in cash, practically “eats up” deposit interest. It turns out that a deposit of up to 50 thousand US dollars is not only unprofitable, but almost unprofitable.

However, in order not to scare away foreign investors, most large banks simply do not accept less than 50 thousand from foreigners. If you do not have this amount, but you really need to open a deposit abroad, you can contact the Baltic banks or a bank in an offshore zone.

Although the example of Cyprus hardly promises investors reliability (let alone profitability).

The documents

First, get ready for the fact that documents will be required 2-3 times more than for opening a deposit in Russia. To open an account abroad, you will need, in addition to the “classic” application and the depositor’s questionnaire, the following documents (the list is not complete):

Firstly, a 3-NDFL certificate for the last 3-5 years, certified by the tax office.

Secondly, notarized copies of the general civil and foreign passports of a citizen of the Russian Federation. Some banks request these documents not only from the depositor, but also from his spouse.

Fourthly, a certificate from a Russian bank, of which you are a depositor or borrower at the time of submitting an application to a foreign bank.

Fifthly, a certificate of the absence of problems with law enforcement agencies.

Sixth, a certificate of family composition.

Seventh, proof of residence at the address indicated in the questionnaire (for example, paid bills for public Utilities issued in the name of the person opening the deposit).

Eighth, a certificate from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, if the amount of your contribution is up to 10 thousand euros / dollars (if more, you will have to undergo verification by Interpol and FATF).

As well as other documents at the discretion of the bank.

Note that you will have to translate all these certificates and certify the translation with a notary.

How to know in advance how many documents and which ones a particular bank will request? It depends, firstly, on the policy and requirements of a particular bank, and secondly, on the policy of the country of its location in relation to Russia. It is no secret that many Western countries are wary of Russian citizens - it is not surprising that banks react to their intention to open a deposit for a decent amount by requiring them to submit a large number of documents.

If your savings do not exceed 100 thousand US dollars (in ruble or euro equivalent), you can explain their origin to your bank in a simple writing(ordinary reference). If you are a businessman and want to deposit more than $100,000 into an overseas account, you will be required to Additional information about the legal origin of these funds, as well as about your business. In this regard, you will be helped by the recommendations of business partners - foreigners or other clients of the bank in which you want to open a deposit.

By the way, if you have an account with a Russian “daughter” of a foreign bank (see above) and, for example, you regularly pay your loan or keep a decent amount on deposit in this bank, a favorable review of this bank can also have a positive effect on your image as a potential contributor.

Submitting an application

So, the package of documents has been collected - it remains to submit them, sign an application for opening a deposit and an agreement with the bank. This can be done in several ways.

1. Remotely from Russia. Certified documents must be sent by mail; part can be sent by fax or scanned by e-mail. The only “but”: you will have to sign the deposit opening agreement itself at the branch of “your” bank abroad.

2. In Russia, through the official representative offices of the selected bank in the Russian Federation. financial transactions These banks do not deal with Russian clients, but they will provide you with assistance in collecting and sending a package of documents. If you can afford a “personal manager”, the bank will organize a meeting with him in Russia to sign an agreement with such an employee who will come from abroad specifically for this.

3. Through the Private Banking service of a large Russian bank that has connections with banks abroad. This service is available exclusively to VIP clients who plan to place at least USD or EUR 1 million abroad. The Russian bank will assist such depositors in all aspects of opening a foreign account - the client will only have to personally meet with a representative of a foreign bank to sign an agreement.

4. Through a consulting company in Moscow specializing in opening foreign accounts for citizens of the Russian Federation. Such companies have ties with foreign credit institutions and will help you choose a country, a bank and the best conditions for opening a deposit, as well as help you collect documents or even find a guarantor abroad. Such services will cost you up to 1000 euros.

Features of national taxation

And now two words about taxes. According to Russian law, you are obliged to notify the tax office within a month of the existence of a bank account abroad. If you do not do this, in addition to a fine (up to 5,000 rubles), a severe sanction will be applied to you - Russian banks will not be able to transfer your money abroad to the account of the bank where you opened a deposit. You will not be able to get around this provision of the law by replenishing your account in cash - especially if the bank is located in European country with a developed banking system.

Further. With a number of countries, Russia has concluded an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation, if you open a deposit in a country with which there is such an agreement, you will have to pay taxes on the deposit only abroad. If the deposit is opened in a state with which Russia does not have such an agreement, you will pay taxes twice. Therefore, be sure to make sure that there is a double taxation treaty when choosing a country to store your money.

Concerning the exact amount tax that you will have to pay, it depends on the country of your bank and on the interest rate on the deposit (if it is below 5%, you will not have to pay tax in Russia).

Today, keeping money in banks is much safer than at home in a jewelry box. However, before depositing them into the account, the question arises: in which bank is it better to keep money in 2019, and which bank is better: foreign or Russian? This question arises due to the fact that the ruble is getting cheaper, while the dollar and the euro are getting more expensive. The ruble as a currency remains unstable, and the interest rates of banks on deposits are low.

If you still decide that a foreign bank is better, then you should understand how profitable it will be, and which country to choose for storage.

To open an account, it is worth visiting a bank office abroad. Otherwise, by opening an account with subsidiaries in Russia, you will not be able to go far from Russian trends: residents are subject to Russian laws. It is worth remembering that if you want to get a big income from investing in another country, then in this case you will lose.

Foreign banks are more high reliability, but smaller interest rate, as well as usually account maintenance is more expensive. You can open an account in any foreign bank that is part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The only rule that exists for clients of foreign banks is that within a month he must notify his tax inspector in Russia.

Not all banks, however, may allow you to open an account, as they are more interested in corporate clients (companies). This is also due to the fact that there is not a very positive opinion about Russian clients. The most friendly for Russian investors are the banks of Austria, Germany and Denmark.

Read also

Why foreign investors are afraid to invest in Russia

What is the best currency to keep your savings in?

When choosing a bank, you also decide in what currency you will keep money. It is difficult to make a choice in favor of one or another currency, as the euro is falling, and the dollar is now growing very quickly. But after the rapid growth in the future, there may be a slight decline compared to the same euro. In addition, there are other interesting currencies such as the Japanese yen and CNY.

Is it worth keeping money in dollars? The position of the dollar today depends on the world economy, and to a greater extent - on the US economy. There is practically no serious alternative to the dollar. The advantage of this currency is that it is steadily growing.

Should you keep your currency in euros? For today economic situation in Europe is unstable, and the euro has an unstable position. But if you plan to make a deposit for several years, then the opportunity to get a big profit is higher than in dollar terms.

Also, some experts note the Singapore dollar, Japanese yen and Chinese yuan. However, it pays to be well versed in the benefits and risks of such investments.

The most reasonable deposit, as experts advise, will be a mixed deposit in different banks.

After Swiss banks announced that they no longer hide the personal data of their clients and provide information at the request of certain structures, depositors began to review the bank market, choosing those that have a high reputation. In the near future, Switzerland may reduce and tax incentives for foreign investors, which also does not play in favor of keeping money in this country.

Country selection

It is worth noting several countries where it is safe to store your savings.