If your business is registered in the United States, you'll need to complete identity and business verification to apply for an Airwallex account. This guide walks you through the application, starting with a Company, then explains what is different for other entity types. It ends with the documents we may request (RFI) if we need more information to verify your business. For general account eligibility, see Eligibility to open an account.
What if you live outside the US? Read Frequently asked questions first. It covers eligibility, what counts as a US principal place of business, and what to do if you don't have an SSN or ITIN.
Apply as a Company
If your business is an LLC or a corporation, choose Company as your Entity type.
1. Business details
We don't support businesses with shares held in the form of bearer shares. By continuing, you confirm that your business doesn't have bearer shares.
Enter:
Legal entity name.
Employer identification number (EIN).
Principal place of business address, including address line 2 (optional), city, state, and ZIP code.
Phone number.
State of incorporation and date of incorporation.
Trading name (optional). Select Add a trading name if your business has more than one.
The country or region is set to United States of America and can't be changed.
Select Save & Next. In the Confirm your business information window, check your details. We check your legal entity name, EIN, and principal place of business address against government records. If we can't match them, you can still continue, but incorrect information could delay your application. Select Go back and edit to correct your details.
2. Business profile
Tell us about your business: its industry, products or services, website, monthly turnover, and business location.
3. Business owner
As the applicant, you verify your own identity. Enter:
Your legal name, date of birth, and nationality.
Your job title.
The country or region that issued your government ID, and the ID type.
Your address as it appears on your ID. If your ID doesn't include an address, enter your current residential address.
Then select Submit and verify your ID on your mobile device:
Scan the QR code shown on screen with your mobile device. The QR code expires after a short time, so scan it promptly.
Follow the prompts to take a photo of your original government-issued ID and a live selfie.
Take both photos in good lighting without glare.
After verification, your status shows Electronically verified.
If you need help, select contact support in the verification window.
We may also ask other individuals in your business to verify their identity:
Authorized Person: the individual signing up who is authorized to act on behalf of the business.
Control Person: an individual with significant responsibility to control, manage, or direct the business, such as a CEO or senior executive.
Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO): an individual who owns or controls 25% or more of the business, directly or indirectly.
4. Review and submit
On the Review your information page, check your business details, business profile, and business owner details. Select Edit next to a section to change it.
If we have advised that we need other documents, you can supply them from the notice on this page. See If we request more information (RFI).
Select the checkbox to confirm that you're authorized to fill out the form and operate the account on behalf of the business, and that the information you provided is true and correct. Then select Submit.
Apply as a Partnership or Others
Choose Partnership or Others as your Entity type. The application is the same as for a Company.
Apply as a Sole proprietorship
Choose Sole proprietorship as your Entity type. If your business is an LLC, choose Company instead.
Then answer Is your business registered?. In both cases, the application is the same as for a Company, except for the following.
Registered (Yes)
Business details
You enter the owner's legal first, middle (optional), and last name instead of a legal entity name.
Business document
You complete this step after Business details.
Answer Do you have one or more registered Doing Business As (DBA) names?. A DBA is also known as a trade name, fictitious name, or assumed name.
If you answered Yes, upload your DBA certificate or certificates. If you have more than one registered DBA, upload all of them. Accepted formats are PDF, Word, JPG, JPEG, PNG, and BMP, up to 20 MB per file.
Upload your EIN letter. This is the official confirmation letter the IRS issues when a business registers for an EIN. Accepted formats are PDF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG, up to 20 MB.
Select the eye icon to preview a file, or the bin icon to delete it. If you upload a file that isn't a valid EIN letter, you see the message "This does not appear to be a valid EIN letter document for your business, please delete it and upload the correct file." Delete the file and upload the correct one.
Business profile
You give your industry, products or services, website, monthly turnover, and business location.
Business owner
Applicant's identity: answer Are you the owner of this business?. Select Yes, I am the owner of this business. or No, I am applying on behalf of the business owner., then select Confirm.
