Bank selection
We hold working contacts at the corporate desks of the major Belarusian banks. We match the client's profile to the institution most likely to onboard efficiently.
Opening a business bank account in Belarus
Corporate banking for foreign companies trading with, operating in, or holding interests in Belarus.
Our clients
Corporate accounts for non-resident companies
Foreign companies can open business accounts in Belarus. The framework is less restrictive than in the EU. However, each application depends on the receiving bank’s compliance review.
In practice, Belarusian banks routinely onboard companies from the EU, UK, UAE, GCC, CIS, Hong Kong, Singapore, and selected offshore jurisdictions. As a result, the outcome depends less on the country of incorporation and more on how the application is positioned. We work with the corporate desks of the major Belarusian banks directly. Our role is to make sure the compliance review runs once rather than three times.
When a Belarusian business account makes sense
Foreign companies open Belarusian corporate accounts for four recurring reasons.
First, settlement of trade flows with Belarusian counterparties. The account handles invoice payment, export revenue, and reconciliation with NBRB currency control. Next, funding of a Belarusian group company or branch. Many parent companies prefer direct capital injection over loan-based financing. Then, receipt of dividends, royalties, or interest from Belarusian sources. These flows often run through special-regime accounts under NBRB rules. Finally, holding-structure operations. The foreign company sits above one or more Belarusian assets and needs an account to support intercompany flows.
In each case, the account is the operational layer. The underlying business decides the structure.
Need a local director?
Professional management company services for Belarusian entities.
Types of companies we work with
Our active client base spans several profiles. International product and IT companies open accounts to support engineering centres and HTP-resident companies. Trading and distribution firms use Belarusian accounts for local settlement and currency control clearance. Fund and holding structures hold accounts above operating entities for dividend, royalty, and intercompany flows. Real estate owners — both corporate and family-office structures — run accounts for property-related operations. Finally, e-commerce, fintech, and digital service providers handle multi-currency revenue and supplier payments through Belarusian accounts.
We do not work with anonymised shell structures or unverifiable beneficial owners. As a rule, every successful onboarding starts with a clean ownership trail.
How the application works
First, we agree the client’s profile and recommend the bank. Next, we list the documents required by that specific bank. Then we coordinate apostille and translation with the client’s home counsel. After submission, we manage compliance follow-ups, which arrive at least once in most cases. Finally, we attend the bank for signature of the account agreement and specimen card — either with the client present or under a power of attorney.
Most onboardings take three to eight weeks from briefing. Complex ownership structures or jurisdictions on the FATF grey list extend that range.
Documents the bank will ask for
Belarusian banks request a standard core set from foreign applicants. Therefore, we prepare the full file before submission.
- Application form on the bank’s template with company details and signatory information
- Constituent documents — charter and memorandum of association from the home jurisdiction
- Registration evidence — commercial register extract, certificate of incorporation, or equivalent
- Authority documents — board resolutions and powers of attorney confirming signing rights
- Identification documents for directors, signatories, and beneficial owners
- Signature specimen card, completed at the bank or notarised in the home jurisdiction
In addition, all foreign-language documents require notarised translation into Russian or Belarusian. Most jurisdictions also need apostille. Countries outside the 1961 Hague Convention require consular legalisation instead.
Beyond the account
Accounting, payroll, and reporting under one roof.
Our services
Document preparation
Full application file prepared to the bank's actual review standard. We manage apostille, consular legalisation, and notarised translation end-to-end.
Power of attorney onboarding
For clients unable to travel, our representative attends the bank under a notarised and legalised power of attorney drafted to the specific bank's expectations.
Compliance and reporting
Ongoing transactional documentation, NBRB contract registration, statutory reporting, and integration with the client's accounting workflow.
Multi-bank account setup
Parallel onboarding across more than one Belarusian bank where the client's operations call for it — separate currencies, separate counterparty geographies, or redundancy for business continuity.
Online banking and SIM management
Setup of online banking access, including arrangement of a Belarusian eSIM where the signatories are abroad. We manage the SIM lifecycle, so authentication keeps working from any jurisdiction.
Documents required
Power of attorney
A notarised authorisation document empowering our representative to act for the company before the bank. Drafted in Russian or English. Apostilled or consularly legalised depending on the issuing jurisdiction.
Bank account application form
Issued by the receiving bank. The director or authorised representative completes and signs it. The company seal is required where the company uses one.
State registration document
Confirms the company's legal existence. Typically a commercial register extract or certificate of incorporation. Banks usually require an extract dated within the last three to six months.
Constituent documents
Charter and memorandum of association from the home jurisdiction. The documents must demonstrate ownership structure, governance, and signing authority.
Specimen signature card
Records the official signatures used for banking operations. Authorised persons sign either at the bank in person or before a notary in the home jurisdiction.
KYC documentation
Beneficial ownership disclosure, group structure chart, evidence of the business activity, and confirmation of the source of funds. The compliance department may request additional documentation depending on the profile.
Signatory authorisation documents
Board resolution, employment contract, or other evidence confirming the position and authority of each signatory within the company.
Other services
Why clients rely on our expertise
Direct bank contacts
Working relationships with the corporate departments of the major Belarusian banks. Not through brokers or introducers.
Documentation done once
Application files prepared to the bank's actual review standard. As a result, the cycle of requests and refusals shrinks.
Remote onboarding capability
Power-of-attorney structures used routinely for clients in the US, UK, EU, UAE, and Asia who cannot travel to Belarus.
Currency control and SWIFT expertise
In-house team handling NBRB compliance, contract registration, and cross-border transactional documentation.
Integrated back office
Banking work delivered alongside our accounting, payroll, EOR, and management company practices.
English-language working standard
Documentation, correspondence, and reporting in English. Russian on request.
FAQ
Can a foreign company open a business account in Belarus?
Yes. Belarusian banks regularly onboard companies from the EU, UK, UAE, GCC, CIS, Hong Kong, Singapore, and selected offshore jurisdictions. The outcome depends on the receiving bank’s compliance review, the ownership structure, and the quality of the application file.
Can we make international payments with our counterparties?
Yes. Belarusian banks support SWIFT transfers in major currencies. However, cross-border payments are subject to NBRB currency control rules. These include contract registration above defined thresholds and transactional documentation requirements.
Can we hold accounts in more than one Belarusian bank?
Yes. There is no statutory limit on the number of banks or accounts a foreign company can maintain. In practice, many clients split flows across two banks for currency, counterparty, or business continuity reasons.
How do we fund the account?
Funding routes include international wire transfers from existing foreign accounts, internal transfers between Belarusian banks, and contribution from Belarusian counterparties. Meanwhile, all inbound and outbound flows must comply with NBRB currency control documentation.
How does online banking work for a foreign company?
Belarusian online banking systems authenticate through a SIM card issued by a Belarusian mobile operator. Where the signatories are abroad, we arrange an eSIM compatible with modern smartphones. As a result, the account remains operationally accessible from any jurisdiction. We also manage the SIM lifecycle so authentication continues to work.
Will you notify the tax authorities after the account opens?
Belarusian banks notify the tax inspection of new corporate accounts as part of the standard procedure. In addition, where we provide accounting services, ongoing notifications and reporting obligations are administered by our team under the same contract.
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