Creating a Bank Account in China
Creating a Bank Account in China
Creating a Bank Account in China – A couple of weeks ago, I was finally able to create a bank account. It was such a long process.
In this post, I will try to explain in detail how I created my ICBC bank account in China.
First, if you can’t speak Chinese at a bank in China, I think it would be very difficult to create a bank account. Thankfully, a colleague of mine helped me out tremendously. Fortunately, she was with me throughout the whole process in setting up this account.
Second, we had to show the bank my work contract. I guess it’s to show and prove that I work and live in China.
Required Forms:
- Individual Tax Residency Self-certification Form
- Personal Information Registration Form
- Legal Responsibility Contract (?)
As for all of the required forms, the printed name and signature had to look the same. The last name had to start before the first name. It was somewhat of a tedious process in filling out the forms. This was such a hassle because I had to rewrite one of the forms three times. After writing everything down, the ICBC employee asked me to input my password for my account, then she gave me a debit/check card.
The whole process took about two hours. Once the bank account was all setup, I was also finally able to use WeChat Pay and AliPay.
Finally, you have to download the ICBC app. If you’re living in China, you need to download the one that’s all in Chinese characters, not the English version (I don’t think there’s an English version specifically in China).
I had to ask another colleague how to sign up for the app. It was a bit difficult, but I was finally able to sign up for it after using the Google Translator app. I had to input my Chinese cell phone number to get it verified. After that, I was able to see my balance and transactions.
If you’re trying to make a bank account in China, I hope this information finds it somewhat helpful for you.
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