Varies a lot by country and by bank, honestly — some genuinely offer remote/digital account opening for incoming residents, others flatly require in-person verification with local address proof. Rather than assuming either way, check the Banking section of your destination's guide, which usually names the banks most workable for new arrivals specifically.
Kwame Mensah 💬 Contributor
1 May 2026, 09:00
Heard conflicting things about whether you can actually open a local bank account remotely before arriving, versus needing to be physically present with local proof of address. Anyone actually pulled this off?