🏦 EMI — accounts for international entrepreneurs

Lawyer, Family Office

Concept

EMI (Electronic Money Institution) — a licensed financial institution without bank status, but with permission to hold client funds and conduct SEPA/SWIFT transfers. EMIs open faster than banks (1–3 weeks vs. 4–8), require less strict KYC and cost less to maintain. The trade-off — no deposit insurance and a limited set of operations: no custody products, no lending, restricted cash transaction limits.

For international entrepreneurs, EMI often becomes the only practical solution: banks in HK, Singapore and the EU close their doors to first-year startup companies, cross-border traders, and crypto-related activities. EMIs take such profiles without resistance.

Our support fee for all EMIs below —€3,000, including support until account activation and one currency wallet.

Airwallex

Jurisdiction and licenses:Australia (AUSTRAC), United Kingdom (FCA), Hong Kong (HKMA Stored Value Facility), Singapore (MAS).

Currencies:60+ currency wallets, including USD, EUR, GBP, HKD, CNY, JPY, AUD, SGD. All settle between each other at interbank rate.

Cards:corporate Mastercard, virtual cards with per-card and per-merchant limits — convenient for issuing to employees.

Features:some of the best FX rates on the market (rate close to interbank, no hidden margin), full API for accounting integration, multi-entity management under one account, AML-friendly for tech/SaaS companies.

When suitable:cross-border SaaS, e-commerce with international payments, marketplace sellers, agencies with contractors in different jurisdictions.

Timeline:5–10 business days.Open rate:~95% with clean KYC HK Ltd.

Statrys

Jurisdiction:Hong Kong (HKMA Stored Value Facility).

Currencies:11 major currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, HKD, CNY, JPY, AUD, SGD, NZD, CAD, CHF). HKD and CNY work domestically — you can pay local counterparties without SWIFT.

Cards:corporate debit Mastercard.

Features:tailored for Hong Kong companies. User-friendly mobile interface, dedicated account manager from day one, support in English and simplified Chinese. Not suitable for startups without HK Ltd — only opens for HK corporations.

When suitable:trading HK company with regular settlements in the Asian region, especially if you need HKD/CNY internal payments.

Timeline:7–14 business days.

Multipass

Jurisdiction:United Kingdom (FCA EMI).

Currencies:70+ currencies, particularly strong with exotics — INR, AED, NGN, BRL, MXN.

Cards:Visa debit.

Features:focused on B2B and SaaS. Flexible limits, dedicated manager for KYC, accepts merchants from countries that many EMIs have closed (Turkey, UAE offshore, CIS relocants).

When suitable:for business with global payment geography, where exotic currencies or complex corridors are needed in addition to USD/EUR.

Timeline:7–10 business days.

WorldFirst

Jurisdiction:United Kingdom (FCA), Australia, Hong Kong. Part of Ant Group.

Currencies:60+, with particularly strong support for the Chinese corridor (CNY domestic + offshore).

Cards:corporate virtual Mastercard for marketplace operations.

Features:best choice for e-commerce, especially for selling on Amazon, eBay, Shopify, AliExpress. Has special integrations with these platforms — sales proceeds are credited directly without intermediaries.

When suitable:e-commerce sellers, marketplace sellers, dropshipping operators.

Timeline:10–15 business days.

Equals Money

Jurisdiction:United Kingdom (FCA Authorized EMI).

Currencies:38 currencies, focus on professional FX operations.

Cards:prepaid Mastercard, corporate expense card.

Features:works more as a treasury tool: you can hold deposits in multiple currencies, issue employee cards with limits, conduct forward FX deals for hedging.

When suitable:companies with regular revenue in one currency and expenses in another; B2B services with contractors in Europe.

Timeline:7–10 business days.

Banxe

Jurisdiction:Cyprus (CySEC EMI).

Currencies:EUR, USD, GBP, RUB, etc. — the only EMI in our catalog with native RUB channel support.

Cards:Visa debit (personal and corporate).

Features:focused on cross-border settlements with CIS. Accepts Hong Kong and Cyprus companies with Russian beneficiary if they have EU residence permit or second citizenship. RUB operations go through correspondent network in EU.

When suitable:trading business with settlements RF ↔ Europe ↔ China.

Timeline:10–14 business days.

Kingdom Bank

Jurisdiction:Commonwealth of Dominica (Eastern Caribbean).

Currencies:USD, EUR.

Cards:Visa debit.

Features:one of the few banks (legally — a bank, not EMI) that continues to serve Russian beneficiaries without residence permit. Used as a backup channel for cross-border when the main EMI temporarily restricts operations.

When suitable:backup account; account for beneficiary without European residence permit; account for personal wealth.

Timeline:10–15 business days.

Arival

Jurisdiction:Puerto Rico (IFE — International Financial Entity, US-compliant).

Currencies:USD, EUR.

Cards:Visa debit.

Features:US-regulated, but without the complexity of American banks — opens remotely, no ITIN required. Works with fiat and crypto-related operations (through partner providers).

When suitable:companies with US counterparties, fintech projects, partially crypto-related deals.

Timeline:10–14 business days.

Payoneer

Jurisdiction:USA (FinCEN MSB), global network.

Currencies:35 currencies, primary — USD.

Cards:Mastercard prepaid.

Features:infrastructure for marketplace payouts (Amazon, Upwork, Fiverr). Strong point — receiving money from international marketplaces without the need to open an account in each country. Corporate funds can be withdrawn via SWIFT to a bank account.

When suitable:freelancers, agencies, marketplace sellers.

Timeline:5–10 business days.

Adriatic Bank

Jurisdiction:Montenegro (Central Bank of Montenegro).

Currencies:EUR (primary), USD, GBP.

Cards:Visa.

Features:European bank (not EMI legally) that accepts HK Ltd with Russian beneficiaries with residence permit. Works better with trading companies than with tech/SaaS.

When suitable:trading business RF ↔ EU ↔ Asia; companies with European subsidiaries.

Timeline:10–15 business days.

Aspire

Jurisdiction:Singapore (MAS), partially through partner banks.

Currencies:SGD, USD, EUR, GBP.

Cards:corporate Visa.

Features:tailored for tech startups. Integrated with Y Combinator ecosystem, has built-in invoicing and expense management. Works well with companies with venture funding.

When suitable:startups with investment rounds, SaaS with recurring billing, accelerator graduates.

Timeframe:5–10 business days.

What EMIs don't do

• Don't issue bank guaranteesfor contracts. Mainstream bank only.
• Don't issue FX loans. Bank or specialized finance house only.
• Don't accept interest-bearing deposits— funds are held in segregated account without interest accrual.
• Don't work with regulated activities: insurance, securities trading, gambling, weapons, adult.

If the business falls into these categories — need a licensed bank or special license. See🇭🇰 MSO license in Hong Kongfor proprietary payment service.

Related services

• 🇨🇳 Corporate account at ZCCB— mainstream bank in mainland China
• 🪙 EMI for crypto business— RD Wallet, FV Bank, Collect&Pay, BVNK
• 💱 OTC FX exchange without account— for one-off conversions
• 🇪🇸 Digital Nomad residence permit— fastest residence permit for beneficiary