How to open a bank account without photo ID in Canada

If you don’t have a Canadian passport or driver’s license, you might think it’s impossible to open a bank account without photo ID. But banks may accept other, less commonly used forms of ID.

Can I open a bank account without photo ID in Canada?

The short answer is no. Banks need to verify your identity before you can open an account. That’s anti-fraud policy 101, and it protects you. You wouldn’t want a random person to be able to open a bank account in your name.

This also applies to digital banks. Even if you try to open an account online or through an app, you’ll usually be asked to submit a copy of your ID or a video of yourself.

But if you don’t have a valid Canadian passport or driver’s license, banks might accept other forms of ID.

What ID do I need to open a bank account in Canada?

Banks will look for ID that has an identification number and shows your name, signature and picture. Canadian passports and driver’s licenses issued in a Canadian province or territory are always acceptable (unless expired).

If you don’t have these, here’s a list of alternative IDs that banks might accept. If you don’t have photo ID, you may need to provide multiple alternatives types of ID.

Why is it sometimes difficult to provide ID to open a bank account?

There are a number of scenarios in which someone might be struggling to provide ID, and there are different options they can take.

Just moved to Canada

If you’ve recently arrived in Canada, you might not yet have a residence, making it tough to provide proof of residency. In this case, many banks accept foreign-issued passports as well as your Canadian-issued visa or other immigration documents.

International students

If you’re planning to study in Canada, you might want to open a Canadian bank account for everyday spending and money transfers. Luckily, most major banks have accounts designed for students and newcomers to Canada with provisions for those who can’t provide the usual Canadian ID.

Digital nomads

With more and more people working remotely, travelling the world while working has become much easier. If you’re living the nomadic life, you may want to get a Canadian mailing address from an online address service provider. Note that there is a cost for this service, which varies depending on the provider you choose and whether you pay for add-ons like mail/package forwarding.

Homelessness

Should you find yourself without a home, there are ways to get an address without buying or renting property. Similar to digital nomads, you can get a virtual address or proxy address where your mail can be sent.

ID requirements for major Canadian banks

---

TD Canada Trust

• ID requirements for TD Canada Trust

  SIN card and:

  • Valid Passport
  • Drivers License
  • Birth Certificate (if under 21)
  • Government Issued Age of Majority card

  Can apply in person at a branch with 2 pieces of ID that show your name, address and date of birth. If you can’t provide a SIN number, documentation must be certified as true by TD Waterhouse or TD Canada Trust Branch personnel.

---

CIBC

• ID requirements for CIBC

  • Driver’s license issued in Canada, US or UK
  • Canadian passport or eligible foreign passport
  • BC Services Card (in BC)
  • NEXUS card
  • CANPASS Air membership card
  • Certificate of Canadian or US Citizenship
  • Certification of Naturalization (not a commemorative issue)
  • Canadian or US Permanent Resident card
  • Canadian Certificate of Indian Status
  • Provincial or territorial health insurance card (not valid in all provinces)
  • Provincial/territorial identification card
  • Government of Canada employee ID card with name + photograph
  • Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation (MPIC) card
  • Canadian Firearms License
  • Provincial or Federal Police force ID card
  • Canadian Forces ID Card
  • Correctional Services Canada ID card
  • US Certificate of Naturalization

  Alternatively, present 2 of the following pieces of ID showing your name, date of birth and address.

  • Certificate of Canadian Citizenship or Certification of Naturalization (not a commemorative issue)
  • Citizenship and Immigration Canada Form IMM 1000, IMM 1442, IMM 5292 or IMM 5688
  • Health card without photo (not acceptable in all provinces)
  • Canadian birth certificate
  • Recent CRA tax Notice of Assessment
  • Recent statements of benefits from Canadian or provincial/territorial government
  • Recent Canadian public utility bills
  • Recent bank account or credit card statement
  • Eligible foreign passport

---

RBC

• ID requirements for RBC

  • 2 pieces of identification from the following:
    • 2 pieces of identification from List A
    • 1 piece of identification from List A and 1 piece of identification from List B

  List A:

  • Canadian Birth certificate issued by a provincial, territorial or federal government
  • Canadian Citizenship Certificate (no photo)
  • Canadian Citizenship and Immigration form IMM1000 (prior to June 28th, 2002), IMM1442 or IMM5292
  • Canadian Naturalization Certificate (not a commemorative issue)
  • Canadian Old Age Security card
  • Canadian Social Insurance Number Card (red and white plastic card issued on or before March 31, 2014)
  • Provincial and territorial health insurance card with no Photo (except for Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and PEI)

  List B:

  • Automated Banking Machine (ATM) card or client card,
  • Canadian Social Insurance Number letter (issued after March 31, 2014)
  • Student card with photo issued by Canadian university or college
  • Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) client card with photo and signature
  • Credit Card, issued by a member of the Canadian Payments Association with name and signature
  • Employee identity card, issued by a well-known employer, bearing the individual’s photograph
  • Diplomatic ID issued by Foreign Affairs
  • Sponsor, personally known by RBC client or community member

---

Scotiabank

• ID requirements for Scotiabank

  One piece of government-issued photo identification from this list:

