How do I open a bank account without a Social Security number?
There is no single rule for the whole country. Each bank decides which identification it will accept, so some open an account without a Social Security number and others do not. Read the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau checklist, then ask that bank which documents it wants.
What to do next
- Start with the CFPB page on bank accounts. It explains what opening a checking or savings account usually involves. It does not promise that a bank will accept you.
- Ask the bank, on its own website or in a branch, whether a passport, an ITIN, a school letter, or some other document is enough. A list that worked for a friend in another state may not apply to you.
- An ITIN is a tax number from the IRS. It is not a debit card, and a bank can still decline it.
- Do not type a banking password or a full account number into a site that is not your bank.
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (opens in a new tab) · Checked:
Related sections: Banks and transfers
This is a map of public pages, not advice about your own case.