Would a company abroad unlock more providers?

11 more than from Pakistan. Mercury would still refuse you as an owner living in Pakistan.

Cost:

USD 500 one-time setup fee (includes Delaware state filing fees, next-day expedited processing and the first year of registered agent service), then USD 100 a year for registered agent service. Stripe says it refunds the fee if it is unable to support your business, and also refunds it after USD 5,000 is deposited into a Stripe Treasury account within 90 days of incorporation. Annual Delaware franchise tax is separate. As of 2026-10-24.

Time:

Delaware incorporation usually 1–2 business days. EIN 1–2 business days if the founder provides a US SSN, a US company address and a US phone number; 10–35 business days if any of these is missing (for example, a founder without an SSN).

Who can apply:

Atlas says founders can apply 'from almost anywhere in the world' but publishes no list of accepted or excluded founder countries. Every founder must be 18 or older. The Atlas Agreement defines 'Prohibited Jurisdictions' (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Crimea), but those rules cover the company's business activity, customers and staff, not where founders live. Stripe's general restricted-businesses list separately bars dealings with people located in, resident in or citizens of jurisdictions Stripe has determined to be prohibited, 'including' CU, IR, KP and SY and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions; the named list is not exhaustive. Atlas also lists restricted business categories.

What it says it gets you:

Stripe says Atlas companies can accept US card payments on Stripe and, if eligible, open a Stripe Treasury account before the EIN arrives, with payouts up to USD 100,000 before the EIN (a waiting period may apply to the first payout). Activating Stripe payments requires a US phone number (Atlas points to partners for one). Other payment methods need the EIN. Stripe also says Atlas 'can’t guarantee' Stripe payments approval, and that some categories Atlas will form (for example cryptocurrency, gambling and adult content) may be restricted from Stripe Payments.

11 more than from Pakistan. Mercury would still refuse you as an owner living in Pakistan.

Cost:

Formation shown as USD 399, with a current offer of USD 99 ('Formation is on us. Pay only your state fee'). Registered agent (USD 299/yr per state) and a US address are listed as required for incorporation; Firstbase's Mailroom address costs USD 35 a month or USD 315 a year. As of 2026-10-24.

Time:

Wyoming usually about 3–7 business days. Delaware about 15 business days for initial review plus about 10 to receive the certificate (about 25 in total), unless expedited. EIN about 20–30 business days without an SSN/ITIN, 2–3 with one.

Who can apply:

Firstbase will not create an account if you or a business partner 'lives or significantly operates' in a listed country. The list also includes Crimea, which has no code here. It says Russian residents or citizens are blocked under OFAC E.O. 14071, and that partner banks may apply different lists. The help article shows '2 years ago Updated'.

What it says it gets you:

Firstbase says you can open a business bank account with one of its banking partners. Its help centre says those partners use the business owner's and the company's digital presence to verify that the company is legitimate, and apply their own strict, private approval rules. It names no payment processor as a guaranteed outcome.

11 more than from Pakistan. Mercury would still refuse you as an owner living in Pakistan.

Cost:

Starter plan USD 297/yr plus state fees (formation, EIN, US business address). Higher plans are USD 1,999/yr and USD 2,999/yr. As of 2026-10-24.

Time:

Starter: 'US LLC or C Corp formation filed in 1–2 business days'. doola's terms say timelines may run longer because of states, the IRS or banking partners.

Who can apply:

doola says founders need not be US citizens. It publishes no list of countries barred from formation. Its terms do list residences for which it 'cannot help with opening bank accounts'; this is a residence rule, not a citizenship rule.

What it says it gets you:

The terms name Brex, Mercury and Piermont Bank as institutions doola works with, and say it cannot guarantee that an account will be opened. No payment processor access is promised.

11 more than from Pakistan. Mercury would still refuse you as an owner living in Pakistan.

Cost:

USD 819 one-time Company Lifetime Package (includes expedited Delaware filing fees and the first-year registered agent fee; excludes foreign-qualification and some third-party fees). As of 2026-10-24.

Time:

Clerky says it 'typically' returns the filed certificate of incorporation within 2–3 business days. It publishes no EIN timeline.

Who can apply:

Clerky's terms bar use by residents of 'a country embargoed by the United States', and by blocked or denied persons, without naming the countries. The terms are dated 20 August 2024. Clerky offers EIN applications for founders outside the US.

What it says it gets you:

Clerky says you can apply for accounts with popular startup banks using pre-filled applications ('NO EIN NEEDED'). It names no bank or payment processor and gives no guarantee.

9 more than from Pakistan.

Cost:

€150 e-Residency state fee (not refunded if the application is declined), €265 OÜ registration state fee, and €200–400/yr for a required contact person or legal address. The programme estimates about €600 in the first year if you do it yourself, or about €1,300 with accounting support. Travel to collect the card (and any visa needed) is extra. As of 2026-10-24.

Time:

e-Residency: background check usually up to 30 days, then card delivery in 2–5 weeks (the site says 3–8 weeks overall). Company registration: 1–2 days once you have the card.

