If you sell to European customers, getting paid into a EUR IBAN saves you on conversion costs, looks more professional on invoices, and avoids the friction of SWIFT charges that eat 20–35 EUR per inbound wire.
For years, this required a European legal entity, a local director, and weeks of paperwork. Modern banking-as-a-service has quietly changed that.
What you actually get
A real IBAN in your company's name, issued by a licensed EU EMI or credit institution, addressable via SEPA, SEPA Instant, and SWIFT.
- Format: your own IBAN (e.g. LT12 3456 7890 1234 5678) — not a shared virtual account
- Reach: any of the 36 SEPA countries can pay you in seconds
- Cost to receive: 0 EUR on SEPA, ~5 EUR on inbound SWIFT
- Time to open: ~8 minutes after KYB approval
What you'll need
- Certificate of incorporation (any jurisdiction)
- Register of directors and shareholders
- Proof of address for the company and all UBOs
- A short description of your business model and expected transaction flows
- Recent bank statements or a live payment processor summary
Common rejection reasons — and how to avoid them
Most first-time applications are declined for one of three reasons: unclear business model, exposure to restricted industries (gambling, adult, crypto-native without an MSB license), or ownership structures that route through offshore nominees.
Solve for each up front. A one-paragraph business summary, a clean ownership chart, and evidence of substance in your operating jurisdiction resolves 90% of underwriting friction.
"The EU banking system is not closed to non-EU businesses. It's closed to opacity. Show your work and the doors open."
