Notifications
Clear all
Banking and Money
2
Posts
1
Users
0
Reactions
18
Views
Topic starter
12/11/2025 12:14 am
Moving to the Philippines means learning a new banking system — and that can be tricky at first.
Which banks or apps work best for expats?
How easy is it to open an account, use GCash, or withdraw with an overseas card?
If you’ve figured out a good system, share your experience — it might save someone a lot of time (and fees).
Topic starter
24/11/2025 12:25 am
When I arrived in the Philippines, one of my first goals was to open a joint bank account with my wife. I learned pretty quickly that this isn’t as simple as it sounds for a foreigner.
First, I needed an ACR I-Card (Alien Certificate of Registration Identity Card). You don’t even qualify for that until after your first two-month extension, and then it took about a month before I finally received it.
Once I had the card, we went to DBP to open the account. That’s when I found out my wife needed a police clearance first, so that meant another trip back. We returned with all the paperwork, and everything seemed fine—until I learned we could only open a basic savings account, and it had to sit for six months before we could do anything else with it.
Then I asked about online banking and was told they don’t offer it. At that point, I was already wondering if I chose the wrong bank. To make things worse, their ATM wouldn’t accept my U.S. Visa debit card. That sealed it for me.
In the end, it’s not the end of the world. I can always switch banks.
Which banks have you found most foreigner-friendly here?
