Guide: How to get Revolut as a non-resident (non-EU,non-UK,non-US)

Marie Manila · Nov 1, 2019

xzars said:
My best financial advice for Iranians is to start working towards a second residency or citizenship ASAP.

Some of them are too old to move outside.
Others already do.

xzars said:
Btw. Visa and MasterCard don't work in Iran

I know. But they want to use it to buy things from outside of Iran.

A few years ago, I tried to establish a company importing things to Iran. (No dual-use goods or anything military. Mostly clothes)
We could manage to get money out of Iran (via an Asian country) and found dealsers (also from EU) shipping to Iran directly.

It was somehow win-win. The dealers took the normal price including VAT, but could declare it for export. So they did not have to pay it.
And we were lucky, that they sent everything to Iran directly.

The big problem was the bribe we had to pay to the Iranian customs. They charged at least 200 $ to open the packet, took some stuff out of the packet (in front of my peer in Iran) and then charged some additional import tax for the remaining items.

And so the project failed. But that is a different story.

Nevertheless, many people from Iran would be very happy, if they could easily shop items from other countries.
They were willing to pay double the normal price for H&M clothes, for example.

Martin Everson · Nov 1, 2019

It's sad to be honest. The idea of collective punishment of the Iranian people when they have such a huge youth population with aspirations and potential. Couldn't imagine a situation where just having the wrong passport or being born in the wrong country closes you off to much of the western financial system. There is something inhumane about that

. But a time will come when those who are last are first and those who are first are last.

Tax Cow · Nov 1, 2019

Martin Everson said:
It's sad to be honest. The idea of collective punishment of the Iranian people when they have such a huge youth population with aspirations and potential. Couldn't imagine a situation where just having the wrong passport or being born in the wrong country closes you off to much of the western financial system. There is something inhumane about that . But a time will come when those who are last are first and those who are first are last.

Somehow, the average folk always get squashed the hardest in political board games. Quite disgraceful.

@Marie Manila

For clothing needs, the neighbor Turkey is a big producer and exporter. What about the possibility of taking a bus to Turkey once a year, and buying stuff in bulk for cash? If there are no price tags or other signs of "brand new" on goods bought, perhaps the customs will allow them in untaxed? Of course, the solution is not easy and convenient, but perhaps it's an option to get stuff at a reasonable price.

I'm not able to get Iranians banked, but I can talk with someone who might be able to offer some insight. Send me a PM in 2 weeks

Marie Manila · Nov 1, 2019

@xzars
Thank you for your help, but the project is over.
We do not have the possibility to transfer money out of Iran any more.
And I am not in contact with my peers in Iran any more.

Also buying stuff by cash is not always that easy. It is somehow hard to get foreign currencies in Iran.
And if you get currencies from the government for travel, it was counterfeit sometimes.
Once we got thousands of counterfeit € and had problems when we tried to spend it or put it to a bank account. We thought these € were real money.
Unfortunately also inside Iran nobody would take back the counterfeit notes. So it was a big loss.

John Andrews · Nov 1, 2019

Martin Everson said:
It's sad to be honest. The idea of collective punishment of the Iranian people when they have such a huge youth population with aspirations and potential. Couldn't imagine a situation where just having the wrong passport or being born in the wrong country closes you off to much of the western financial system. There is something inhumane about that . But a time will come when those who are last are first and those who are first are last.

In that case the Iranian youth should revolt against their s**t-a*s government which constantly tries to develop nuclear weapons.

Tax Cow · Nov 1, 2019

mange38 said:
In that case the Iranian youth should revolt against their s**t-a*s government which constantly tries to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran's nuke program & sanctions is a contentious, nasty, but compelling topic. I'd be glad to join in a casual discussion @ Talk Everything lounge

Let's not OT this thread

daxbr · Nov 2, 2019

The question I have is how to avoid:
2) Pass video identification with your passport.

romashkavarashka · Nov 2, 2019

daxbr said:
The question I have is how to avoid:
2) Pass video identification with your passport.

Why?

One of the ways - register your account to your friend's passport.

edimmax · Nov 4, 2019

I am not sure that non-EU documents will pass step2. To pass ID check you need EU/EEA document.

Situation 1 - friend od mine who is Serbian (Serbia is non-EU country, Revolut is not available) and lives in Croatia (EU country, Revolut is availble) wanted to get Revolut account and Revolut rejected them because he doesnt have Croatian or any other EU document, it doesnt matter the fact that now he lives in Croatia, EU country where Revolut is available.

