Does anyone know how or which bank I can open a bank account with in China?
My situation: Taiwan passport / No Taiwan ID / Philippine residence card / No Philippine passport / Recently moved to Shanghai
I tried to open an account at ICBC and CCB. Both bank’s personnel were very confused. One simply said they cannot open an account and another said I needed to get a PRC passport.
I am staying here for at least a year so I need a bank account (studying initially & then will export products to Philippines). I don’t know if there’s anyone in a similar situation, but any perspective will be helpful. Thank you!
strange case but I would really like to know, how you entered China just using the Taiwan passport? What kind of visa did you apply for and where?? You don’t have the Taiwan ID so definitely no Tai Bao Zheng.
Sorry for the questions!!!
You can open an account in China if you have a foreign passport but if you only have a Taiwan passport then you can only open an account using the Tai Bao Zheng. As you have found out, they will not accept the Taiwan passport as they do not recognize it!!
I have a PRC travel permit. It’s really frustrating… I don’t know what to do because I need a bank account to send in rent, spending, and tuition money.
China will only issue taibaozheng to people who have Taiwan ID’s, so I really don’t know what to say.
Now that I think about it, it’s not like you’re stateless, you ARE stateless.
I would suggest you get citizenship somewhere (even if it’s the Philippines) as a priority, if you want to do any traveling in your life. This may include living in Taiwan for a few years, or marrying someone somewhere who can get you citizenship.
I have a colleague who’s not in the same pickle, but still a pickle - he’s in China with a taibaozheng, and his TW passport expired. He’s of conscription age so they won’t renew his passport outside Taiwan. If he returns to Taiwan he’ll get conscripted. Only China will renew his taibaozheng so basically he’s stuck in China.
