Puerto Rico corporate bank accounts in 2024

Since 2003, Healy Consultants Group helps multinational Clients open multicurrency corporate bank accounts in Puerto Rico for both local and overseas companies.

Without the bank signatory travelling, our team will project manage the multicurrency corporate bank account opening process including preparing a quality business plan for our Client’s business.

We recommend our multinational Clients read this web page to avoid bank surprises later!

• Puerto Rico banking problems and solutions

  No	Puerto Rico banking problem	Healy Consultants Group solution
  1.	A Puerto Rico corporate bank account does not look good to international banks, governments, customers and suppliers. Consequently, third parties may feel uncomfortable receiving or sending funds to a Puerto Rico bank account.	For your Puerto Rico LLC, Healy Consultants Group will open a multicurrency corporate bank account in the USA or EU.
  2.	Puerto Rico multicurrency corporate bank account opening is difficult. Local banks request an excessive amount of Know Your Customer due diligence documents.
  3.	Bank insists that the bank signatory travel to Puerto Rico for a one hour bank interview.	Healy Consultants Group’s Client travel policy will apply. Our staff will organise the bank meeting in our Puerto Rico affiliates’ office and assist our Client during the bank interview(s).
  4.	Global banks continue to tighten corporate bank account opening procedures, their internal compliance departments completing more thorough due diligence of Clients. Consequently, our Clients should expect Puerto Rico bank account approval to take up to two months.	If our Client requires a bank account at short notice, we recommend an immediate Puerto Rico solution plus already-approved international corporate bank account.
  5.	Like most international banks, it is common for Puerto Rico banks to close corporate bank accounts without giving an open, transparent reason to their customers. To close a customer bank account without giving the bank signatory an opportunity to explain the ‘unusual transactions in the corporate bank account’ is an unfair, unreasonable action which places our multinational Clients’ businesses under stress.	We recommend our multinational Clients open multiple multicurrency corporate bank accounts for their entity. It is unwise to open one corporate bank account and have their business be dependent on one bank.
  6.	As we advance deeper into a global depression, it will become more common for banks to experience financial difficulties. Consequently, multinational Clients should expect i) small banks to go bankrupt and ii) small to medium-sized banks to be bought over by top-tier banks. The number of banks operating in each country will get smaller, exposing our multinational Clients to financial risk.	For each of their entities, we recommend our multinational Clients open multiple multicurrency corporate bank accounts across multiple countries. Spread your funds across multiple corporate bank accounts in several top-tier banks in different countries. Avoid small banks including PSPs, FSPs and digital banks. Ensure each bank offers customer deposit insurance.

• The Puerto Rico banking sector

  Healy Consultants Group summary view

  Overall, we advise our Clients to spread risk by opening multicurrency corporate bank accounts with top-tier banks in major financial centres, and not just in Puerto Rico. We recommend multinational Clients minimise funds held in Puerto Rican banks because:

  • Puerto Rico is effectively bankrupt, with debt at approximately 70% of GDP. The country has been in an economic recession for seven years with an escalating debt. The country suffered a credit rating downgrade in 2014 to non-investment grade with a negative outlook. As a result, Puerto Rico banks are vulnerable to bad debts and even collapse.
  • The island suffers devastating natural disasters such as hurricanes, which destroy properties and critical infrastructure and cause massive disruption to businesses and people’s lives. This has the effect of i) hurting local businesses ii) job losses and lower household incomes iii) reduced demand for financing products, such as loans and wealth management services and iv) lower interest rates. These all have the potential to hurt bank revenues and profits, and limit the ability of the government to support the banking system.
  • The Puerto Rican economy was previously heavily reliant on tech- and service-oriented companies headquartered on the island to take advantage of the favourable tax environment. However, the US tax code stipulated these tax advantages to expire over a period of time. Many companies pulled their headquarters out of Puerto Rico, negatively impacting the economy and local bank clientele.