Situation 2 - second friend, Serbian living in Belgrade, Serbia, have two citizenship Croatian and Serbian.. used his Croatian passport to register on Revolut and Revolut sent them his first card straight to Belgrade, Serbia without any problem.

So the fact is - for Revolut is important your documents, you only need EU/EEA documents and thats it, they will send you your card where ever you want, if you dont have one - you can live in EU/EEA and have legal adress but you cant pass ID check with non-EU/EEA documents...

Tax Cow · Nov 4, 2019

edimmax said:
I am not sure that non-EU documents will pass step2. To pass ID check you need EU/EEA document.

No. Countless banana republic passports passed. With an exotic passport, they may ask for right to stay in the EUEA, or in any of their supported countries (EUEA + Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States). A simple visa will suffice. Tell your friend to open a support case, if he still wants the account.

romashkavarashka · Nov 4, 2019

I'm not from the EU, nor from the any supported country. Except that I'm now close to Singapore and can go there as a tourist. Will applying from Singapore help me anyhow? But perhaps I'll be able to get an AirBnB document and edit it in Photoshop to assist my application look more legidimate. Your thoughts?

verticaloffshore · Nov 4, 2019

romashkavarashka said:
Why?

One of the ways - register your account to your friend's passport.

What does your the friend does when the tax man nock the door?

Tax Cow · Nov 4, 2019

romashkavarashka said:
I'm not from the EU, nor from the any supported country. Except that I'm now close to Singapore and can go there as a tourist. Will applying from Singapore help me anyhow? But perhaps I'll be able to get an AirBnB document and edit it in Photoshop to assist my application look more legidimate. Your thoughts?

Yup, but in that case, sign up with a Singapore address, instead of a EU one. I don't think you'll need to Photoshop anything. For bonus points, pick up the physical card in Singapore.

Tax Cow · Nov 4, 2019

Lawful international students, expats, and travelers reading this. Accept my sincere apologies for making banking a hassle for you

@Revolut staff, it's nothing personal. I'm just looking for weak spots in the financial system day in and day out. If it makes you feel better, there are more convenient EU banking solutions to do laundry in 2019, which I'll keep to myself, until they become less convenient. In a way, this is my compliment to the work you've done over the last years on the compliance side.

romashkavarashka · Nov 4, 2019

How long does it take for the 1st card to arrive, does anybody know?

Also, if one is in a supported country *as of now*, as a tourist, maybe a long-staying tourist, can one use any address where one is able to receive a card? That is, of a hotel, for instance. Or of someone from couchsurfing. Or of their friend.

Tax Cow · Nov 4, 2019

@romashkavarashka

They're not stringent with address, but an AirBnB or Couchsurfing address is obviously less of a red flag than a hotel. If you have a pal in Singapore, you can leave after you've signed up. Have him pick up the card for you. Approx 2 weeks for delivery.

Depending on your passport (and luck), they may ask you to prove your right to stay in Singapore. Be prepared to open a support case and tell them you just moved there. Show them something that proves your right to stay in the country - a visa, or a filled residency application document (even if you never delivered it to the authorities to apply for residency).

Good luck!

hero · Nov 10, 2019

moneyhoney said:
I cannot talk about the others obviously, but I opened my Revolut from outside EU (with no proxy) and it worked perfectly. And I didn't step foot in my home country, so all the movements have been made with the IP out of EU.

Maybe one day they will ask me to clarify, I don't know, but so far they aren't strict like you say.

they may ask you to clarify when there is money on the account. try to be careful. good luck

hero · Nov 10, 2019

xzars said:
@romashkavarashka

They're not stringent with address, but an AirBnB or Couchsurfing address is obviously less of a red flag than a hotel. If you have a pal in Singapore, you can leave after you've signed up. Have him pick up the card for you. Approx 2 weeks for delivery.

Depending on your passport (and luck), they may ask you to prove your right to stay in Singapore. Be prepared to open a support case and tell them you just moved there. Show them something that proves your right to stay in the country - a visa, or a filled residency application document (even if you never delivered it to the authorities to apply for residency).

Good luck!

if I go to Singapore I open a personal account. I don't wait for the revolut card. :=)

romashkavarashka · Nov 11, 2019

hero said:
if I go to Singapore I open a personal account. I don't wait for the revolut card. :=)

If you go to Singapore you won't be able to open a personal account.

blackeric · Nov 29, 2019

How does Revolut actually check whether or not a person of the other side is staying in a country where he claims he does? That is, one might use proxy and claim "I'm in Singapore now" during the video verification. Proxy shouldn't be publicly used. How and where find such a proxy - another topic, it's not difficult.

Does Revolut ask you to present them your passport with a stampt or visa of a country?

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