(a) Any bank or trust company having a paid-in capital and surplus exceeding $1,000,000 or more may open branch offices or places of business without the State, in the United States of America, or its possessions or in any other state of the United States of America or in foreign countries upon issuance of a certificate of authority by the State Bank Commissioner and upon such conditions and under such regulations as the State Bank Commissioner may prescribe; provided, however, that the Commissioner shall be authorized to exempt from the coverage of this section such places of business or classes of places of business as the Commissioner shall find inappropriate to include in order to effectuate the purposes of this section.

(b) If any bank or trust company has opened and occupied a branch office in a foreign country pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, it may, unless otherwise advised by the State Bank Commissioner, open and occupy an additional branch office or branch offices in such country without having to apply for the approval of the Commissioner provided that it gives the Commissioner notice of at least 30 days (or such shorter period as the Commissioner in individual cases may approve) before opening and occupying any such additional branch office.

(c) The applicant shall pay to the Commissioner an investigation fee of $250, which shall not be refundable and shall be submitted with the application for the issuance of a certificate under subsections (a) or (e) of this section.

(d) Electronic devices or machines located without the State which may be utilized to accomplish banking transactions by customers of banks located within the State, by whatever arrangement, shall not be deemed to be a branch office under this section or any other provision of Delaware law, nor shall any such arrangement require approval of the State Bank Commissioner.

(e) Any corporation established under this chapter or Chapter 16 of this title or by act of the General Assembly having paid-in capital and surplus exceeding $1,000,000 may open affiliated offices or places of business inside or outside this State, in the United States of America or its possessions or in foreign countries solely to conduct activities authorized by § 761(a)(14) or § 1661(a)(14) of this title upon the issuance of a certificate of authority by the Commissioner, and upon such conditions and under such regulations as may be prescribed.

63 Del. Laws, c. 3, § 7; 63 Del. Laws, c. 255, § 2; 67 Del. Laws, c. 223, § 7; 67 Del. Laws, c. 260, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 112, § 12; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 25, §§ 12, 13; 73 Del. Laws, c. 22, § 2.