Opening a bank account without passport or drivers license

KieranK3

Hope you’re all doing great, I’m in a bit of a bind. I want to open a bank account so I can pay my bills online and not have to fight with a swirl card. I don’t have a passport, never had the need for one, and I don’t drive or have a car so no license. I have a PPS card and my birth cert but that’s it.

I’m having a nightmare of a time finding any bank that’ll even give me the light of day. I’ve heard the post office might be able to open a current account with just that, has anyone else any idea if that’s possible? Any ideas on what company might actually work?

lostinsuperfunk

Credit union current account maybe?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122245753#Comment_122245753

They have the same legal requirements, as do the Post Office. EU KYC regulations.

OP will have to get a passport basically.

Boardnashea

No. Order your passport, doesn't take long to arrive.

You might wrangle a PO savings account but certainly not a current ac.

CU will do you a current ac but with passport and proof of address

JVince

why not just get a passport? Its not just a travel document, but an internationally recognised identity document due to the very stringent tests they do on the initial application. (hence a first time application can take 4-6 weeks)

At the same time, add a passport card. A very handy wallet friendly id document

Pauliedragon

Hi Bertie welcome to boards😛

All jokes aside for any account it has to be passport or driving license. PPS is no good. As mentioned above applying for a passport is your best option. Be aware 1st time passports you could be waiting 3 months or even longer.

the_amazing_raisin

There's information here about how to open a bank account if you're unable to get a passport (i.e. if you're a refugee)

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/personal-finance/banking/financial-institutions-and-identification/

I would have thought a public service card would suffice but since it isn't on the list then I guess it's no good

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246034#Comment_122246034

Very strict limits on what a PSC can be used for to stop it becoming a backup means of identifying a person across data sets like the US SSN is.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246034#Comment_122246034

The only way the card could be sold to the public was to acknowledge that it could NOT be used as a ID card!

And as the OP is in a position to obtain a passport the refuge stuff would not apply and in any case it would be more complicated that getting a passport. Plus the monitoring on such accounts is much higher.

Nigel Fairservice

There was much debate a few years ago about the PSC being a backdoor national ID card. The PSC doesn't have your date of birth on it so can't be used as an ID card. It can only be used to access some public services.

The easiest thing to do is to just get yourself a passport because you can't do much without proper photo ID. It's a problem that will keep coming up for you. You can use the PSC to satisfy the photo ID element of the passport application process. You have your birth cert so you just need proof of name and proof of address documents.