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Open a CNY account: what the bank will ask

The documents and steps an importer goes through to open a renminbi account in China, in the order the bank asks for them.

one application · Checked · For people relocating

No published figure yet. The authority does not publish this cost in a form we could verify and quote, so this guide covers the procedure only: what to bring, in what order, and where it goes wrong. We will add the figures the moment there is a source for them.

In order

  1. Ask the branch which account types it offers importers — Get the list and the document requirements for each in writing before you visit.
  2. Check your registration documents are current — Make sure the licence and the legal representative's details match what the bank will see.
  3. Assemble the company documents — Business licence, articles of association, identity documents, and the company seals.
  4. Collect the trade evidence — Contracts, invoices, and customs paperwork showing what you import and from whom.
  5. Prepare the signatory authorisation — If the signatory is not the legal representative, have the written authorisation signed and sealed as the bank requires.
  6. Attend the branch in person — The authorised signatory presents originals, signs the forms, and sets who can instruct payments.
  7. Get the account details in writing — Record the account number and the bank's requirements for incoming payments before you leave.
  8. File the paperwork for every transaction — Keep the supporting documents for each payment so you can produce them if the bank asks.

Opening a renminbi account as an importer is a document exercise, not a negotiation. The bank is checking that your company exists, that the person in front of them is authorised to act for it, and that the money coming in has a paper trail. Get the paperwork in the right order and the visit is short.

Before you go to the branch

Confirm with the bank which account type fits your trade. Importers usually need a basic settlement account for day-to-day payments and a separate account for foreign-currency conversion; ask the branch which products they offer and what each requires. Check that your company’s registration documents are current and that the legal representative’s details on file match what the bank will see. A mismatch between the licence and the signatory is the most common reason an application stalls. Ask the branch in advance whether they want originals, copies, or both, and whether documents issued outside China need translation or notarisation. Requirements differ by bank and by branch.

Documents the bank will ask for

Expect to provide the business licence, the articles of association, and the identity documents of the legal representative and of anyone authorised to operate the account. Bring the company seal and, where the company uses them, the financial and contract seals. For an importer, the bank will also want evidence of the trade behind the account: contracts, invoices, or customs paperwork showing what you buy and from whom. Have these ready rather than promising to send them later. If the signatory is not the legal representative, bring the written authorisation, signed and sealed in the form the bank specifies.

At the branch

The account is opened in person. The authorised signatory attends, presents the originals, signs the application forms, and sets the account’s operating rules, including who can instruct payments and how. The bank will record the purpose of the account and the expected counterparties. Answer consistently with the contracts you submitted; inconsistencies trigger a compliance review that holds up the account. Ask for the account number and the bank’s details in writing before you leave, and ask what the bank needs from you for each incoming payment.

After the account is open

Keep the trade documents for every transaction that passes through the account. The bank can ask for them at any time, and a payment without supporting paperwork can be held. Tell your suppliers the exact account name and number, and confirm the currency of each payment. A payment sent to the wrong account or in the wrong currency is slow to reverse. If the signatory, the legal representative, or the company’s registration details change, tell the bank and update the mandate before the next payment is due.

Confirm before you act

Fees and processing times change. This page was checked on 2026-11-09; confirm the current rule with the authority named in each source above before you rely on a deadline.

Last checked 2026-11-09, next review 2027-05-08. Every figure above names its source and the date it was read. This page is a guide, not legal, tax or immigration advice — confirm with the authority before acting on a deadline.

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