Hello all, I’m a US citizen living in Asia; and I haven’t returned to the US since I left more than two decades ago.

I’d like to open a US Bank account while living abroad that I can access online for basic personal finance and possible business ventures in the future. Ideally I would be able to connect a debit card and possibly get a US PayPal account, too.

What I have:

  • Original US birth certificate

  • US passport

  • Social Security number

What I don’t have:

  • A residential address in the US (or any close family whose address I can use)

  • A phone number in the US

I’m really clueless about my options for doing this and would be grateful for any tips you can offer. Thanks.

  • thekwoka@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Banks must obey “Know Your Customer” rules and they interpret these as saying they must physically see you walk in the door.

    This is not true. Specifically that a human sees you physically in a branch.

    Many banks have no branches, like charles schwab.

      • thekwoka@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Well, you report them wrong.

        I’ve never had to go into a bank to open an account, even at a new bank.

        • TransitionAntique929@alien.topBEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          So you never had to provide a signature card? I know it hurts to be wrong but I find it extremely hard to believe you can open an account in the way you describe. Perhaps times have changed, though?

          • thekwoka@alien.topBEnglish
            1·
            1 year ago

            I don’t even know what that is.

            I’ve only had to go on site to open a bank account in Korea with KB*. I also opened an account with KakaoBank and that was online only.