How to Use Stripe in Unsupported Countries (2025 Guide for Non-US Founders)

For the past few years, whenever I ask anyone developing a global project what they use for payments, I hear one name over and over: Stripe.

As of this guide's writing, Stripe is officially available in only 46 countries worldwide. This presents a major hurdle for founders like me, who live in one of the 140+ countries outside this network. With Stripe not being a direct option due to regulations in my own country, I was forced to spend months chasing the answer to one question: "How can I use Stripe legally and reliably for the long term?"

In my research, I found three main paths kept coming up:

1. Using Intermediaries: Hiring a service from webmaster forums that sets up an account for you, usually by forming a company in another country or using services like Wise for an individual setup.
2. Forming Your Own U.S. Company: The official route of establishing your own legal entity abroad (specifically a U.S. LLC) to apply with a legitimate U.S. identity.
3. "Grey Area" Workarounds: Alternative methods that don't require company formation, which involve using virtual bank accounts from fintech platforms and carry their own set of risks.
4. Buying a Stripe Account: A dangerous and unsustainable option that should never be chosen. This path can lead to major legal and financial consequences and is a direct violation of Stripe's terms of service.

In this guide, we'll dive deep into these paths, especially the second and third, exploring the advantages, risks, and step-by-step processes for getting a functional Stripe account, no matter where you are.

This 2025 guide reveals how founders from Africa, Asia, and other unsupported regions can establish a fully verified Stripe account by forming a U.S. LLC, obtaining an EIN, and linking a U.S. bank account.

For international founders, two countries are the most popular choices for setting up a company to use Stripe: the United Kingdom and the United States. In this guide, I've detailed the pros, cons, and step-by-step setup process for both. I've detailed the pros, cons, and step-by-step setup process for both. If you're interested in the alternative path of opening an individual account, please see this section.

The Core Requirements: What You'll Need

Before you begin, you need to understand that to use Stripe as a non-US citizen, you must operate as a US-based entity. To do this, you will need to obtain the following five things:

• A U.S. Company (LLC): A Limited Liability Company registered in the United States.
• An EIN (Employer Identification Number): This is a tax ID for your U.S. company.
• A U.S. Physical Address: A real street address in the U.S., not a P.O. Box.
• A U.S. Phone Number: A U.S.-based phone number for verification.
• A U.S. Bank Account: A U.S.-based bank account to receive your Stripe payouts.

Don't worry, you can get all of these legally without ever setting foot in the United States. Here’s how.

Part 1: Establishing Your U.S. Business Presence: Choosing the Right Service

The most reliable way to legally use Stripe for the long term is by forming a company in the United States. This might sound daunting at first: lawyers, thousands of dollars in fees, complex bureaucracy... Fortunately, there are now online platforms that make this process incredibly easy for global entrepreneurs like us.

These platforms allow you to manage the entire process online and are far more affordable than hiring a lawyer. Your first and most crucial step is to decide which of these platforms best suits your needs.

Below, I've prepared a table comparing the most popular LLC formation services, based on my own research and frequent recommendations within the community, especially for SaaS and online projects.

Popular Platforms for Forming a U.S. Company Online

*Note: Starting fees vary based on state taxes, extra services, and company type. These services often offer "$0" setup promotions; however, annual registered agent fees and certain mandatory documents may create additional costs.

These companies provide simple, fast, and economical solutions, especially for independent micro/SaaS developers and single-founder startups. You can upload documents and form your U.S. company entirely online, and you can also manage your annual tax processes easily through their portals.

The Most Suitable Online Software for Tax Services

Once you've formed your company, there are affordable online solutions for your annual tax filings. The most popular are:

• TurboTax: Offers online tax filing for small businesses, with affordable self-service or expert-assisted plans.
• H&R Block: With self-service or full professional support plans, it's suitable for SaaS startups with a small budget.

Other Requirements Are Now Much Easier

After choosing an LLC formation service from the table above, you can handle the other steps required for Stripe much more easily, often through these same services or their guidance:

• EIN (Employer Identification Number): Your chosen service will also apply for an EIN for you as part of the LLC formation process.
• U.S. Physical Address & "Registered Agent": All these services offer a "Registered Agent" to receive your official mail and a physical address service.

Set Up a U.S. Bank Account

This is a non-negotiable step. To receive your payouts from your U.S. Stripe account, you need a U.S. bank account that accepts ACH transfers. The great news is that several modern financial technology companies make this process incredibly simple for non-residents, with no need to visit a bank in person.

