Do NOT tell your bank you are living in Argentina. Simple enough. I wouldn't send to my family members either. Most brokerages however allow you to get e-statements but some forms they are required to mail. But you shouldn't have any issues if you put all correspondence to come via email. I use US Global mail since they are based out of Texas (no state income taxes). It might make sense for you to switch to a no state income tax first and establish "residency".
Getting US bank statements delivered while living in Buenos Aires requires a specific type of service. You need to set up a virtual mail box (or mail forwarding service), but because this is for banking, there is a major hurdle you need to navigate first.
Under US "Know Your Customer" (KYC) regulations, financial institutions (like Charles Schwab, Chase, etc.) require a physical Residential address on file. They run addresses through a USPS database. If the database flags your address as a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) which almost all virtual mailboxes are, the bank may reject it as your primary residence, freeze the account, or demand a utility bill.
Most expats solve this by splitting their addresses on the bank's profile:
Residential Address: A trusted family member or friend’s physical house in the US.
Mailing Address: Your Virtual Mailbox (banks usually do not care if your
mailing address is a CMRA).
If you are setting up a virtual mailbox to act as your US mailing address, you want one that provides a real street address (not a "PO Box 1234" format), scans the outside of envelopes quickly, lets you click to open/scan the contents as a PDF, and securely shreds the physical copy.
Here are the top three most reliable options for expats:
Traveling Mailbox
- How it works: They offer real street addresses in dozens of states. When mail arrives, they scan the envelope. You use their app to tell them to open and scan the contents, forward it, or shred it.
- Why it’s great for expats: Their mobile app is excellent, their pricing is very competitive, and they integrate easily with cloud storage (Evernote, Google Drive) so you can automatically save your scanned bank statements.
PhysicalAddress.com
- How it works: Similar scanning and forwarding model, but with a major structural difference.
- Why it’s great for expats: Unlike other services that use third-party franchise stores (like local UPS stores) to process mail, PhysicalAddress owns and operates all of their own mail centers. This means tighter security, faster scanning times, and less risk of the location suddenly shutting down.
US Global Mail
- How it works: Based out of Houston, this service is specifically tailored for long-term expats and corporate relocations.
- Why it’s great for expats: They have a very strong reputation for reliability and customer service. They are highly experienced in dealing with the specific pain points of Americans living abroad, including check deposit services if a bank accidentally mails you a physical check instead of depositing it.
When you choose a provider, try to pick a state address that has no state income tax (like Texas, Florida, or South Dakota) if you are also changing your state residency. Once the mailbox is active, go into all your US bank portals and switch every possible setting to
100% Paperless/e-Delivery. The virtual mailbox is mostly there to catch the inevitable physical mail that banks still stubbornly send (like updated debit cards, legal privacy notices, or tax forms).
