PANAMA
ุ
HSBC Online banking in English, commercial banking, no debit
cards or credit cards for corporate accounts. Offers USD and EURO accounts. Min
opening balance is $1,000 or 1,000 EUR. Visit not required.
www.hsbc.com
ุ
MMG Bank Private Bank. Offers accounts in USD, EURO, CAD, YEN,
Swiss Francs, GBP. No debit cards, only credit cards. Min opening balance is
$1,000.00 or the equivalent in the currencies mentioned before. Visit not
required.
www.mmgbank.com
ุ
Credicorp Bank Commercial banking. Online banking in Spanish
only. Local ATM card, pre paid debit cards and credit cards available. Accounts
in EURO available. Min opening balance is $1,000.00 or 1,000 EUR. Visit not
required.
www.credicorpbank.com
ุ
Banco Paname๑o de la Vivienda (BANVIVIENDA) - Commercial banking.
Online banking in Spanish only. Local ATM card available, credit card available.
Min opening balance is $3,000.00. Visit not required.
www.banvivienda.com
ุ
Multibank. Commercial Banking. Internet banking in English.Visa/Mastercard
Credit cards and debit cards. Accounts in USD and EURO. Min. opening balance
$1,000.00. Requirement to open a time deposit for $25,000.00. Visit to the bank
required.
www.multibank.com.pa
CARIBBEAN
ุ
Provident Bank & Trust of Belize. This bank offers online
banking, commercial banking, credit cards, co-branded cards, travel cards, debit
cards, merchant accounts. Accounts can be opened with a minimum of $500.00 to
$5,000.00.
www.providentbelize.com
ุ
Choice Bank Ltd. In Belize. Offers online banking, bank
accounts, card solutions, merchant accounts. Minimum opening balance range from
$1,000 to $5,000.
http://www.choicebankltd.com
ุ
Loyal Bank in St. Vincent. Online banking in English, commercial
banking, debit cards available. Offers multi currency accounts. Accounts can be
opened with $0.00.
www.loyalbank.com
ุ
Bank of Nevis International in Nevis. Online banking, commercial
banking, All major currencies are available. Minimum balance $1,000.00.
www.thebankofnevis.com
ุ
Bank of St. Lucia International in St. Lucia. Minimum balance
5,000 USD/EUR. Internet banking available.
www.boslil.com/index.html
ุ
MMG Bank, Bahamas. Private Banking. Offers accounts in USD,
EURO, CAD, YEN, Swiss Francs, GBP. No debit cards, only credit cards. Minimum
balance of $15,000.
www.mmgbank.com
SEYCHELLES
ุ
Barclays Bank. - Minimum balance is only $500. All major
currencies are available. Both internet banking and VISA/debit cards are
available. Accounts can be opened (assuming the application is complete in all
respects) within 5 days.
www.barclays.com
EUROPE
Please note that normally,
banks in Europe require a personal visit from the client.
ุ
FBME Bank. Commercial bank. Internet banking. Credit cards and
debit cards. Payroll services available. Visit to the bank not necessary. All
major currencies. Minimum balance $1,000 (personal visit not required). The bank
also offers account domiciled in Tanzania, but managed from Cyprus.
www.fbme.com
ุ
UBS in Switzerland. Private Banking. All major currencies
available. Internet banking. Credit cards and debit cards. Visit to the bank
required. Minimum balance $300,000/350,000 EUR.
www.ubs.com
ุ
Credit Suisse in Switzerland. Private Banking. All major
currencies available. Internet banking. Visit to the bank required. Credit cards
and debit cards. Minimum balance $300,000/350,000 EUR.
www.credit-suisse.com
ุ
Valartis Bank in Austria. Private Banking. All major currencies
available. Internet banking. Credit cards and debit cards. Visit to the bank
required in some cases. Minimum balance $50,000.
www.valartis.ch
MAURITIUS
ุ
Bramer Bank Corporation previously
known as SOUTH EAST ASIAN BANK -no initial deposit required, debit card
available. Currency -EUR & GBP Accounts Only. Internet banking not yet
available. Visit to the bank not necessary. Fast account opening provided
all in complete order 1-2 days.
ุ
Bank of Mascareignes- Minimum balance is
only $500. All major currencies are available. Both internet banking and debit
card available. Accounts can be opened (assuming the application is complete in
all respects) within 2-3 days. Visit to the bank not necessary.
HONG KONG
ุ
HSBC Hong Kong -
initial deposit for both type of accounts
require US$ 650 as a first time deposit once account opened. Multicurrency.
Internet banking and visa card available. Visit to the bank not
necessary.
ุ
Hang Seng Bank Limited- requires minimum deposit
US$ 1300, internet banking and credit card facility,
Deposit of us$ 10,000 for activation of visa card. Funds may be withdrawn once
card activated. Visit to the bank not necessary.
ุ
Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong-
initial deposit of US$ 1,300 in order to
activate bank account. Internet banking and visa card available. Multicurrency
account. Visit to the bank not necessary.
SINGAPORE
ุ
HSBC Singapore- Maintenance of monthly average balance S$ 10,000
(US$ 7000). Internet banking and atm card available. Multicurrency account.
Visit to the bank necessary else must be in presence of a HSBC officer.
Few Q&A about offshore baning:
Q: How is Secrecy assured?
A: No bank in the world would last five minutes if it
will divulge confidential information
about account holders to a third party. Such information is only supplied
wholly or in part only if their is a criminal enquiry and only after
due legal process.
Since tax evasion/avoidance is not an international criminal offence,
such information would not be supplied in response to an enquiry from domestic
or overseas tax authorities.
Q: But is it safe to
use an ATM card? What trail is left behind?
A: On the ATM card
will be imprinted the company name and your name, but this is safe, because in
the ATM machine only the card numbers are stored. The names are not!
When you withdraw cash from ATM or use the card in shops to pay for goods, the
ATM sends to card issuer (VISA or MasterCard) only the card numbers, the issuer
will send the numbers to the issuing bank, the bank check to see if you have
funds in the card account, deduct the amount you withdraw, and reply with OK or
NOT OK, than VISA or MC forwards the reply to the ATM, and you can withdraw the
money if the bank answered OK, or you will get "insufficient funds" error if you
don't have enough funds in the card account.
Only your card issuing bank knows the
name behind that card number, and these details can
NOT be disclosed to any third party without a court order.
We would say that the ATM cards are very safe to use.
A final word:
You must know that the days when you could open a bank account with a fake
driver licence have long gone...The MINIMUM ID requirement is a NOTARIZED passport copy.