Opening a bank account online: What does it look like?
There are a ton of reasons why a person might want to have a bank account in Portugal. But the key one of them is very simple: people intend to earn and be able to deal with their funds in the way they expect. And, having a Portuguese bank account is crucial in this case.
Well, the first idea that strikes the minds of those who plan to establish an account is going to the closest bank and asking for help there. However, such an undertaking is not always convenient. Accordingly, people search for alternatives that will be less problematic. One of them is asking for the assistance of an intermediary who will help you to open a bank account using a remote option.
And, such a procedure is really simple indeed. You are to make a minimum effort, and very soon after you are done with a few easy steps, you will be able to call yourself the owner of a Portuguese bank account.
The very start: Who will be helping you?
To come across good results, you need to be working with people who are real experts in interaction with a client and a particular bank. There are quite a few intermediaries today but not all of them can be trusted.
First of all, it is essential to check what bank the service provider is collaborating with. One of the best banks in Portugal (the most trustable ones) are Novobanco, Banco Santander, Banco BPI, etc.
Second, the intermediary must provide a clear list of the documents you will have to present in order to establish a bank account. The more detailed description you are facing, the easier and faster the procedure will flow.
Third, it is very important to make sure that the service provider will not charge you too much. To check this, it is normally enough to compare the pricing suggested by a few other intermediaries. Note that the experienced providers are likely to suggest a more relevant cost thanks to the variety of the services they offer and their exceptional skills and practice.
One of the other tips here is this: feel free simply to ask about some of the details that seem to be unclear to you. You can draw certain conclusions based on the response of the representative you receive.
What happens after you have made a decision?
As long as you know who you will collaborate with, it is time to get the proper documents ready. It may seem like there is a lot at first sight but it is not really so. If you are consistent enough, you will not have any major hardships with this. But here is an important note: when you do not know where to get a certain document, it is a brilliant idea to consult about this. The representatives of a good service provider will never refuse to assist you with anything. So, typically, the stuff you should prepare looks this way.
- A scanned copy of the passport. A photo is not going to be okay in this case.
- Statement of residence. There are several options here (a rental agreement and utility bill are provided by the clients most frequently; the main thing is that the document has to include your name and address).
- Proof of occupation.
- Tax number from the country you reside in.
- NIF. This is a tax number in Portugal. What shall you do in case you do not have it? It is not a big deal as long as the same service provider can help you with issuing it.
So, this is a basic list of the documents that are vital to present to open bank account in Portugal. Certainly, it may be a bit different depending on who will be your service provider. But normally, you do not have to present more than is given here.
What is next?
When you have all the documents ready, do not forget to make scans of them. Then, you will go to the official site of the service provider, and pay a fee for assistance. By the way, this is an aspect that worries clients most of all. Sure, some intermediaries suggest a price that is adequate while others want to ripe the customers off. The best variant here is to stick to something in between.
Well, when you have chosen the service of opening a bank account online and you are ready to pay a fee, you will be redirected to the corresponding page. Your credit card will suit this purpose just perfectly. After processing the transaction, you will be ready to upload the documents you have. And, you will have your own bank account in Portugal soon!