A foreign bank representative office is the office of an overseas bank established in Australia with APRA’s consent. They must meet minimum entry standards and comply with certain operating conditions, set by APRA.
In some cases banks from other countries can use the representative office as a local base for their international customers (but not as an authorised deposit-taking institution).
This office can also be useful for brands wishing to perform market research or brand awareness, before creating a legal entity to be able to conduct banking business in Australia.