ID verification: as for a Company, plus your Tax ID (see below).
Not registered (No)
Business details
You don't enter a legal entity name or an EIN. You enter the owner's legal first, middle (optional), and last name.
You enter a business commencement date instead of a state and date of incorporation.
In the Confirm your business information window, you can't change the business information after you select Confirm. Check it carefully, or select Cancel to go back.
Business owner
In addition to your ID details, provide:
Tax ID: see below.
Proof of address: upload proof of your residential address, whether or not it's the same as your business address. It must be a recent utility bill, phone bill, bank statement, or government correspondence. It must be in English and issued within the last 6 months. Accepted formats are PDF, JPG, JPEG, and PNG, from 32 KB to 10 MB.
Tax ID (registered and not registered)
In the ID verification step, select SSN or ITIN from the Tax ID list, then enter your number. Start with the last 4 digits. If we can't verify your details, we ask for your full 9-digit number. We use it to verify our US customers, and we don't perform credit checks with this information.
If we request more information (RFI)
After you submit, or if we can't verify your business from your application, we may send a request for information (RFI) asking for more documents. What we ask for depends on your business structure and what we need to verify.
IRS EIN letter
We may ask for a copy of your IRS EIN letter. If you apply as a registered sole proprietorship, you upload it in the application. The business name on the letter must match the name on your Airwallex application.
If your business has recently changed its name, include official documentation showing the change.
If you can't find your EIN, our guide to finding your EIN explains free ways to recover it, including checking your IRS confirmation letter and previous tax records. If your business already has an EIN, don't apply for another one; a duplicate may cause administrative delays.
Certificate of Formation or Incorporation
Depending on the state where your business operates, we may require a copy of the formation document filed with the Secretary of State.
LLCs: Certificate of Formation or Articles of Organization.
Corporations: Certificate or Articles of Incorporation.
Sole proprietorships: this document is not required.
The document must show the business name on your application. If you do not have a copy, request it from the state where your business is registered. Common state websites:
Attestation of Beneficial Ownership
We may request a beneficial ownership breakdown if we can't identify your business's ownership structure. If requested, provide a complete shareholding structure or ownership diagram that includes:
The full name, date of birth, nationality, and ownership percentage of each individual who owns 25% or more of the business.
A statement if no individual owns 25% or more.
The country of registration and ownership percentage of each intermediary entity in the ownership structure.
The attestation must be on company letterhead, signed by a director, and dated within the last six months. It is not required for sole proprietorships.
Company website and supporting documents
If your business does not operate a website, supporting documents may be requested.
If your business is new, the following documents may help us verify its activity:
An invoice to a customer from the last 90 days and an invoice from a supplier from the last 90 days.
An investor presentation or other prepared documents explaining your business model.
Photographs of physical inventory.
Contracts for sale.
A bank statement showing business operations.
Proof of business insurance.
Utility bills in the business's name (not for sole proprietors).
We may request additional documents if your business is foreign or is largely operated outside the US. These may include:
A recent US bank statement from a brick-and-mortar bank. US neobank statements, such as Mercury statements, are not accepted for this request.
Contracts between your US entity and established third-party US businesses.
Invoices from US-based customers.
Evidence of employees based in the US.
A service lease with a coworking space.
Evidence of when a sole proprietorship started operating
Sole proprietors must also provide evidence of when the business started operating. Examples include:
Documentation, a screenshot, or an email showing the date an eBay, Amazon, or Etsy account was established or made its first sale.
Documentation showing the sign-up date for Fiverr or Upwork.
An invoice or contract from the business's first sale.
Other documents that help show when the business began operating.
Specialized questionnaires
You may need to complete an additional questionnaire during onboarding if:
Your business is a financial institution that will process funds for underlying clients: Download the financial institution questionnaire
You operate a marketplace business: Download the marketplace questionnaire
You operate a live-streaming business: Download the live-streaming questionnaire
You operate a payroll business: Download the payroll questionnaire
Accepted file formats
Make sure every image is clear and readable.
