Citi's 2024 branch checklist for nonresident aliens — why two government IDs?

Citi's current business banking checklist (publicly available since 2024) is unusually explicit: associated individuals — meaning each signer, beneficial owner at 25%+, and controlling person — must provide government-issued identification. If the individual does NOT have a US SSN or ITIN (the typical nonresident-alien case), Citi requires TWO different government-issued IDs. That's the clearest current public evidence among the four largest US banks (Citi, Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America) that in-person onboarding of nonresident business owners is being contemplated operationally, not just theoretically.

Citi doesn't publish a fixed accepted-ID list in the branch materials, but in practice acceptable combinations include: passport + national ID card from your home country, passport + driver's license from your home country, passport + foreign tax ID card, or passport + government-issued residence permit. The two IDs should be from different document classes (don't try passport + passport card from the same country) and both must be current (not expired). Bring originals; photocopies alone are not accepted at the branch.

Beyond the two IDs, Citi's checklist asks for: business formation document (Articles of Organization, Certificate of Formation), Taxpayer ID Number (EIN for the entity), account-activity estimates, employee count, and detailed data on every owner/signer/controlling person. You'll also need a US business address. Citi accepts a US-registered-agent address for the entity address but the controlling person's residential address can be international. Plan 30-45 minutes for the appointment and book in advance — walk-ins for nonresident business account opening rarely succeed.

Among the four big banks, Citi is currently the most credible branch path for a nonresident owner who can travel to the US. Chase is comparable but its branch-level approval matrix is less publicly documented. Wells Fargo's SSN-for-every-signer rule (separate Q&A) effectively excludes most nonresidents regardless of travel. Bank of America's public status as of 2026 is unclear for nonresident business owners. If you're flying to the US specifically to open a bank account, Citi is the highest-probability appointment to book.