singapore bank accounts

Info on opening bank account Singapore

Because each bank has so many ATMs around, and they all pay you interest, I guess its a bit more difficult to say which is best.

We need more info from you.

Do you want to open a bank account with the ulitmate aim of getting a credit card with the lowest/lower fees. Do you just want an account with savings card access only (& no credit card), do you want an account with a low fixed for service fee?

As you would know, every MRT station would have at least 3 different bank's ATM located at either gorund level, or upper level.

I guess if you have a work pass, or employment pass, its not all that difficult. But if you are a visitor, and not a Singaporean PR holder, its going to be difficult. Esp the employment pass, which they would want to see for a long stay in that country.

Opening a bank account is relatively easy in Singapore. If you compare with UK then hell and Heaven difference. Just get a letter from your company stating your name, address and a request to open the savings account, thats it and carry your passport/IC/EP/WP.
Service level of Banks are very high in Singapore and they will do the rest, including your photo.
Personally I like the DBS/POSB bank, just bcoz of their extensive ATM network. Every where you will find a DBS/POSB ATM. A far second is OCBC and then very far are the StanChart, HSBC, Citibank. Just to give a perspective, I have closed my HSBC as well as OCBC bank accounts and solely depends on DBS/POSB network. Just a note, after the takeover DBS and POSB are the same network, you can use them interchangebly.
Credit Card for foreigner may not be that easy for obvious reasons, unless you have a P1/P2 EP.

when i said non resident i meant not livin there!

there must be a way of doin it, there s heaps of indonesian money in singapore and it ain t all in real estate. they can t all have pr...

daycat basically after a bog standard bank account, no credit card needed...

You must realise that ultimately, Singapore is there for its own interest.

If you don't have PR (I realise my erred ways), but apart from your passport, have you got a reason to open a bank account?

If you have a valid reason, its easy.

If you don't, then its hard.

As I mentioned in my first line, Singapore is there for its citizens and its pr holders. They are suspicious of people who keep going in and out very regularly, and who don't have work pass or work permit.

Anyway, go into a branch when you go to Singapore, and ask them, they are the ones who know.

I know that if I for eg, wanted to open a bank account in Singapore, and I don't have a work pass or work permit for that country, I will have a bit of a hard time saying why I need it on the form.

You can always try it yourself. Ask. Or go and buy one of those phone cards, lots of those, and then go and phone up one of the branches of a bank there, or many banks, and see what they say.

As an aside, I can go to visit Singapore on my Malaysian passport, as a visitor, I get 14 days social visit pass. I can of course keep going over to Malaysia and then come back to Singapore, in the end, the ICA will stop me in my tracks and ask what I am doing. Seeing I am not working there.

Yes, I am too much of a blah, ain't I. Talk too much "rubbish".

sorry if I do not have the answer you want.

In Singapore, banks are not allowed to open accounts for non-residents under anti-money laundering guidelines laid down by the monetary authority, except under very special circumstances.

Reply 6 is correct, to open a personal bank account in Singapore you need to have and produce proof of 'right of residence', i.e. either be a citizen, have permanent residence status or have an employment/dependent's pass issued by the Ministry of Manpower.
There is no restriction on foreigners being issued with credit cards in Singapore but approval depends on a number of factors including the length of one's employment pass.

I believe that a sole proprietor company bank account in Singapore would also require you to have the company registered there and that you couldn't open a company account here just with credentials of an overseas business, but am not 100% sure.

gooner.... a few years back HSBC allowed offshore accounts but I don't know if they still do, as banks as tightening up. They were advertising them a few years back but I have not seen ads for a while.
It's probably restricted now as people above say.
Ask around in Jakarta if you are there now - quite a few of my friends there have S'pore accounts, but maybe they opened them a long time ago. Bart may know.
I think you can do it OK if you open an offshore company there but I assume that is more than you need. Maybe OCRA Singapore have info on their website about it. Starting a company is quick and easy but not cheap.

Or just email HSBC Singapore.....

yeap i ve emailed a couple of banks for details

stan char have somethin on their site about non residents accounts, i m waitin for their reply