Documents you upload in the application (EIN letter, DBA certificates): up to 20 MB per file. Check the accepted formats shown next to each upload.
Proof of address (sole proprietorships): PDF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG, from 32 KB to 10 MB.
Documents we request later: PDF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG, from 32 KB to 10 MB.
Frequently asked questions
These answers are for business owners who live outside the US.
Can I open an account if I live outside the US?
Yes. You can apply if your business is registered in the United States, even if you or your owners live outside the US. We look at where each owner lives, not at their nationality.
To be eligible, all of these must apply:
Your business is registered in the US and authorized to do business there.
Your business has a genuine principal place of business in the US (see below). E-commerce businesses and businesses incorporated within the last year have an exception.
No owner or Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) lives in a restricted country or territory. See Eligible countries and territories.
Your application passes our identity verification (KYC), compliance, and risk reviews.
Applying doesn't guarantee approval, and we can't confirm eligibility before you apply.
What counts as a US principal place of business?
Your principal place of business is where your business's day-to-day management and operations take place. It must be a genuine, physical business location in the US.
These addresses are not accepted as your principal place of business:
A registered agent's address, including one provided by a company formation service. Two exceptions apply (see below).
A PO box, virtual mailbox, or mailbox rental service.
A registered agent's address can be your registered (legal) address. For most businesses, it can't be your operating address.
Exceptions: we can accept a registered agent's address as your principal place of business if either of these applies:
Your business sells goods online, either on a platform or marketplace or on your own website (an e-commerce business).
Your business was incorporated within the last year.
The exceptions apply only to a registered agent's address. The other addresses listed above, including a PO box and a virtual mailbox, are still not accepted.
In the application, the principal place of business field only accepts a US address. Enter the US location where your business actually operates. Unless one of the exceptions above applies to you, don't enter a registered agent's address just to complete the form.
You can enter your residential address outside the US where we ask for your personal details. It doesn't replace the US principal place of business requirement.
If your business doesn't qualify for an exception and doesn't have a genuine US principal place of business, it may not be eligible for a US business account. You can apply again once you have one.
What documents show that my business operates in the US?
If your business is foreign-owned or largely operated outside the US, we may ask for more documents. They are requested during review. You don't upload them when you first apply. They may include:
A recent US bank statement from a brick-and-mortar bank. US neobank statements, such as Mercury statements, are not accepted for this request.
Contracts between your US entity and established third-party US businesses.
Invoices from US-based customers.
Evidence of employees based in the US.
A service lease with a coworking space.
I don't have an SSN or ITIN. Can I still apply?
If your business is a company, partnership, or other entity type, you don't need an SSN or ITIN to apply. As a non-US person, verify your identity with your passport or another government-issued photo ID. Enter your business's EIN as its Tax ID.
A sole proprietorship, registered or not, needs the owner's SSN or ITIN. See Apply as a Sole proprietorship.
My business isn't registered yet. Can I apply?
If you're applying as a company, partnership, or other entity type, register your business in the US and get an EIN before you apply. The EIN is required in the application. If your business already has an EIN, don't apply for another one. See Apply as a Company.
A sole proprietorship can apply without being registered. See Apply as a Sole proprietorship. It must still have a genuine US principal place of business (see above).
Which countries are restricted?
If an owner or UBO lives in a restricted country or territory, we can't onboard the business. Check Eligible countries and territories. Restrictions can change.
Before you submit
To help avoid follow-up requests, check that:
The business name and EIN you enter match your government records.
Any document you provide matches the business name on your application. Include official name-change documentation if needed.
You've provided a state-filed formation document if one is requested; Bylaws and Operating Agreements are not substitutes.
Any ownership diagram you provide includes intermediate entities and ownership percentages.
Each file is clear, within the size limit, and in an accepted format.