Distinctive features of deposits abroad. How to open a deposit abroad

The scandal around the Panama Archives is not abating in the world - in the course of the information leak it turned out that politicians and businessmen were withdrawing money to offshore companies of this country. Among them were acquaintances of Vladimir Putin. that these people brought about 2 billion dollars out of the country.

Not only influential people can place money abroad: many banks work with non-residents, however, the conditions for them are somewhat different from the rules for citizens of the country. The rates on deposits of European banks are much lower than in Russia, and it is not very convenient to transfer money from country to country. However, Russians still carry money to Western banks, not trusting Russian credit institutions and fearing the introduction of new barriers to the conversion of rubles into foreign currency. The Village learned about the specifics of opening foreign accounts and spoke with one of the depositors.

Where and how can you open an account

Not all banks are ready to open ordinary current accounts for foreigners. Many of them require that such a person has a residence permit in the country or other justification for the need for an account, such as the presence of real estate. For example, most Scandinavian banks - Swedbank, DNB - also do not open accounts for Russian citizens without reason. The same is typical for Singapore. “And, for example, in the UK, even if you have a student visa, it is almost impossible to open an account,” says Alexey Pospekhov from Futur Capital. “For this, several startups in the field of finance are now being launched, aimed at“ migrants ”, which include Russian citizens."

According to Pospekhov, almost the only bank in Latvia that actively works with Russians in both business and personal finance is Rietumu Banka. “They have their own processing and a lot of other goodies,” he notes. Remote opening of an account there will cost 250 euros - then the card will be delivered to Russia by courier. From it you can transfer money to the card of other European banks, as well as to Russia by SWIFT system... In addition, the bank helps foreigners to obtain a residence permit in Latvia.

The Baltic States are perhaps the only place in Europe where a Russian can open an account with small amount... In other countries, there is a high entry threshold for opening a deposit by foreigners - from 50 thousand euros. List credit institutions, ready to work with you, expands significantly if you are ready to deposit more than 100 thousand dollars into your account. Famous banks such as Credit Suisse, UBS, Barclays will be ready to place more than a million from a foreigner without a residence permit on the account, says Konstantin Ziyatdinov, head of the international projects department of the Prime Advice consulting group. More democratic conditions are offered by Chinese banks - for example, Bank of China or ICBC. To open an account, you will need only 20 yuan (about 200 rubles), and the entry threshold does not exceed a thousand yuan, says Oleg Tkach, financial director of MTVK Greenwood.

The permission to open an account is issued by a bank manager abroad. And he may have many different reasons why he may not give it. Almost always it is necessary to prove that the funds were received legally. There are situations when one manager refuses to open an account, and when considering the application later, another manager approves him, says Vladimir Knyazhitsky, General Director of Fast Lane Group of Companies in Russia and the CIS. Therefore, when opening an account, Russians need to understand that this is a rather long process that requires a personal visit (most likely, more than one). In some cases, you can open an account with a power of attorney, for example, for a lawyer. But it is imperative to clarify the conditions for closing: in many banks, it is possible to close a deposit only in the office where the account was opened, or at least in the same country. When choosing a bank, it is also worth clarifying what deposit guarantees the country gives and what minimum deposit balance the bank wants to see (for non-residents, it is usually high).

How the Russian authorities view it

“Russian residents can freely open accounts and deposits in any foreign banks. The only thing that needs to be done is to notify your tax office otherwise you may be fined up to 5 thousand rubles, ”says Konstantin Ziyatdinov. After opening an account, you must annually provide a simple tax report on the movement Money(in fact, four digits - the balance at the beginning and end of the year and the amount of debits and credits for the year).

Unfortunately, Russian currency legislation severely restricts the list of transactions for which funds can be credited to such a foreign account of an individual, complains Ziyatdinov. Failure to comply with these requirements entails draconian fines ranging from 75 to 100% of the amount of the transaction not provided for by law.

How beneficial is it

“Withdrawing cash is generally a big headache, despite the so-called SEPA,” says Pospekhov. Single European Payment Area - single zone euro payments, which includes the euro area, as well as Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Sweden and Denmark. If you have opened an account in Italy and are withdrawing money in Sweden, a commission may be charged in accordance with the bank's rules.

For interest-free removal of the Armor, it is advised to use Russian cards and accounts. The same Sberbank has ATMs in many countries of Eastern Europe - no commission is charged for withdrawing money from them. You can also use Citibank's services. “This is the largest international bank, he is represented in more than a hundred countries around the world and also does not charge ATM fees from his cards, ”says Oleg Tkach, financial director of MTVK Greenwood. In his opinion, the benefits of deposits abroad are questionable. Depositors here pay not only for opening an account, but also a tangible income tax... In Switzerland, for example, it is 35%.

