How can a newcomer open a bank account in China in 2026?

Large banks that foreigners use most often include Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Bank of China, China Construction Bank (CCB) and China Merchants Bank (CMB). Requirements vary by branch, but a practical newcomer pack is: passport, Chinese SIM already registered in your name, temporary residence registration form, and a residence permit or other long-stay visa once issued. Some branches will open on a valid long-stay visa before the residence sticker arrives; many will not open on a short tourist L visa.

Fill the account-opening form at the desk, complete any face or fingerprint checks the branch uses, then set or change the PIN at an ATM before you leave. Download that bank's mobile app while staff can help with SMS codes. Keep the physical card safe; report loss to the same bank promptly.

Get the Chinese number first (Get mobile phone), finish address registration (Register address), and ideally hold the residence permit or a clear long-stay path (Apply residence permit) before you queue. International districts in Shanghai, Beijing Chaoyang and Shenzhen Nanshan or Shekou sometimes have more foreigner-experienced counters, but English is still uneven. Bring a Mandarin-speaking colleague when you can.

Ask whether the product is a basic debit card suitable for Alipay and WeChat binding, whether foreign-currency services exist, and whether your employer can arrange a salary account letter. Do not invent expected fee tables from memory; branch tariffs change and are not the decision point compared with simply being accepted as a customer.

Metro access to major bank hubs is strong in the big cities, so the friction is paperwork and language, not finding a branch on a map.