Here are the top recommendations:

• Payoneer: An excellent and widely used choice, especially if you also receive payments from international clients or marketplaces like Upwork, Fiverr, or Amazon. Payoneer provides you with a "Global Payment Service" account, which is a U.S. receiving account that works perfectly with Stripe.
• Wise (formerly TransferWise): Wise is another top-tier option, famous for its transparent and low currency conversion fees. They provide multi-currency accounts, including a full-featured U.S. account with routing and account numbers that you can link directly to Stripe.

Get a U.S. Phone Number

Most U.S. services, including your LLC formation provider and Stripe itself, will require a U.S. phone number for verification, usually via an SMS code. Fortunately, you don't need a physical U.S. SIM card to do this.

The solution is to use a Voice over IP (VoIP) service that provides you with a virtual U.S. phone number, which you can manage from an app on your computer or smartphone. Here are some reliable options:

• Dingtone: A popular app that allows you to get a real U.S. phone number. It's a solid and commonly used choice for receiving verification texts.
• Skype Number: Skype continues to offer U.S. phone numbers for a monthly fee. It's a reliable option from a well-known company, capable of receiving both calls and SMS messages.
• Google Voice: While it can be tricky to set up from outside the U.S. (often requiring an existing U.S. number to start), Google Voice is a powerful and free option if you can get it configured.
• Other VoIP Providers: For more business-focused features, you can also look into services like OpenPhone or Zadarma.

As you can see, when you choose the right partner, the entire process becomes a single, streamlined flow.

An important note: Forming a U.S. company involves more than just the initial fees. I will soon be adding a detailed warning to this section about ongoing annual state fees, tax filings, and potential penalties. Please stay tuned.

A U.K. Aside: Why the Most Popular Path Can Also Be the Riskiest

We've examined the path of forming an LLC in the U.S., but one of the first and most popular options that comes to mind for many entrepreneurs is the United Kingdom. Setting up a company online in the U.K. is incredibly fast and comes at a very low cost, making it an attractive hub for global entrepreneurs.

So, is this path really as easy and safe as it seems? Let's explore the realities and the fine details behind forming a company in the U.K. to use Stripe.

The Two Sides of Easy Setup: Opportunities and Opportunists

The ease of forming a company in the U.K. creates both an opportunity for legitimate entrepreneurs and a suitable environment for fraudsters. This situation, highlighted by issues such as the widespread fraud involving the company registry, has led payment systems like Stripe to approach new U.K.-based companies with more caution. In recent years, Stripe has significantly tightened its customer due diligence and verification processes.

Stripe's Increased Scrutiny and Risk Perception

Stripe is required to comply with the regulations of the U.K.'s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Due to the rise in fraudulent cases, Stripe's risk detection systems (like the machine learning-based "Radar") can automatically flag newly formed companies in the U.K. as higher risk.

What does this mean? When you apply to Stripe with a U.K.-based company, it is highly likely that you will face more document requests, more detailed website verification, and demands for proof of business activity compared to the standard procedure.

The "False Positive" Risk: Can Legitimate Businesses Be Affected?

Yes. And this is one of the biggest concerns. Stripe's automated systems, sometimes misinterpreting signals from "high-risk sectors" or sudden increases in transaction volume, can temporarily freeze or close the accounts of completely legitimate small businesses. User feedback indicates that these kinds of "false positive" incidents are more frequently reported for U.K.-based accounts.

Conclusion: Does Forming a Company in the U.K. Still Make Sense?

Despite all this extra scrutiny, yes, it can still make sense. Thousands of legitimate SaaS developers and entrepreneurs use this path successfully. However, it is no longer a path to be taken blindly. It requires preparation.

If you are going to choose the U.K. route, you should be prepared for the following to ensure a successful Stripe approval:

• Present a Professional Entity: A company registration alone is not enough. You must have a professional, up-to-date, and transparent website that shows you are running a real business.
• Keep Your Documents Ready: Be prepared to submit any documents Stripe might request, such as proof of business activity, invoices, or bank documents.
• Be Transparent: Provide clear and understandable information about your business model and the product/service you are selling.

In short, the increased scrutiny on those who form a company in the U.K. and apply to Stripe is a precaution taken by Stripe due to the rise in fraudulent cases and regulatory pressure. If you are running a legitimate and well-documented business, these extra steps should not be a problem for you.

How to Form a U.K. Company Yourself

The great news is that forming a Limited Company in the U.K. is a surprisingly straightforward process that you can complete online in under an hour, directly through the official GOV.UK website.