"Interest on deposits is absolutely negligible by Russian standards," says general manager Fast Lane Group of Companies in Russia and the CIS Vladimir Knyazhitsky. This can be 0.25% per year, and if the account currency is not native to the country, then interest is often not charged. Thus, make money on a bank deposit in developed countries almost impossible - rather, it will be small losses in the form of commissions for transfers and account maintenance, sums up Knyazhitsky.

But opening accounts in foreign banks is rarely dictated by the goal of obtaining increased profitability or getting a better level than in Russia. banking services... Rather, it is about confidentiality and independence from the Russian banking system and the "country" risks associated with it, says Alexander Lukin, partner of RB Partners. For example, many opened accounts out of fear that the authorities would impose restrictions on cross-border transfers and currency conversions. In addition, foreign accounts provide access to international investment products, and when buying and maintaining real estate, you can avoid conversion losses.

Inna Alekseeva

CEO of PR Partner

Personal experience

Last year, I opened an account as an individual in two Spanish banks, I chose those that allow me to do this without an ID card, that is, roughly speaking, I opened an account as a non-resident.

I was considering giving birth to my second child in Barcelona, ​​so I needed about 10 thousand euros on my account. The bank has requested information about my wages in Russia - I translated and notarized the 2-NDFL certificate, as well as the dividend certificate. Then, for a whole year, I transferred one thousand euros to the bank every month to show my reliability. If I want to translate larger amount, for example, 90 thousand euros for studying at a business school, you will also need a certificate explaining where the money comes from.

The bank employees immediately warned me that if I want to unexpectedly withdraw the accumulated amount, I cannot do it without justification, where and why. In my case, the justification could be an invoice and a certificate from the local hospital-maternity hospital. In the same way, you can pay for a business school, language courses, travel around the country, etc. I didn't need the bill yet, but if anything, it works.

Since 2003, citizens Russian Federation can open their own deposits in a foreign banking organization. The reason for the attention to accounts in Western companies is not so much the receipt of income from the deposit, but the ability to diversify your funds to increase the reliability of their storage.

The nuances of registration and maintenance

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The process of opening a deposit in a Western bank is very difficult due to various checks and may take more than one month.

The following documents are required for the procedure:

• questionnaire;
• certificate of 3-NDFL for the past 3-5 years(must be certified by the tax authorities);
• recommendations from the place of work;
• a certificate from the bank, of which you are currently a client;
• copies of foreign and civil passports, which are certified by a notary (in some cases, these documents are required from the spouse);
• certificate of family composition;
• a certificate from law enforcement agencies confirming the absence of problems with them;
• help from Of the Central Bank RF, if the value of your investments is not more than 10 thousand dollars(if the amount of the deposit exceeds this figure, the check is carried out by Interpol and FATF).

This is just a basic list. required documents... The provision of additional data depends on the selected bank. It should also be taken into account that all provided documentation must be translated and certified by a notary.

After checking the client's source of income, in the absence of any claims, the bank offers to submit an application and sign an agreement

This can be done in the following ways:

For wealthy owners of a deposit, an appointment is made with an employee of a banking organization who comes to Russia for this.

The process of opening an account in a foreign banking organization cannot be called simple. Therefore, it is worthwhile to prepare in advance financially and psychologically for the required procedures.

Important details

It is worth remembering that after the approval of your application for opening a bank account, you must notify the tax office of the country of its presence within 30 days.

By Russian legislation, if you have not complied with this, then in addition to a fine of 5 thousand rubles will be subject to severe sanctions. Because of this Russian banks it will be prohibited to make transfers of funds to your foreign account.

For deliverance from double taxation an agreement between the countries is required. If it exists, then you can pay taxes on the deposit once. If not, then you will have to deduct both to the budget of Russia and to the budget of a foreign state.

Many citizens of the country believe that there are full-fledged representative offices of foreign banks on the territory of the Russian Federation.

In fact, foreign financial organizations cannot carry out their activities on the territory of the Russian Federation. This erroneous statement is due to the ongoing marketing policy of domestic bankers.

Banks with the same name are essentially only subsidiaries. They do not provide sufficient reliability compared to the parent company. "Daughters" can help with the preparation of documents and positive feedback, which can play a decisive role in the decision of the "mother".

For many banks in Europe and America, the minimum deposit amount for foreign depositors is 50 thousand dollars or euros... With a smaller amount, they won't even contact you. In this case, it is worth considering the Baltic and offshore financial institutions, which may not have a threshold at all.

