Registering as a foreigner and getting HKID card (click for more) would be second – and we are obliged to do so after arrival. Hopefully with a visa already in the passport (click here and set up a meting beforehand).

The third place is reserved for getting a bank account – which would be impossible to get without the first two. So – to work people!

Being trained in the UK, knowing HK is an old British colony, we didn’t even try banks. After getting the flat our wonderful agent put the bills in different names (this way each of us had the proof of address that would be needed soon). We didn’t wait long for the mail – the confirmations of renting came fast. Soon the water company wrote a thank you letter for the deposit we had to put there.

With papers in hand, it was the right time to go to the bank. We had to still wait for our meeting in the immigration department and the HKID card.

But I thought – we have a passport with a visa. Maybe… maybe it will work…
So what they said in the bank?

We will need:

• The proof of employment
• The rent papers or the proof of address (bills)
• Letter of recommendation from the employer, where he confirms the addresses once again (the one from HK and the one from the ID Card (ours – polish one) – please, don’t ask why)
• HKID… of course…

But couldn’t we do something about it… because you know Sir, for now, we have only the confirmation of a meeting in the immigration department. But it should be ok. Here is our passport with the visa… waiting another 3 weeks for a bank account would be soooo difficult. And the salary had to go somewhere…

Add to it the personal charm of my Hubby and the passport with visa WAS ENOUGH. I won’t lie to you – getting a bank account in the 3rd week of the stay in Hong Kong was a small miracle. Plus it was HSBC (something close home) and they always have a problem…. There is no hurt in asking, you know.

And if you do not like situations like that learn from our mistakes – book a meeting in the immigration department as soon as possible (we did it a bit too late). Before you get your Card you get a paper that everything is in order and you are waiting for it (it already has the HKID number). Maybe it would be enough. Maybe other banks have other rules. So ask, ask, ask around – you never know.

They banks in Hong Kong have one, infuriating thing in common – the lack of a true, European Debit Card. What do I mean?

The bank account is as normal as ever. But the card that you get, that is connected to it, let’s you only take money from ATM and pay with a lady at the counter (Union Pay and ESP which is a signature and PIN). Forget about using self-service counters or paying via Internet. It is a nightmare…

And they still have check-books in this country… And for a right to apply for a credit card you have to wait at least 6 months! Medieval darkness!

Which bank to choose? There is plenty of rankings throughout the Internet.

We wanted the international renown of HSBC. The other contestant was Standard Chartered – it gives free transfers between different banks (be careful, because in others – you have to sometimes pay for a transfer).

We didn’t know any of it at the beginning. We were thinking about collecting miles or cash back.

Because of the 6 months “trial” period, it all turned to ashes.

But, just for notice, I give you the banks that we chose in the order of preference (thinking about miles/cashback): HSBC, Standard Chartered, American Express, DBS, Citi (the last one is really good, but you need to pay for every transfer and some. This is why it is the last). This is our knowledge for September 2019. Since we have HSBC we will probably take a card there, when we will be able to.

Some advice – get yourself a good card from home. Because you will use it for quite a while in HK.