First, you'll need to choose a unique company name and have your director and shareholder details ready (for a solo founder, this is just you). The most critical step for a non-resident is securing a registered office address in the U.K., as you cannot use your home country address. This is easily solved by signing up for a "virtual office" service from one of the many reputable providers online for a small monthly fee. Once you have your address, you can complete the entire application on the GOV.UK portal, pay the small registration fee (typically around £12), and your company is often officially registered within 24 hours.

As you will see in the steps below, forming a company in the U.S. or the U.K. is not that difficult. The real challenge is what comes next: regularly meeting your ongoing legal and tax obligations. If things don't go as planned, or if you fail to meet these legal requirements, you can face significant penalties during the process of closing the company. Before you proceed, I strongly recommend you also read my detailed guide on [Standard Company Costs, Penalties, and Closure Procedures in the U.S. & U.K.] to understand the full commitment.

Opening an Individual Stripe Account Without Forming a Company

We've examined the processes for forming a company in the U.S. and the U.K. But is it possible to open a Stripe account as an individual, without forming a company at all? The answer is yes, if you are in the right country. [1]

However, it's crucial to clarify a very important distinction here: Stripe does not permit personal, non-commercial use, such as receiving money from friends or collecting donations. The "company-less" model is based on the "sole trader" or "sole proprietorship" status, which in many countries does not require a formal registration process. In other words, you are recognized as an individual conducting a commercial activity.

Popular Countries Where You Can Open a Stripe Account Without Forming a Company

If you are a legal resident of one of the Stripe-supported countries listed below, you can generally open an individual Stripe account without complex registration processes.

• United Kingdom: This is one of the easiest and most common methods. As a "sole trader," you can complete your Stripe application with your personal information without needing to register a formal company. You simply select this as your business type during sign-up.
• Most European Union Countries (Germany, France, Spain, etc.): Most EU countries allow entrepreneurs to conduct business as an "individual" or the local equivalent (e.g., Einzelunternehmen in Germany) without forming a company. Stripe accepts this structure.
• Canada, Australia, and New Zealand: It is also possible to apply as an individual in these countries under a "sole proprietorship" or "sole trader" status.
• United States (The Exception): While it's possible to operate as a "sole proprietorship" in the U.S., Stripe generally requires a Tax Identification Number (SSN or ITIN) even for individual applications. Therefore, for non-US citizens or non-tax residents, opening an individual account without forming a company is practically very difficult.

Common Requirements for All These Countries

Whichever country you choose, you will generally need to provide the following information for Stripe to approve your individual application:

• A verifiable government-issued ID (e.g., passport).
• A local bank account in your name.
• A local mailing address.
• A simple website or an active social media profile that shows what you do.

In summary, if you reside in a country supported by Stripe, be sure to check if you have the option to open an account as an "individual" or "sole trader" before going through the cost and bureaucracy of forming a company. This can be the fastest and most cost-effective way to get started, especially for early-stage SaaS founders and freelancers.

Opening Your Stripe Account

Once your LLC is formed and you have your EIN, address, phone number, and bank account, you are ready to create your Stripe account.

Step 1: Go to the Stripe registration page (https://dashboard.stripe.com/register).

Step 2: Enter your email, full name, and select United States as your country. Create a password and click "Create Account".

Step 3: Verify your email address by clicking the link Stripe sends you.

Step 4: In your Stripe dashboard, click "Activate Payments".

Step 5: For your business setup, choose the following:

• Business location: United States
• Type of business: Company
• Business structure: Single-member LLC

Step 6: In the "Business details" section, enter the legal name of your LLC and the EIN you obtained. Use the U.S. address provided by your registered agent service (like Bizee).

Step 7: In the "Business representative" section, enter your personal details. Use your real legal name and your

home country's address and phone number. Since you are a non-US citizen, you will not have an SSN. Choose the option to provide a

government-issued ID number instead (like your passport number).

Step 8: In the "Fulfillment details" section, estimate how long it takes for customers to receive your goods or services after payment.

Step 9: Add your U.S. bank account from Payoneer or Wise to receive payouts. You can enter the bank details manually if it's not listed.

Step 10: Secure your account with two-step authentication (SMS or an authenticator app).

Step 11: You can skip the optional sections for "Tax calculation" and "Climate contributions" for now.

Step 12: Review all the details you have entered to ensure they are correct, and then click Submit

Source: [1] _{^{How to determine your business type and structure}}