Who can apply:

This restriction is by citizenship. Applications are not reviewed from citizens of AF, BF, IR, YE, CD, KP, SS, ML, NG and SY unless at least one exception applies: three or more consecutive years' residence in the EEA, UK or Switzerland immediately before applying, with a valid residence permit there; permanent economic activity in Estonia with all related obligations met; a previously issued e-resident ID card used for its intended purpose; or working for an Estonian embassy, as an Estonian Honorary Consul, or as a contracted Enterprise Estonia export advisor. Current e-residents from these countries are not affected. First-time applications from RU and BY citizens are not reviewed, and residence elsewhere does not lift that rule; RU and BY renewals are possible only for people who collected an earlier card and have permanent economic activity in Estonia. The card must be collected in person, with fingerprints, at a pickup location within 6 months. It cannot be mailed or collected by someone else, and a visa may be needed if there is no pickup location in the applicant's home country.

What it says it gets you:

The programme says e-residents can 'Access business banking and payment solutions' and points them mainly to EEA neobanks or fintechs that open accounts online. It also says banks and payment institutions set their own criteria, that e-resident status does not guarantee access, and that people resident in, or connected to, a country on the FATF list of high-risk and other monitored jurisdictions will 'most likely have difficulty' getting business banking. Stripe says it supports e-Residency companies only if the individuals on the account live in a Stripe-supported country.

9 more than from Pakistan.

Cost:

£100 online or via software, or £124 by post (paid by cheque; Companies House fees page updated 25 September 2026). A same-day incorporation option costs £156 via software. After that, a confirmation statement fee of £50 online (£110 on paper) is charged with the first statement in each 12-month period. Identity verification through GOV.UK One Login is free; an authorised agent (ACSP) may charge a fee. A physical UK registered office address is required; gov.uk does not price third-party address services.

Time:

Online registrations are 'usually registered within 24 hours'. Postal applications take 8 to 10 days.

Who can apply:

Directors do not have to live in the UK, but the company needs a physical UK registered office address in the same UK nation it is registered in (PO Box services are not allowed). A director must be 16 or over. Identity verification became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025 for directors and PSCs, and a new company's registration needs each director's Companies House personal code. You can verify online through GOV.UK One Login with a biometric passport from any country, but not an expired one. The bank-details and Post Office routes are offered only to people who live in the UK. Otherwise, the route is an authorised agent (ACSP), which can be used from any country. gov.uk publishes no list of excluded nationalities or residences.

8 more than from Pakistan.

Cost:

S$15 name application fee (non-refundable if the name is unavailable or withdrawn) plus S$300 registration fee (ACRA). A Singapore registered office address and a locally resident director are required, and a locally resident company secretary must be appointed within six months. Any corporate service provider, nominee director or secretary fees are extra and not priced by ACRA. As of 2026-10-24.

Time:

Name review up to 3 working days (up to 15 if sent to referral authorities). A reserved name must be used to register within 120 days. Other position holders must endorse the registration within 60 days or it lapses (not needed if a CSP files). Registration: most are approved soon after payment, complex ones take up to 15 working days, and those needing referral authorities take 14 to 60 days.

Who can apply:

At least one director must meet local residency rules. ACRA's director page says directors must 'Be ordinarily resident' and be a Singapore citizen, permanent resident, or someone who meets local residency rules. Every company must also have a company secretary, appointed within six months of registration. The secretary must be a real person who is a Singapore citizen, permanent resident or someone who meets local residency rules, and cannot be the sole director. Only the person who reserved the name can file the registration, and that person must be appointed director or secretary. Filers need Singpass, or a corporate service provider (CSP) can register using Corppass. The registered office must be a Singapore address open to the public for at least three hours on each business day. An auditor must be appointed within three months unless the company is exempt. ACRA publishes no list of excluded nationalities.

4 more than from Pakistan.

Cost:

DMCC says initial setup typically costs AED 10,345 to AED 84,515, depending on licence length and office space. Its Basic Biz Package page shows AED 43,780 (paid in full, standard flexi desk) or AED 49,941 (co-working space), with one UAE residency visa included. The page has a 1/2/3-year duration selector, and the captured text does not show which duration these prices are for. As of 2026-10-24.

Time:

About 10 working days. DMCC says the setup can be completed online, but a UAE residence visa requires visiting the UAE.

Who can apply:

DMCC allows 100% foreign ownership. It asks for passports and proof of residential address (in the country of residence) for shareholders, directors and authorised signatories, plus business documents that include office lease or property documents and a bank reference or capital deposit confirmation. Every company must have a registered office in DMCC (a flexi-desk can meet this), an appointed director and company secretary (one person can hold both roles), and disclosed beneficial owners holding 25% or more. Its pages publish no list of excluded nationalities or residences. Some activities are barred, such as gambling and explicit content.

What it says it gets you:

DMCC mentions instalment payment options through its banking partner, Wio Bank, subject to the bank's own terms and eligibility. It makes no claim about payment-processor access.