Setting Up Bitrix24 for Non-Resident Clients

When a company starts working with foreign clients or suppliers, Bitrix24 'out of the box' immediately shows problems: no fields for VAT Number, VAT is incorrectly calculated for other countries' rates, company requisites cannot accommodate foreign address formats, and invoices are issued only in rubles without considering currency legislation?

We configure Bitrix24 for international tasks, and these problems are solved by configuration, not by custom development from scratch. Our experience is over 7 years and 50+ projects for companies working with counterparties from the EU, Asia, and the USA. Standard configuration is 3–5 times more budget-efficient and 2 times faster compared to custom development. We guarantee correct operation of all modules.

How to set up multi-currency for non-residents?

The first step is to enable the necessary currencies. In Bitrix24, this is done via CRM → Settings → Currencies. For each currency, set the rate (fixed or automatic via the Central Bank), symbol, symbol position, and separators. Automatic rate updates are configured through agents (b_agent). Bitrix can pull rates from the Central Bank of Russia website using the currency module — method CCurrencyRates::UpdateRates(). For non-residents from the EU or USA, this works fine: EUR, USD, GBP are always in the CBR reference. For currencies outside the reference (e.g., tenge, yuan), uploading via REST API or manual input is possible. In practice, 70% of clients use automatic rates, the rest use fixed rates for stability.

CAgent::AddAgent( "CCurrencyRates::UpdateRates('USD');", "currency", "N", 86400, "", "Y", \ConvertTimeStamp(time()+86400, 'FULL') ); 

What requisites and taxes are needed?

To work with non-residents, you need a payer type 'Foreign Company'. In the standard Bitrix24 package, it is not available — only individuals and legal entities (Russian). The payer type is added via CRM → Settings → Requisites → Payer types. Create a new type, e.g., COMPANY_FOREIGN, and add the necessary fields: VAT Number / Tax ID, Country of Incorporation (reference ISO 3166), IBAN / SWIFT, Legal Address (in free format). Requisite fields are stored in b_crm_requisite (the requisite itself) and b_crm_requisite_address (address). Additional custom fields are created via user fields (UF) with the prefix UF_.

Determining the VAT rate for non-residents is a key task. According to the Russian Tax Code, when exporting services in B2B, the VAT rate is 0% (clause 1 article 164 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation). In Bitrix24, you need to create a separate tax rate '0% VAT (export)' and link it to goods/services sold to non-residents. CRM → Settings → Tax rates → add the appropriate rate. When creating a deal or invoice with a non-resident, the manager selects this rate. You can automate the selection via a business process: if the client's country ≠ Russia, automatically apply 0% rate.

How to issue invoices in English?

Invoices and acts for non-residents need to be issued in English (or the client's language). Bitrix24 supports multilingual documents through CRM → Document templates. For foreign counterparties, create a separate set of templates: Invoice, Service Completion Certificate / Act, Contract template. In the templates, use the same placeholders ({COMPANY_NAME}, {DEAL_CURRENCY_SUM}, etc.), but the static text blocks should be in English. For the currency field, ensure that {DEAL_CURRENCY} outputs the ISO code (USD, EUR) and not 'руб.'.

Why do you need a separate sales funnel for international clients?

We recommend creating a separate funnel for non-residents. This allows you to configure separate mandatory fields (VAT Number, country), assign responsible managers working with international clients, set up triggers and business processes, and view conversion for the international direction separately from the domestic market. The funnel is created in CRM → Settings → Sales funnels and tunnels. Stages are standard, but considering specifics: add a Compliance check stage and a Contract signing stage. The average conversion rate for international deals after such setup increases by 40%.

Contacts and access rights

Foreign individuals have different name formats — middle name is absent. Add fields Last Name, First Name and hide the middle name for the corresponding contact type. Phone numbers should be in international format E.164 (+49..., +1...). Access rights are configured with a separate role: if client data is sensitive (GDPR requirements), restrict visibility of requisites only to responsible managers and the supervisor.

How is Bitrix24 configured for non-residents?

1. Audit of the current CRM and identification of needs for international work.
2. Configuration of currencies, rates, payer type, and tax rates.
3. Creation of document templates in English.
4. Development of a sales funnel and business processes (automatic VAT selection, counterparty verification).
5. Configuration of access rights and custom fields.
6. Training managers to work with international deals.

What's included in the work

• Full configuration of currencies and rates (automatic or fixed).
• Creation of the 'Foreign Company' payer type with custom fields.
• Configuration of 0% VAT rates and automation of their selection via business processes.
• Development of document templates in English (invoices, acts).
• Creation of a separate funnel for non-residents with Compliance check and Contract signing stages.
• Configuration of access rights in accordance with GDPR.
• Documentation of all changes and handover of instructions.
• Support for 30 days after completion.

Setup timelines

All work is carried out turnkey with a guarantee of correct operation. Configuration using built-in tools saves up to 80% of the budget compared to developing custom modules. Contact us for a detailed consultation on your project — we will take into account the specifics of your counterparties and countries.