Given tensions with nearby Pakistan and a slew of terrorist attacks in the past, the Indian government is very concerned with security in India. In addition to random security checks everywhere, this also results in excessive bureaucratic hassle that a foreigner living in India must to endure to do, well pretty much anything. This week's installment? Opening a bank account.
For the record, I need a local bank account to be paid my salary electronically, which has a tax benefit for me. (Otherwise, no way would I have bothered.)
So, here is the list of documents and information I needed to produce in order to open a local bank account:
Now there's a lot of silliness in the above list of documents, right? For starters, most of the documents that they require are already needed for me to register with the Indian government so, presumably, if I can show them a valid registration they don't need to check my proof of address again. But, ok, let's just say they're being thorough there. But why should my bank need to know my monthly salary? How many dependents I have? My father's name?
Speaking of my father's name--I made a tactical slip up that almost threw the whole ballgame! When giving my "permanent address" in the USA I used the address on the Lower East Side where I'd been living for the past few years since that is the address handwritten (um, in pencil) into my passport which the bank guy agreed could serve as proof of address. The bank guy was suspicious since he may or may not have caught me scribbling my address into my passport when his back was turned, but I assured him that my "permanent" US address was that of my parents, which he accepted. But then later on, in a separate part of the form when giving my dad's name and his address I gave a different address! Oh! I could have kicked myself for my stupidity.
Boy, was bank guy on his game! In reviewing my application he was like: "You told me your permanent address is your parents' house, but you've put a different address for your dad's contact information. Can you please explain?"
I panicked momentarily, but quickly pulled myself together. After all, I'd just spent the last 1.5 hours filling out this form--no way was I going to let this mistake derail my attempts to open a bank account (and get paid). So I looked bank guy straight in the eye and, with a wavering voice and a well timed sniff, whimpered that my parents had gone through a painful separation a few months prior and my dad was now living at a different address . . . but I'd rather not talk about it.
Bank guy was very sympathetic. He asked no further address questions and processed my application immediately. Phew!
For the record, I need a local bank account to be paid my salary electronically, which has a tax benefit for me. (Otherwise, no way would I have bothered.)
So, here is the list of documents and information I needed to produce in order to open a local bank account:
- Passport
- Visa
- Proof of registration with the Indian government
- Proof of address in India. In my case, this was a 4 document set: (a) lease between the landlord and the sublessor (b) letter from the landlord indicating that he is aware the property is being sublet to me (c) letter from the sublessor to the bank confirmation subleasing agreement (d) copies of identity cards of both my landlord and my sublessor.
- Indian tax payers card
- Passport photo
- Account information for my primary account in the USA
- USA drivers license
- Proof of address in the USA
- Social Security card
- W-9 taxpayers form
- Father's name and address details
- Letter written to the bank manager attesting that I had no other bank accounts in India and was planning on remaining in India "for good"
- Salary information
- Marital status
- Number of dependents
- Reasons for coming to India
- Job description
- Employer contact details
Now there's a lot of silliness in the above list of documents, right? For starters, most of the documents that they require are already needed for me to register with the Indian government so, presumably, if I can show them a valid registration they don't need to check my proof of address again. But, ok, let's just say they're being thorough there. But why should my bank need to know my monthly salary? How many dependents I have? My father's name?
Speaking of my father's name--I made a tactical slip up that almost threw the whole ballgame! When giving my "permanent address" in the USA I used the address on the Lower East Side where I'd been living for the past few years since that is the address handwritten (um, in pencil) into my passport which the bank guy agreed could serve as proof of address. The bank guy was suspicious since he may or may not have caught me scribbling my address into my passport when his back was turned, but I assured him that my "permanent" US address was that of my parents, which he accepted. But then later on, in a separate part of the form when giving my dad's name and his address I gave a different address! Oh! I could have kicked myself for my stupidity.
Boy, was bank guy on his game! In reviewing my application he was like: "You told me your permanent address is your parents' house, but you've put a different address for your dad's contact information. Can you please explain?"
I panicked momentarily, but quickly pulled myself together. After all, I'd just spent the last 1.5 hours filling out this form--no way was I going to let this mistake derail my attempts to open a bank account (and get paid). So I looked bank guy straight in the eye and, with a wavering voice and a well timed sniff, whimpered that my parents had gone through a painful separation a few months prior and my dad was now living at a different address . . . but I'd rather not talk about it.
Bank guy was very sympathetic. He asked no further address questions and processed my application immediately. Phew!
I was wondering why I got a slew of emails starting with "Beautiful Indian Brides available".
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