[trondmv]

Hi there,

thanks for all the useful info on the site - it's a real help as I'll soon be moving to HK from the UK.

There is one thing I haven't found an answer to though:

How easy is it to open a local bank account on a tourist visa?

In short, I am entering HK in March on a tourist visa, due to get married in June to a HK resident (after which we'll be applying for a dependent visa - I don't expect much trouble with that). However, I will carry on working for my UK company from March-June, and was thinking of perhaps getting paid into a HK account instead of my UK one (it would save me a lot in ATM fees). Does anybody know if this is feasible?

Thanks for any help!

[lowlight]

It's pretty tricky... On our original trip, my GF and I (at the time, she didn't have HKID) tried to open an account at HSBC and they basically told us to take a hike. We went to Hang Seng, and they were more accommodating, but required a 'co-signer' of sorts. We had her Dad sign for us.

You might be able to do the same, having your fiancee sign for you.

A note about ATM: I noticed the same thing. My regular bank (Royal Bank of Canada) charges $5 CAD per international ATM withdrawal. Well HSBC Canada has an account that allows unlimited international ATM withdrawals. We signed up for that account, and are going to use that as our main bank from now on. Should save quite a bit of money.

Direct deposits to your bank in HK will be expensive, as will wire transfers. I am going to do most of our Canada > HK banking just pulling cash from the ATM. I think there is a daily withdrawal limit however, but since it's free it doesn't really matter.

EDIT: This is the account at HSBC UK that has free international ATM withdrawals. You might want to switch or add that account for now.

[z754103]

I don't know if Citibank still does this, but a few years back they had an UK account where you could do international ATM withdrawals at Citi machines for free, and you could open checking accounts with them in multiple currencies, including in HKD. If they still offer this service, it might be useful for you. When I lived in the US for a few months, I deposited cash earnings into the USD account I had with them (it was a UK account, denominated in USD), as well as the ocasional check (which took about a month to clear), but both operations were free. I could then make ATM withdrawals without worrying about exchange rates.

You could also call them for free 24/7, from anywhere in the world, for account servicing, in addition to internet based banking.

This might be a useful stop gap for you, if the HSBC version doesnt work, for whatever reason.

[trondmv]

Thanks for the tips guys!

I actually considered that HSBC account a while ago, but must have missed the bit about the free international ATM banking...time to reconsider, methinks

Either way I suppose I could open a joint account with my fiancee as a second option - I'm sure she won't mind having my salary paid into the account every month!

[frenchfarangbkk]

Hello,

Can you please tell me if there is any way to open a bank account in HK or MACAU with just a passport and tourist visa? I don't want credit card, I just want to deposit cash.

Thanks.