“I'm a French resident planning a short trip to Washington D.C., and I want to set up a US bank account and use Amex Global Transfer without an SSN or ITIN. My plan is to get a Tello eSIM, open a checking account in a branch using my passport and French proof of address, and use a friend's US address for mail. Will this work, and which banks in D.C. are best for non-residents opening an account in person?”
The missing SSN/ITIN is not the main barrier: federal rules permit passport identification, and Bank of America expressly publishes a no-U.S.-TIN route. The manageable issue is truthful U.S.-address evidence; without it, postpone the bank and Amex applications rather than misstate where you live.
Your routes depend on whether you can truthfully document a U.S. physical address and whether you already hold an eligible Amex card.
This is the best-documented D.C. option. Bank of America requires a physical U.S. address, both foreign and U.S. addresses, two IDs, and an , but says a U.S. TIN/ITIN is not required unless one has been issued. Its U.S.-address list includes a current utility bill with your name and address or a genuine rental agreement; ordinary mail at your friend's home is not listed.
Chase requires a U.S.-address document showing both your name and the address so it can connect you to the property. French address proof plus mail at a friend's home does not meet that published condition.
can use passport details instead of an SSN/ITIN, but the U.S. route is for a move and requires a U.S. home address, U.S. home phone, and U.S. bank details. Your short visit and friend's mailing address do not satisfy the published home-address requirement.
This becomes viable after a real move if you have the required U.S. home and bank details and are the primary holder of an Amex-issued card held for at least three months, with the account open and in good standing. Amex lists passport details, an SSN, or an ITIN as alternatives.
A passport can replace a U.S. tax ID under the federal identification rule, but each bank may impose stricter requirements.
These steps test the address requirement first, so you do not spend your trip on applications the published rules do not support.
Before the trip
Decide whether you have a genuine U.S. physical address
If your friend's home is only for mail, stop the Bank of America, Chase, and Amex plan here. If you actually stay there and have a genuine listed document—such as a current utility bill with your name and address or a real rental agreement—continue; do not invent or backdate a lease.
Requirements
Before your appointment
Assemble Bank of America's document package
Use the nonpermanent-resident route at https://info.bankofamerica.com/en/international/professional-bank-account.html. The page says a U.S. TIN/ITIN is not required unless one has already been issued; provide your true French tax and residence information.
Requirements
First D.C. bank choice
Book the Bank of America K Street appointment
The K Street Financial Center is at 1800 K St NW, Suite 104, Washington, DC 20006; phone (202) 559-8401; official page: https://locators.bankofamerica.com/dc/washington/financial-centers-washington-16964.html. Bank of America's nonpermanent-resident page directs applicants to schedule an in-person financial-center appointment; approval remains subject to identity verification.
Requirements
Conditional second choice
Try Chase only with proof in your own name
If you have the required proof, the Metro Center branch is at 1120 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005; phone (202) 729-4400; official page: https://www.chase.com/locator/banking/us/dc/washington/1120-g-st-nw. Friend-address mail does not satisfy Chase's published property-link requirement.
Requirements
For a contact number
Order the Tello eSIM separately
Use https://tello.com/buy/esim and follow the new-line steps after signing in. Treat the number only as contact information; it does not replace bank address evidence, and Amex does not confirm that it counts as a U.S. home phone.
Requirements
After the bank account exists
Use Global Card Transfer only after a genuine move
Apply at https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/about-us/moving-abroad/ only when those move-related facts are true. Passport details are a listed alternative, so no SSN/ITIN can be acceptable; a short visit and friend's mailing address do not satisfy the U.S.-home requirements.
Requirements
You are not the first to go through this. Here is how it went for others who asked the same thing.
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This answer comes from FinCEN's current customer-identification regulation, IRS ITIN guidance, and the banks', Amex's, and Tello's own published requirements.
31 CFR 1020.220
Federal rules allow passport details instead of a U.S. taxpayer number and define the address information a bank must collect.
(a)(2)(i)(A)
Except as permitted by paragraphs (a)(2)(i)(B) and (C) of this section, the bank must obtain, at a minimum, the following information from the customer prior to opening an account: ( _1_ ) Name; ( _2_ ) Date of birth, for an individual; ( _3_ ) Address, which shall be: ( _i_ ) For an individual, a residential or business street address; ( _ii_ ) For an individual who does not have a residential or business street address, an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) box number, or the residential or business street address of next of kin or of another contact individual; or ( _iii_ ) For a person other than an individual (such as a corporation, partnership, or trust), a principal place of business, local office, or other physical location; and ( _4_ ) Identification number, which shall be: ( _i_ ) For a U.S. person, a taxpayer identification number; or ( _ii_ ) For a non-U.S. person, one or more of the following: A taxpayer identification number; passport number and country of issuance; alien identification card number; or number and country of issuance of any other government-issued document evidencing nationality or residence and bearing a photograph or similar safeguard.
Bank of America nonpermanent-resident requirements
Bank of America's nonpermanent-resident route requires two addresses, two IDs, and an FTIN, but not a U.S. TIN that was never issued.
Collect required documents
You'll need to provide **both** a foreign and U.S. address, as well as two forms of ID and a tax identification number. **Foreign Tax Identification Number (FTIN)** An FTIN issued by a country other than the U.S. A U.S. TIN/ITIN is not required unless you've been issued one.
Bank of America nonpermanent-resident requirements
Bank of America lists documents that can prove the required U.S. physical address.
U.S. physical address
**U.S. physical address** Only one of the following documents is needed: Government-issued ID with photo Current utility bill with your name and address Other (rental agreement, etc.)
Chase nonresident account guidance
Chase requires a U.S.-address document linking the applicant to that address.
Proof of address
Proof of U.S. address must be provided in the form of a document that shows both your name and address to ensure you're associated with the property.
American Express Global Card Transfer—USA
Amex requires U.S. home, phone, and bank details, while allowing passport details instead of SSN/ITIN.
Must haves for a USA move
**Must haves for a USA move:** Your American Express Account number U.S. home address U.S. home phone number U.S. bank account details Passport details, U.S.-issued Social Security Number (SSN), or U.S.-issued Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) Employment details
American Express Global Card Transfer—USA
Global Card Transfer requires an eligible existing Amex relationship.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a new Card in the U.S., your existing Card must be issued by American Express, you must be the primary Cardholder, and have held the Card for at least 3 months. Your Card Account must be open and in good standing at the time you apply for a new Card in the U.S. If the Card was previously cancelled by you, it must have been cancelled within the last 3 months. American Express Corporate Cards and American Express Cards issued by Banks other than an American Express Bank are not eligible through this Card application process.
IRS ITIN eligibility
The IRS limits ITINs to people with a federal tax purpose who cannot obtain an SSN.
Who needs an ITIN
You need an ITIN if you have a federal tax purpose and you’re not eligible for an SSN.
Tello eSIM new-line instructions
Tello provides a way to order an eSIM for a new number, but this does not establish address eligibility.
For a New Line
For a New Line: To order an eSIM for a new number, follow these steps after logging in to your Tello account: Navigate to the Plans section of the website.
Bank of America K Street Financial Center
This is a central Washington Bank of America financial center for the in-person route.
Bank of America financial center is located at 1800 K St NW STE 104 Washington, DC 20006. (202) 559-8401.
Chase Metro Center branch
This is Chase's central Metro Center branch.
1120 G St NW, Washington, DC, 20005 +1 (202) 729-4400
These are the official rules and issuer requirements as published on the cited dates; rules and branch practices can change.
This is general information about official processes, not legal advice, and SettleKit is not a law firm.
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