If there is a need to open a deposit at foreign bank, then you need to carefully prepare for this process, having studied all the subtleties and pitfalls of the procedure.

Conditions

It is advisable to open deposits in a foreign bank rather to save money than to increase them.

This choice is due to low rates on deposits. For example, in domestic banking organizations high stakes can equal 8% annual accounts in foreign currency... While in most foreign financial institutions not higher 4-5% .

A number of large banks establish reduced rate for foreign clients. In the west, there are indexed deposits that differ high percentage... They are about investing a certain amount of securities.

Often, the commission for withdrawing cash, converting funds into another currency, transferring to another account completely cancels out the deposit interest. Therefore, the benefit from a contribution whose value is not greater than 50 thousand dollars, practically zero.

As for deposit insurance, such a system in the EU countries is almost completely consistent with the domestic one. But for each country it is determined separately sum insured and payment procedure.

TOP 10 best options

Offers different countries on deposits look like this:

General maintenance notes

Is there a benefit

Only a person with a high level of income can benefit from opening an account in a foreign bank.

Firstly, this is due to the policy of foreign financial institutions, which sets the minimum threshold for the opportunity to open a deposit. Secondly, the annual interest rate on deposits is significantly lower than in domestic institutions.

Therefore, contributions from 10 thousand dollars will be simply unprofitable. The optimal amount is with 500 thousand dollars.

Separately, we can single out people who, due to circumstances, are forced to live abroad for a long time. In this case, foreign contributions are vital for them.

When they are needed

The question of preserving their funds for the population of the Russian Federation in 2019-2015 arose sharply, when unrest began in the economy in connection with the situation in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions.

Most of the country's residents tried to withdraw the accumulated funds and place them “under the mattress”. The other transferred money from small banks to larger ones. Many decided to exchange rubles for currency or even invest in real estate.

But in the topic under consideration, we are interested in the situation with investments in foreign organizations... And it is true that during this period a significant part of citizens decided to open deposits in foreign banks. Such actions allow avoiding some of the consequences of the economic collapse of the Russian market.

In addition, a bank account abroad can be useful for paying for transactions that are not carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation. In particular, it is possible to highlight the spending of money on education, accommodation, purchase of goods or services.

Risks and problems

When choosing a foreign bank and opening a deposit in it, you may be haunted by certain risks that must be taken into account in order to preserve your capital and not get into an unpleasant situation:

• When using consulting firms, it is worth knowing that they may be interested in the recommendations of a particular foreign bank. In this case, their advice is not aimed at your well-being. Therefore, it is best to contact an independent financial advisor with a proven track record.
• Pay attention to the deposit insurance system. It is different in each country and the working conditions are different.
• It should be borne in mind that the interest rate can change over time, especially if your deposit was issued for a long time.
• Country policy in international relations... Taking the example of Cyprus in 2013 and Russia in 2019, it can be understood that much depends on the position of the state in relation to the actions of the world countries. Even the speeches of politicians can harm the economic system.

Possible operations with deposits abroad

Deposits abroad and possible actions with them are regulated federal law"O currency regulation and currency control».

This normative act sets limits for individuals on the use of their accounts in foreign banks on the principle "everything that is not expressly permitted is prohibited."

In particular, two categories are envisaged: crediting funds to foreign accounts and spending them. The document outlines in detail the conditions for performing these operations.