  • Positively, Puerto Rico is not on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist of countries with strategic AML deficiencies. In 2020, its AML/CFT standards were deemed FATF-compliant. Consequently, funds held in Puerto Rican banks do not face any additional scrutiny.
  • Puerto Rico is neither a signatory to the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) global information exchange system, nor the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) reporting protocols. However, government regulators in Puerto Rico follow US FDIC guidelines and impose very strict Know Your Client and anti-money laundering rules and the US federal government audits international financial entities every couple of years.
  • Furthermore, Puerto Rico is not perceived as an offshore tax neutral jurisdiction. Clients, suppliers, international banks and governments will likely be comfortable receiving money from, or making transfers to, a Puerto Rico bank account.
  • There are no limits on the inflow or outflow of funds for remittances of profits, debt service, capital, capital gains etc.

• Key information on the Puerto Rico banking sector

  • The Puerto Rico banking and financial system is regulated and supervised by the US Federal Reserve System (the Fed) – the US central bank – and therefore does not maintain its own reserves. There are i) ten commercial banks and ii) four financial services companies licensed in Puerto Rico.
  • Our preferred banks in Puerto Rico are i) Euro Pacific ii) Nodus Bank iii) Scotiabank and iv) 1 First Bank. These banks offer multicurrency accounts with full account services (e g i) checking and saving accounts ii) debit and credit cards iii) fixed-term deposit iv) wealth management services and v) better customer service and online banking (all available in English) than local Puerto Rico banks. Local banks are better suited to resident Puerto Rican companies.
  • Opening an international bank account for a newly incorporated Puerto Rico company is challenging. For example i) most banks will require the company to demonstrate proof of business and ii) most banks are reluctant to open corporate bank accounts for companies with complex structures involving multiple foreign beneficial owners. To increase the chance of account opening success, we recommend our Client to keep the corporate structure simple.
  • Fortunately, Healy Consultants Group can open a Puerto Rican corporate bank account without our Client needing to travel to Puerto Rico.
  • Healy Consultants Group can assist our Clients to secure finances for their Puerto Rican company. This includes trade finance, such as i) bank guarantees ii) letters of credit iii) finance against trust receipts and iv) documents against payment and acceptance.
  • If our Client prefers that we open an international bank account for them, we recommend London, New York, Germany, Bulgaria, South Africa, Australia or Dubai. Our fee for this service is US$5,950 without travel, or US$5,000 with travel. All banks are top-tier banks in these countries with excellent internet banking services.

• Healy Consultants Group fees to help open a corporate bank account in Puerto Rico

  Healy Consultants Group guarantees Puerto Rico corporate bank account approval. Our fees for different banking services include:

  Puerto Rico banking task	Our Client travels	US$
  Puerto Rico bank account for a foreign company	No	5,950
  Puerto Rico bank account for a resident Puerto Rico company	No	4,950
  Puerto Rico personal bank account	No	4,950

• Puerto Rico business banking options at a glance

  Summary at a glance	Euro Pacific	Nodus Bank	Scotiabank	1 First Bank
  Does our Client need to visit the bank?	No	No	No	No
  Initial deposit for local currency corporate bank account	N/A	N/A	N/A	0
  Initial deposit for a US$ currency corporate bank account	US$5,000	US$10,000	N/A	US$20
  Time to open corporate bank account	10 days	10 days	10 days	10 days
  Bank facilities	Euro Pacific	Nodus Bank	Scotiabank	1 First Bank
  Our rating of the bank’s customer service	Average	Good	Good	Good
  Internet banking available	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
  Corporate cheque book	No	No	Yes	Yes
  Corporate ATM card	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
  Corporate debit card (visa)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
  Corporate credit card	No	No	Yes	Yes
  Internet banking	Euro Pacific	Nodus Bank	Scotiabank	1 First Bank
  How long to receive password and login name	2 weeks	5 days	Immediately	Immediately
  Daily online transaction limit	No limit	No limit	No limit	No limit
  Can local currency transactions be viewed	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
  Can USD transactions be viewed	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
  Online local currency payments to third parties allowed	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
  Online USD payments to third parties allowed	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
  Our rating of local currency internet banking facility	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
  Our rating of the USD internet banking facility	Fair	Fair	Good	Good
  Bank logistics	Euro Pacific	Nodus Bank	Scotiabank	1 First Bank
  International branch locations	Click here	Click here	Click here	Click here

Conclusion

Puerto Rico multicurrency corporate bank account opening is easy if you know how. Contact Healy Consultants Group if your firm needs assistance navigating through the different banking solutions.