Chase® is a large and popular bank which has a comprehensive selection of accounts for day to day use, savings, investment and more. But can a non resident open a Chase bank account?
This guide walks through all you need to know about opening a Chase account for non residents, and also introduces an alternative — Wise — which can be handy if you’re looking for a flexible account with powerful international features.
Learn more about Wise
Can a non-resident open an account with Chase?
So, can a foreigner open a bank account in Chase? Chase offers accounts to US citizens, Green Card holders and non-residents.
However, there are important eligibility requirements you’ll need to meet before you can open a non-resident account with Chase.
We’ll cover all the documents needed in detail later, but the key requirements to know about include holding a US SSN or ITIN for tax purposes¹, and having a US residential address².
These requirements apply for checking accounts — if you’re looking for a different type of Chase account and don’t have standard US issued ID and address documents, you’ll need to call the bank directly to discuss your options.
Can a foreigner open a bank account in Chase?
Foreign US residents and non-residents with a US address can open Chase checking accounts, subject to meeting any other account conditions.
Can you open a foreign Chase account online?
You can usually open a Chase account online if you have a US SSN and either a local US driving license or a state issued ID document.
If you don’t have these standard document types, you’ll probably need to visit a Chase branch to present your paperwork and open your account.
Opening a Chase account for non residents: step by step
Exactly how you open your Chase account will depend on your personal situation and the documents you hold.
If you have the correct paperwork to hand you can open a Chase checking account³ online — but if you don’t have US issued documentation to verify your address and ID you may need to visit a branch.
In either case, you’ll follow the same basic steps⁴:
Step 1. Choose the correct Chase account for your personal needs
Step 2. Double check eligibility and gather the documents required
Step 3. Complete an account opening form online or in person
Step 4. Present your paperwork for verification
Step 5. Pay any required opening deposit
Step 6. Once your account has been fully verified you’re good to go
It’s useful to know you’ll need to have a US residential address, with adequate proof of address documents, to open a Chase account as a non-resident.
That means in practice that non-resident aliens who live part of the year in the US and have a property here may be able to open a Chase account, but non-residents who don’t have a US home address will struggle.
If that sounds like you, don’t panic — we have an alternative, the Wise account you can open from more or less anywhere. More on that in a moment.
Advantages and disadvantages of a Chase non-resident account
Not sure if the Chase non-resident account options are right for you? Here are a few pros and cons to consider:
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
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Everywhere money. Meet Wise: the world's most international account
To open a USD account with Chase you’ll need to have a US address. If you’re not living in the US — or if you simply want a more flexible account you can open from anywhere — check out Wise.
Wise isn’t a bank, but a Wise Account allows you to hold, send and receive money, as well as getting an attached debit card — plus you’ll get some extra perks which suit anyone living an international lifestyle.
You’ll be able to hold 50+ currencies, and get local bank details for up to 10 currencies including USD, to get paid easily by wire or ACH.
Wise offers linked debit cards for spending and withdrawals around the world, and all currency conversion uses the mid-market exchange rate.
This way to easyinternational payments
That means that whenever you send a payment or spend in a foreign currency your dollars are converted with the mid-market rate with low conversion fees from 0.41%⁵. Easy.
Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit for the most up to date pricing and fee information
What are the requirements to open a Chase bank account as a foreigner?
Chase accounts are available to foreign customers without any particular restriction.
However, you’ll need to make sure you meet all the account eligibility requirements, and pull together documents for verification purposes.
Chase also notes that some customers from OFAC sanctioned countries may be asked for additional paperwork to get their account up and running.
Who's eligible?
Chase accounts can be opened by US citizens, US permanent residents (Green Card holders), and other US non-permanent residents.
In all cases you’ll be asked to present documents which verify your identity and your US address — but the exact paperwork that can be accepted may vary based on your personal situation.
In most cases you’ll also be asked for a SSN or an ITIN, to comply with US tax regulations.
What documents will you need to open a Chase foreigner account?
Chase checking accounts can be opened using different documents depending on the details of your residency and citizenship.
In all cases you’ll need to prove your identity and address, but the exact paperwork can vary. To give an example, to open a Chase checking account as a non-permanent resident you must provide:
- Primary ID: either a passport, Matrícula Consular Card or a photo US Employment Authorization Card
- Secondary ID: such as a US driving license, utility bill, state issued ID or employer ID
You can choose to provide 2 forms of primary ID if you’d prefer, and one of the documents used must show your US address.
Chase Bank foreigner account features
Chase has a comprehensive range of accounts which are available to non-resident customers with a local US tax ID number and address.
For checking accounts you’ll find packages like the popular Chase Total Checking, or the Chase Premier Plus Checking accounts. Both of these account options come with monthly fees which can be waived by maintaining a set minimum balance.
To see how Chase’s non-resident checking account options measure up, let’s look at a comparison with the accounts available for non-residents from Bank of America, and our non-banking alternative, Wise.
| Chase⁶ | Bank of America⁷ | Wise**⁵ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance fee | 12 USD (waived if minimum balance is maintained) | 12 USD (waived if minimum balance is maintained) | No fee |
| **ATM fee | 3 USD out of network fee for non-Chase withdrawals in the US 5 USD for international withdrawals | 2.50 USD out of network fee for non-Bank of America withdrawals in the US 5 USD for international withdrawals | 2 withdrawals, to 100 USD/month free — low fees after that Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks |
| International transfer fee | 15 USD incoming, 0 USD to 50 USD outgoing, depending on how the transfer is arranged | Variable fee for both incoming and outgoing transfers | Incoming — 4.14 USD wire fee, free to receive ACH and local transfers in a selection of other currencies Outgoing transfers from 0.41% |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% | 3% | No fee |
*Chase account profiled — Chase Total Checking. Bank of America account profiled — Advantage Plus Banking, other account options also exist, which have their own features and fees
**Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit for the most up to date pricing and fee information
If you’re a non-permanent US resident, the good news is that Chase will be able to offer you an account as long as you have a local US tax ID and address.
However, Chase accounts can come with monthly fees — and as a non-resident the chances are that you’ll have to visit a Chase branch to get set up. If you want a more flexible alternative you can open entirely on your phone, take a look at Wise instead.
Wise accounts can be opened from anywhere, using a local proof of address from wherever you call home.
Plus you’ll get mid-market rate currency exchange, great international and multi-currency features, and intuitive ways to manage your money from your phone.
Sources:
- Chase guide — non-resident account opening
- Chase checking account documents
- Chase checking accounts
- Chase guide — how to open a checking account
- Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise for the most up to date pricing and fee information
- Chase checking account fees
- Bank of America fee schedule
Sources checked on 04.25.2023
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information. This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
