Singapore Expats

I am an American citizen on a social visit pass (SVP) to Singapore. I am interested in opening a bank account in Singapore but there are barriers in doing so without holding some kind of visa legitimizing a long-term stay in Singapore (which I am actively trying to obtain).

I’ve noticed there are no visa barriers for foreigners making very large deposits, such as in DBS Treasures account, etc. Unfortunately my deposit would be far more humble, under 25K.

Since I don’t believe there are any banks that would let me open an account on my own, my girlfriend – a Singaporean citizen – has offered to put me on a joint account:

Is it possible for a Singaporean citizen to open a joint-bank account with a foreign visiting the country on a social visit pass?

Of course I will consult banks directly, but if anyone has any helpful advice I would greatly appreciate hearing it.

YannickLF wrote: Since I don’t believe there are any banks that would let me open an account on my own, my girlfriend – a Singaporean citizen – has offered to put me on a joint account:

Lovely GF you have ..

Local banks don't fancy doing business with those on tourist visa, as SVP is essentially a tourist visa -

Better luck with Citi, HSBC, Maybank and the likes ... from what I know.

Not essentially, IT IS.

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Not essentially, IT IS.

agreed ....

Rather than opening a joint account with your GF, and therefore putting your funds at risk... not that she's not a sweetheart, I'm sure, you might approach a bank where she already has a bank account or relationship and see if a letter of recommendation would do the trick. I did this for an American who was working in KL but being paid in Singapore dollars and had nothing other than an SVP when entering Singapore. UOB did this without issue.