Yes, you can open a bank account with a passport. An unexpired passport — U.S. or foreign — is one of the identification documents federal law specifically lists as acceptable, because it carries your photo, full legal name, date of birth, and nationality in a single government-issued document.1eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks You will still need to supply a tax identification number and a residential street address, and some banks will ask for a second piece of ID, but the passport itself clears the hardest hurdle.
Why a Passport Is Enough for the ID Requirement
Every bank in the United States has to run a Customer Identification Program before opening an account. The rule comes from Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act and is written into Treasury regulations that list a passport, alongside a driver’s license, as an acceptable identifying document.1eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks A banker is not doing you a favor by accepting it; the regulation names it specifically.
Expect the bank to scan or photocopy the passport. They are required to keep a record of the identifying information for at least five years after the account closes.1eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks
The Passport Has to Be Unexpired
This is where most problems start. The federal rule requires “unexpired government-issued identification,” so a passport that has run past its expiration date no longer counts as a standalone ID.1eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks
When your document is expired, the bank has to fall back on non-documentary verification, meaning they confirm your identity by checking your information against public databases and other sources.2Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Customer Identification Program (FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual) Some banks will do that and open the account anyway. Many will just ask you to come back with a current passport. Renewing before the branch visit is the safer path.
What Else You Need to Bring
A Tax Identification Number
Banks have to report interest paid on your account to the IRS, so they need a Social Security Number or, if you are not eligible for one, an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. You certify the number on IRS Form W-9 at account opening. Skip this step and the bank must apply 24 percent backup withholding to any reportable interest or dividends and send that money to the IRS.3Internal Revenue Service – IRS.gov. Backup Withholding You can claim it back at tax time, but you lose the use of the money in the meantime.
If you need an ITIN, apply using IRS Form W-7 along with a federal tax return and documents proving your foreign status and identity. You can mail the application or go to an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person, where staff can authenticate your documents and hand them back the same day.4Internal Revenue Service – IRS.gov. How to Apply for an ITIN A handful of banks, including some of the largest national ones, will open an account while an ITIN application is pending, but this varies by institution.
A Residential Street Address
The regulation requires a residential or business street address for every individual account holder.1eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks A standard P.O. Box does not satisfy it. The rule does permit an APO or FPO address for military personnel, or the address of a next of kin or other contact person for someone without a fixed street address.
Banks commonly accept a signed lease, a mortgage statement, or a recent utility bill as proof. Students and others in temporary housing may be able to use a letter from a university or housing organization, depending on the bank.
Possibly a Second Form of ID
Many banks ask for a second document in addition to the passport. The list varies: a major credit or debit card with your embossed name, a current utility bill, or a government-issued item like a voter registration card. Checking the bank’s requirements before the visit is worth the minute it takes.
If You’re Using a Foreign Passport
A foreign passport is treated the same as a U.S. passport under the federal rules — both are acceptable government-issued photo ID.1eCFR. 31 CFR 1020.220 – Customer Identification Program Requirements for Banks If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, though, the paperwork expands a bit.
Banks typically ask nonresident aliens to complete IRS Form W-8BEN, which establishes foreign status and claims any applicable tax-treaty benefits on U.S.-source income.5IRS.gov. Instructions for Form W-8BEN For a basic savings or checking account, interest paid by a U.S. bank, credit union, or savings institution to a nonresident alien is generally nontaxable and does not need to be reported.6Internal Revenue Service – IRS.gov. Federal Income Tax Withholding and Reporting on Other Kinds of US Source Income Paid to Nonresident Aliens Interest from other U.S. sources may face 30 percent withholding unless a tax treaty reduces or eliminates it.
Some banks also ask to see immigration documents: a visa, I-94 arrival record, or permanent resident card. Call ahead or check the institution’s website so you walk in with everything they want.
In Person Is Usually Easier Than Online
Walking into a branch is the smoothest route when your primary ID is a passport. A banker can examine, scan, and verify it on the spot. Online applications are often built around driver’s license verification: you upload a photo and software reads the barcode or machine-readable zone automatically. Passports do not always fit that workflow.
Some banks and online-only institutions do accept passport uploads, but the review may be manual and slower than an automated license check. If you want to apply online, confirm the digital application supports passport verification before you start. Otherwise, a branch visit or a video appointment is faster.
If the Bank Turns You Down
Most banks also check your history through ChexSystems, which tracks checking account applications, closures, and the reasons prior accounts were closed.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Chex Systems, Inc. A record of unpaid fees or account misuse at a previous bank can lead to a denial even when your ID is in order.
If a bank denies you based on a report from a consumer reporting agency, it has to send you an adverse action notice. The notice must identify the agency and tell you about your right to request a free copy of the report within 60 days.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports You are also entitled to one free ChexSystems report every 12 months regardless of any denial.
Errors on the report can be disputed directly with ChexSystems; under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, agencies have to investigate and correct inaccurate information, and most negative records cannot stay on the report longer than seven years.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Why Was I Denied a Checking Account? If the record is accurate and still blocking you, second-chance checking accounts skip the ChexSystems review. They usually carry monthly fees that cannot be waived and come with fewer features, but using one responsibly can rebuild the history that gets you into a standard account later.