  • Valid Canadian driver’s license (not acceptable in Quebec)
  • Valid Canadian passport
  • Certification of Naturalization
  • Canadian Citizenship card (issued prior to 2012)
  • Permanent Resident Card
  • Provincial/territorial health insurance card with a photo (not acceptable in all provinces)
  • Secure certificate of Indian Status issued by the Government of Canada
  • Provincial/territorial identity cards (with the exception of Quebec)
  • DND 404 Driver’s Licence
  • Canadian Forces Card
  • Firearms Possession and Acquisition Licence
  • Foreign passport
  • Nexus Card
  • Canpass Card
  • Global Entry Card
  • National Identity Card
  • US Permanent Resident Card
  • US driver’s licence

  If you can’t provide ID from the above list, you can submit documents from two independent reliable sources from this list:

  • Canada Pension Plan statement of contributions
  • Original birth certificate
  • Marriage certificate or government-issued proof of marriage document (long-form including date of birth)
  • Divorce documentation
  • Canadian Citizenship certificate
  • Temporary driver’s licence (non-photo)
  • Canadian insurance document (home, auto, life)
  • IMM 1442 document
  • Official Canadian Government Immigration Form or Certificate (name and date of birth)
  • Municipal property tax assessment
  • Provincially-issued vehicle registration
  • Federal, provincial, territorial or municipal benefits statement
  • CRA documents:
    • Notice of assessment
    • Requirements to pay notice
    • Installment reminder/receipt
    • GST refund letter
    • Benefits statements
    • Canadian utility bill
    • Canadian T4 statement
  • Canadian record of employment
  • Registered account statement from a Canadian financial institution
  • Travel visa
  • Credit card, bank or loan account statement
  • Email or letter from a financial entity holding a deposit account, credit card or loan account

  If you can’t show ID from any of the above lists, you’ll be required to provide any document from a reliable source that indicates your name and date of birth and have your identity confirmed by:

  • A different Scotiabank customer who is in good standing with the bank
  • A person in good standing within the community where you’re opening the account

---

BMO

• ID requirements for BMO

  The eligible piece of identification must contain a photo and be issued by a government agency, including a federal government, (e.g. Canada, US or other foreign government), or by a provincial/territorial/state level
  government.

  • Certificate of Canadian Citizenship
  • Certificate of Indian Status issued by the Government of Canada
  • Driver’s licence as permitted to be used for identification purposes (a temporary Alberta Driver’s
  • Licence prohibited from being used as identification)
  • Canadian Firearms Licence
  • Government issued ID card or document
  • Immigration Canada Documents; Immigration
  • Canada form IMM 1000, IMM 1442, IMM 5292, or IMM 5688
  • NEXUS Card
  • Passport
  • Permanent Resident card
  • Provincial or territorial health insurance card as permitted to be used as identification under provincial or territorial law (health cards issued by the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, P.E.I., and Nova Scotia are prohibited from being used as identification anywhere in Canada)
  • Document or card, bearing the individual’s photograph and signature, issued by any of the following authorities or their successors:
    • Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
    • Alberta Registries
    • Saskatchewan Government Insurance
    • Department of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
    • Department of Transportation and Public Works of the Province of Prince Edward Island
    • Service New Brunswick
    • Department of Government Services and Lands of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
    • Department of Transportation of the Northwest Territories
    • Department of Community Government and Transportation of the Territory of Nunavut
  • Newcomers to Canada: SIN number and Canadian address

---

National Bank

• ID requirements for National Bank

  Valid government ID issued in Canada including:

  • Canadian passport
  • Driver’s licence
  • Permanent resident card
  • Provincial or federal identification card (excluding Quebec)
  • Quebec Health Insurance Card (new version)

  When applying online, you will submit a copy of your ID and a selfie for comparison. You can also verify your identity by signing into online banking at another financial institution where you have a chequing or savings account.

---

How about credit checks?

You may be able to open a bank account without providing multiple types of ID if your bank allows digital identity verification by conducting a soft credit check, which won’t affect your credit score. However, some banks require hard credit checks if you open an account online. This will affect your credit score.

Open a bank account

• Chequing accounts
• Savings accounts

Bottom line

To prevent fraud, you can’t open a bank account in Canada without ID. Although passports and driver’s licenses are the most commonly used forms of ID, banks typically accept a much wider range of documents to verify your identity. You may also be able to verify your ID by consenting to a credit check.

Frequently asked questions

• What bank account can I set up without photo ID?

  You'll have a hard time opening a bank account without photo ID in Canada.

  If you simply want a way to make card purchases (like you would with a debit or credit card), consider getting a prepaid spending card from an alternative financial institution. Photo ID might still be required, but it's usually easier to sign up for than a bank account and minimum documentation is required. Examples include the Neo Money card and the KOHO Extra Prepaid Card.

  If you want to transfer money, check out international money transfer services like Wise, WorldRemit or Xe.

• How do I open a bank account if my ID is refused?

  If you don't have ID on a bank's official list of acceptable identification, go into a bank branch personally to speak to a representative. The bank may be flexible with ID requirements as long as you can verify basic details like your name, Canadian residency and date of birth.

• How do I provide proof of residency to open a bank account?

  When verifying your residency to open a bank account in Canada, banks will usually accept a recent utility bill, bank statement, CRA Notice of Assessment, credit card bill or other document showing your name and address.

• Can I open a bank account if my ID has expired?

  Canadian banks typically don't accept expired ID, so you'll need to renew your ID before opening a bank account.