Getting a bank account in the US - surprisingly easy

 

Planning ahead for our move in October we thought it might be a good idea to set up a bank account in the US whilst on holiday in San Francisco. 

I remember how incredibly difficult it was to get a bank account when we moved to London, and thought it would be just as difficult here in the US. I still remember the snotty receptionist at Natwest turning my Polish friend Ania's application down because the cover of her passport was worn. And that was before she even got to see a banker! Jelte had to call about a hundred UK banks before finally finding the UK branch of his Swedish bank, willing to take him on as a customer.

American Bank Account requirements

Turns out, as long as you have money to deposit, an American bank will be happy to open an account for you straight away. All we needed to show was the following:

1. Two types of Id - we brought our passports and driving licences

2. A letter from Jelte's employer

3. An address in the US where the bank can send the bank cards - the employer address is fine.

All in all the process took about an hour and a half, and when we left we had both bank account and Internet banking set up. Easy peasy.

On our way out we saw a little dog leading his human to the dog biscuit bowl, demanding a treat for his good behaviour in the bank. Very cute...