Blanca Valbuena

10 thoughts on “How to get a Portuguese Bank Account as a US Citizen”

  1. Hi There,

    Would love to ask you some follow-up questions regarding obtaining the NIF and getting a bank account set-up if possible. I am a dual citizen of Canada and Portugal and am dealing with some mass confusion and bureaucracy currently.

    Thank you!

  2. Blanca Valbuena

    Did you get a NIF yet? Opening an account was fairly easy on my end, feel free to ask q’s and will try to answer as best as possible.

  3. Hi, as a US citizen intending to be in Portugal less than 183 days a year, I want to open a non-resident
    bank account.
    Years ago, I got a non-resident NIF as “Documento Provisorio de Identificacao.”
    Do I still need to have a proof of Portuguese address OR my US address on my US driver license including US bank statements should be enough to open such an account, say at Activo Bank?”

  4. Hi Glenn,

    I’d recommend that you write a few Portuguese banks directly since things change so quickly. I find that one of the best Portuguese banks for expats is Activo Banco. Their online banking rocks, they don’t have monthly fees and most of their staff speaks English.

    I opened my Portuguese bank account with my resident visa, so the process may be a little different for you, but last I checked you’ll need proof of income that says what you do for work, your NIF (which you said you already have), and your proof of address (foreign bank statement should suffice), your passport for ID. You will also have to deposit money (not sure how that will work but I am sure once you contact the bank they will tell you).

    The whole process should take 15 minutes max.

    If the process has changed, definitely comment on here so that we can help others who are in a similar situation as you 🙂

    Enjoy your stay in Portugal,
    Blanca

  5. Recently, when visiting both CTT and MilleniumBCP banks in Portugal, they asked to see proof of my job. It seems in Portugal the idea that you might be of independent means – say not currently working but not seeking unemployment benefits, taking a mini-retirement/sabbatical or similar – is completely alien to them. Without such proof they were reluctant to open an account. What was your experience? Or is this a recent change?

  6. Hi Max,

    This sounds like a recent change. In my case, I just had to show proof of income. Would they not accept unemployment benefits? I know others who have opened their bank accounts with just this.

    Blanca

  7. Hello. I have been trying to set up a bank account from the US with Atlantico Banco for about a month now. I’ve sent all of the documents but they require a video conference which I try to initiate daily with no answer. I’m thinking of trying another bank. Do you know which bank would be the easiest to navigate to get an account set up from the US? We are planning to move to Lisbon in April and have everything done except for the bank account. I would very much appreciate any feedback you have. Thank you so much.

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