How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Croatia

Croatia founders face the invisible-credit problem when expanding to the United States. Without an established financial track record stateside, accessing business loans, corporate cards, and commercial leases becomes exceptionally difficult. In Croatia, the primary credit bureau is HROK (Hrvatski registar obveza po kreditima d.o.o.), which tracks retail and commercial debt obligations. However, your Croatian credit history does not automatically transfer to the United States, meaning founders must build a US credit profile from scratch.

Why US credit matters

A US credit file changes what a US company can do. Without one, financing means cash collateral or a personal guarantee, corporate cards come with a deposit, and commercial leases ask for six months up front.

With one, the same company borrows at a normal rate. That is the whole difference, and it is why the sequence below is worth the months it takes.

No part of this is guaranteed. Credit decisions belong to lenders, and nobody — including us — can promise you a score or a limit.

The Amex Global Transfer route

American Express runs a programme — Global Transfer, sometimes called the Global Card Relationship — that lets an existing Amex cardholder apply for a US card using their established relationship with Amex rather than starting from nothing.

Your credit history does not transfer. This is the most common misunderstanding about the programme. What transfers is the relationship — Amex's own record of how you have handled your account with them. Your local bureau file, your repayment record with other lenders and your local credit score do not cross the border. Amex US underwrites you as a new customer who happens to be a known quantity to Amex.

That is still a considerable advantage over building a US file from zero. It is not the same as arriving with a credit history.

Four conditions apply, and all four must be met:

1. The card you already hold must be issued by American Express itself, not by a local bank operating under an American Express licence.
2. You must be the primary cardholder, not an additional or supplementary cardholder.
3. You must have held the card for at least three months.
4. The account must be open and in good standing when you apply.

Corporate cards are excluded separately from all four.

Condition one eliminates more applicants than the other three combined. In many markets American Express operates through Global Network Services, where a local bank licenses the Amex brand and issues its own cards under it. Those cards carry the Amex logo, but the account relationship belongs to the bank — so there is nothing to transfer. A local partnership is not an alternative route to eligibility; it is the thing that removes it.

How to check your own card: read the cardholder agreement, not the card. The agreement names the legal entity that issued it. If that name is a local bank, the card will not qualify. If it is an American Express entity, it may. If you cannot find the agreement, call the number on the back and ask which legal entity issued the card.

We maintain a country-by-country reference for this, including which markets are confirmed and which are not: Amex Global Transfer country eligibility [blocked]

Check before you rely on this: American Express sets these terms and can change them. Confirm current conditions with American Express directly.

The ITIN path

For founders who cannot use Amex Global Transfer or want a broader credit foundation, obtaining an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a critical milestone. Follow this standard 5-step sequence:

1. Form your US LLC or corporation to establish a business presence and obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
2. Complete IRS Form W-7 to apply for an ITIN, certifying your foreign status.
3. Gather required identification documents, such as a certified copy of your Croatian passport or national ID issued by the Ministry of the Interior (MUP).
4. Submit your W-7 application along with your US tax return or under an allowable exception to the IRS.
5. Receive your ITIN, which allows you to open US bank accounts and apply for secured credit cards and vendor lines.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit bridges international credit bureaus to enable cross-border credit checks. While Nova Credit partners with numerous credit bureaus worldwide—such as in the UK, Canada, India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and Nigeria—its direct integration with Croatia's HROK is limited. Croatian founders should check Nova Credit's current country list to see if direct bureau pulls are supported when applying for partner financial products. If unsupported, founders must rely on secured cards and ITIN-based credit building.

Business credit: the faster lane

Establishing business credit allows you to build a corporate financial profile separate from your personal identity. Start by obtaining an EIN for your US LLC and registering with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to receive a D-U-N-S number. Next, establish trade lines with tier-one US vendors and suppliers that report payment activity to commercial credit bureaus like D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Consistently paying invoices within 30 days or early helps build a strong D&B Paydex score (ranging from 1 to 100), enabling your company to qualify for commercial credit cards and financing without a personal guarantee.

Recommended sequence

1. Form your US entity and obtain an EIN: Establish your LLC or C-Corp and secure your federal employer identification number.
2. Explore Amex Global Transfer: Check if you qualify for a US Amex card using your existing Croatian Amex account history.
3. Obtain an ITIN: File IRS Form W-7 to secure your individual tax identification number for financial accounts.
4. Open a US business bank account: Use your EIN and formation documents with digital-first banking providers friendly to international founders.
5. Establish business credit lines: Register for a D-U-N-S number and open reporting trade lines to build corporate credit scores.

What Keystone Bridge does

We handle the US side for founders based outside the United States: entity formation, EIN, ITIN, US business banking access, and business credit.

The price of every stage is published on this site, so a first conversation is about whether we fit — not a pitch. If the answer is that you can do this yourself, we will tell you so. This guide is for informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified adviser for your specific situation.