Pros and cons

pros

Deposits in foreign banks for the population of the Russian Federation are not uncommon. It is generally accepted that a deposit in a foreign bank is an extremely successful and profitable solution. To test this theory, you should carefully consider the features of such deposits and the conditions for concluding agreements with foreign banks. Foreign deposit and conditions for its receipt The first thing worth paying attention to is that there are no branches of foreign banks on the territory of Russia. The only way to come on Russian market- is to open a subsidiary bank or buy a ready-made one. It follows from this that in order to process a deposit abroad, a depositor or his authorized representative must personally visit the country to draw up documents and conclude an agreement... Or you can turn to special law firms, which, for a separate fee, will take care of the registration instead of the client. Due to the widespread distrust in Europe and the United States of foreign, and especially Russian, depositors, the bank will require the client to confirm the source of the money being invested. Further, you need to be ready to draw up a huge number of documents and all because of the same dislike for foreign investors. The last item will be the notification of the Russian authorities about the opening foreign deposit, it is necessary for the subsequent payment of taxes. For non-compliance with this point, the legislation provides for a system of very unpleasant fines. Benefit question If the difficulties with the documentation do not frighten, the only open question is the expediency of such investments. The first reason for opening a deposit abroad is security. Due to the complex economic situation in the country, more and more depositors tend to trust well-known European and American banks and yes insurance payments there is much higher. Over time, it turned out that in foreign banks the annual interest rate on deposits significantly lower than in domestic institutions. Therefore, earning income is not a compelling reason to open such a deposit. Speaking of income, it will be difficult for a person with low income to open an account abroad for the reason that the amount in Western banks is minimum contribution on the deposit is quite high, from 10 thousand dollars and even from 1 million dollars in Switzerland. As you can see, in practice, such a contribution is more beneficial to a person with a high income level. In Russia maximum amount insurance on deposits is 1 million rubles, therefore, it can be seen that spending time and money on transferring a smaller amount is simply not advisable. Among all types of investment for all age and social groups of the population, the most popular is to put money on a deposit in a bank. Not too much high profitability such investment is compensated by its rather high reliability. At the same time, crisis phenomena and surges in inflation from time to time lead to both devaluation of deposits and non-return of deposits. It is believed that in order to protect your savings more reliably, you need to invest in a foreign bank. What is the advantage of foreign banks? There are several reasons why our compatriots prefer to open bank accounts abroad (say, in Swiss banks). The main ones are: High confidentiality (especially in Swiss banks). Minimization of risks due to high levels of capital and banking assets. High level state support providing compensation for deposits from 250 thousand dollars in the US and 50-100 thousand euros in the EU, including for non-resident depositors. At the same time, the law, according to which the degree of risk is directly proportional to the level of potential income, also applies in the banking sector. The reliability and stability of foreign banks is associated with very modest interest rates (especially in Swiss institutions). As a rule, this value is no more than 3% per year. In rare cases, this value reaches 5%, and for short-term (up to two years) deposits and flexible terms of replenishment, it can be as high as 0.1%. In addition, a certain amount of money is charged for servicing a deposit, and in many countries - and tax, especially when closing a deposit (up to 40%). It can be considered that the decision to invest in most foreign banks is more a way of storing rather than increasing funds. In addition to the reliability of savings, such deposits are also useful for those of our compatriots who often travel abroad and live there for a long time. Is it difficult to invest? Basically, invest in foreign bank(and in Swiss as well) is easy enough for almost all law-abiding citizens. However, it should be borne in mind that this is associated with a number of very lengthy and complex formal procedures. Opening a deposit abroad is possible only if the depositor is personally present at the foreign office. Branches of foreign banks in Russia do not perform such an operation. Most Western banks have a fairly high entry fee - at least 10 thousand dollars, moreover, the depositor is required to confirm the legality of ownership of this amount. As a rule, if a client has a legal source of income in the territory of a given country and an appropriate residence permit, the requirements for him are significantly relaxed. An account is opened based on the presence of a passport, a document on the place of residence and other documents, the list of which depends on a particular bank (up to payment of checks for public Utilities). For citizens of Ukraine, it is also required to obtain a currency license from the NBU. As a rule, the presence of an account in a subsidiary of a foreign bank on the territory of the Russian Federation or Ukraine greatly facilitates the opening procedure. The procedure for opening a deposit in a foreign bank can be lengthy and laborious, therefore there are special companies that facilitate the collection of the necessary documents and the coordination of procedures; assistance is also provided by the official representative offices of banks. For wealthy clients, it is even possible for an authorized representative to come to draw up a bank agreement in the country of residence. Transfer of funds to a newly opened bank account is carried out by depositing cash (which must be declared when crossing the border), withdrawing from a card of another bank, or with the help of companies specializing in withdrawing money abroad. You should notify about opening a foreign account tax office at the place of residence no later than a month later. To whom and where is it profitable to open accounts in foreign banks? It is believed that the threshold amount of a deposit in a foreign bank should be at least 50 thousand dollars, and the duration of storage should be at least five years, otherwise Bank deposit does not justify the cost of its creation and maintenance. For citizens of the post-Soviet space, rather strict control of the movement of