Bank Accounts

When banking financial institutions (hereinafter referred to as banks) create a personal bank account for an applicant, it is required to verify identity of the applicant, validity of the provided identity documents, consistency between the applicant and the identity documents, and the applicant's intention to have an account. Account holders shall not rent, lend, buy or sell bank settlement accounts.

1. Identity documents required for opening personal accounts

Bank accounts for individuals may be opened using the following valid identity documents:

(1) Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents, or the Residence Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents, if you are a resident from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or Macau Special Administrative Region;

(2) Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, or the Residence Permit for Taiwan Residents, if you are a resident from the Taiwan region;

(3) Passport or Foreigner's Permanent Residence Card, if you are a foreign citizen.

If you reside in China for a long period of time for work, study or other purposes, and need to open an account, it is recommended that you provide supporting documents such as the proof of employment, income verification, or student ID, which will help us process your application more effectively and provide better service for you.

Banks may require applicants to present other supporting documents when there is difficulty to accurately determine the identities of account applicants with valid identity documents. Supporting identity documents for overseas individuals may include but are not limited to:

(1) Hong Kong and Macao ID cards for residents of Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions;

(2) Valid proof of identity of residence in Taiwan for residents of Taiwan;

(3) ID cards foreign nationals and embassy and consulate staff, motor vehicle driving license or identification documents attached with personal photos;

(4) Tax payment certificate, water/electricity/gas payment bill, or other tax vouchers.

2. Account opening procedure

Visit a bank and have the above-mentioned documents at hand. Fill out the application form, sign relevant agreements, and grant access to your personal information. Your account will be opened after on-site verification is completed.

3. Applying for a bank card

Open a bank card account at a bank with valid identification documents. The services available with the bank card include deposit and withdrawal of RMB and foreign currencies, foreign exchange transactions, domestic transfers, cross-border remittances, currency exchange, and payments.

For your convenience, you may provide the banks with your mobile phone number and residential address outside China when opening an account. For a better customer experience with our services, your mobile phone number and residential address within China are preferred.