funds and confirmation of the legality of operations is often practiced. Banks of Cyprus are considered the most profitable for opening deposits, offering rates up to 10% per annum and a minimum deposit period of up to several days. It is still considered prestigious to invest in a Swiss bank, which provides not only a high level of reliability and diversification banking services, but also a high degree of profitability (up to 5.6%). It does not meet significant obstacles and the opening of bank accounts by our compatriots Central Europe especially for students and persons engaged in international business activities. For those who often come to the country or have a permanent income there, the rules for opening and maintaining accounts are more liberal, moreover, the availability of bank deposit may be the basis for obtaining a loan on favorable terms. Amid instability in Russian economy our compatriots are increasingly turning to foreign banks to open deposits in foreign currency. Keeping money at home under the pillow and investing in real estate are highly controversial tools for preserving assets. Simplification of the procedure for opening deposits abroad, the emergence of excitement around the US dollar served as a green light for all Russian investors wishing to preserve, increase their savings and protect them from unfavorable conditions financial market RF. The process of opening an account with banks located outside of Russia raises a lot of questions from potential depositors. This article will reveal a number of the most relevant aspects: legal framework and legal subtleties; the procedure for opening an account; what documents will be required to create a deposit; how reliable is this placement of funds for Russians; examples of the most promising foreign financial institutions. Why do depositors choose foreign banks? Opening foreign currency deposit in one of the foreign banks promises potential clients a number of additional benefits: high level of reliability of financial and credit institutions; reimbursement of a higher deposit amount (up to 100 thousand dollars) in the event of bankruptcy of the organization (Russian legislation gives insurance coverage only 1.4 million rubles); deposit in foreign currency allows you to diversify investment portfolio and protect assets from fluctuations exchange rates; profitability guarantee; the ability to choose the currency in which the financial reserve will be stored. Placing their funds in accounts opened in foreign financial institutions is especially beneficial for those who work or study abroad, plan to purchase real estate or open a business. The disadvantages include significant maintenance costs, large restrictions on the minimum deposit amount, a large package mandatory documents, small interest rates. Legal basis for opening a deposit in a foreign bank A decade ago, it was extremely difficult to open a deposit abroad, since in order to perform this action, it was required to obtain permission from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. Since the entry into force of Law No. 173-FZ "On Currency Regulation and Currency Control", this procedure has been significantly simplified. This regulation gives all residents the right to open accounts abroad. List selected categories persons who are prohibited from creating deposits are given in Law No. 79-FZ. How to open a deposit in foreign currency To open a deposit in a foreign bank, the following documents are required: certificate of family composition; certificate of no criminal record; tax return for the last 6-12 months with a mark of the Federal Tax Service Inspectorate; a copy of the passport, certified by a notary; receipts for payment of utility bills and other documents at the discretion of the bank. After considering the provided package of papers, it is necessary to sign an agreement with financial institution... For this, one of 3 schemes can be used: during a personal visit to the office (for this, the depositor will need to visit the country where the bank is located); through a representative office located on the territory of the Russian Federation; through the services of intermediaries. Servicing in foreign banks is carried out on the following conditions: Top-ups are allowed both in cash and by bank transfer; You can manage your deposit using bank card, internet banking, checkbook, fax, postal courier; The account can be used to manage personal finances, except for entrepreneurial activities; The registration process takes on average from 1 week to 2-3 months; Confidentiality, security of transactions and transfers are ensured through the use of codes, ciphers, dedicated communication channels; A citizen of the Russian Federation is obliged to notify the tax service about the fact of opening an account abroad. At the end of each tax period, it is necessary to report to the IFTS about the balances on such accounts. For violation of this requirement, a fine of up to 5,000 rubles is provided; Deposit rates are on average 1-2% per annum (in rare cases, the rate can reach 5-6%); The minimum threshold for depositing funds is 10-25 thousand dollars; The minimum insured amount in case of bankruptcy of a bank in the EU countries is 20,000 euros (in some countries, for example, in Lithuania, this value reaches 100,000 euros). Where to open an account abroad? Foreign banks do not offer such high rates to save savings in comparison with Russian organizations. That is why such a solution is suitable for preserving and accumulating assets for the short and medium term. For a long time, deposits in Cyprus were the most popular among depositors. However, due to the problems that have arisen in this country in last years and associated with the loss of their savings by the depositors, these financial and credit institutions have become much less trusted. Today, deposits in the banks of the Baltic countries are in the greatest demand. Deposits in Germany, Austria, Denmark are no less popular with our compatriots. Swiss banks do not weaken their leading positions in terms of reliability and popularity among foreigners. By size interest rates the following countries are leading: Cypriot. For accounts in US dollars with Bank of Cyprus, Cyprus Popular Bank Ltd., AlphBank, you can get a rate of up to 4.5% per annum; In Latvia, the most favorable conditions for depositors are offered by Citadele (up to 3%) and BIGBAN (up to 2.65%); Among American, the most popular among our compatriots are Jones Vanguard Croup and Edvard, which offer rates of up to 2.96% per annum; Among the British, the Bank of London and the Middle East is leading, offering to open a deposit at 2.8% in pounds sterling; In the Italian ING Direct Italia, you can open a deposit at 1.4% in euro; In German, Swiss, Swedish, Dutch financial institutions it is permissible to open a deposit with a rate of 1-1.25%. 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