Yes — if you are moving to Australia on an eligible visa, you can open bank account Australia online before you fly, and all of the big four banks publish a pre-arrival route. The catch is that "open" usually means "application lodged": the account is not fully usable until you arrive and complete identity checks, and each bank gives you a limited window to do that.
Open bank account Australia: how early can you apply?
The windows are set by each bank, not by the government. CommBank lets newcomers open an Everyday Smart Access account up to 14 days before arriving in Australia, or within 12 months after arriving, but you must visit a CommBank branch once you are in the country and provide identification and tax residency details before you can use the account (CommBank's Banking in Australia page). Westpac's rule is that you can open an Australian account with it no more than 14 days before arrival (Westpac's New to Australia banking page).
NAB works differently: you can start its application online, but accounts are not opened until you arrive and visit a branch, and eligibility covers people who have arrived within 12 months or who are arriving within the next 30 days (NAB's Moving to Australia page). ANZ's published position is the most conservative — you set up your account once you have arrived in Australia (ANZ migrant banking page).
So the first thing to check is what you actually get before boarding: an open, usable account, or an application that only becomes an account after a branch visit. If you are counting on having an Australian account number for rent or tuition transfers, that difference matters.
Opening a bank account online in Australia: what happens after you apply?
Applying early gives you an account number and somewhere to send money; the identification step is what unlocks it. CommBank says you should provide your ID at a branch within 20 days of opening the account to avoid automatic account closure, and that you cannot withdraw funds or have full access to the CommBank app and NetBank until you have arrived and been appropriately identified at a CBA branch (CommBank). NAB asks you to visit a branch within 30 days of starting your online application to verify your identity and activate the account (NAB).
There are therefore two clocks running at once — one for when you can apply, and one for how long the account can sit dormant. If your arrival slips, or you do not yet have a fixed address, the account can stay unusable, and CommBank's page states that missing its deadline leads to automatic closure.
| Bank | Pre-arrival window | Identification deadline after applying |
|---|---|---|
| CommBank | Up to 14 days before arrival, or within 12 months after arriving | ID at a branch within 20 days of opening |
| Westpac | No more than 14 days before arrival | ID verification once in Australia (online for some nationalities) |
| NAB | Application can start online | Branch visit within 30 days of starting the application |
| ANZ | Account set up after arrival | Not published as a pre-arrival window |
These are bank policies, and they can change. Confirm the current window with the bank at the moment you apply rather than relying on a figure you read months earlier.
What ID will the bank ask for?
The core list is similar everywhere: your passport, an Australian residential address and an Australian mobile number. ANZ says you will need some key identification such as your passport, an Australian residential address and an Australian mobile number, and that you may also need your tax identification number or your country's equivalent (ANZ). CommBank asks for your current passport, with the original required, plus a Tax Identification Number for each country of foreign tax residency (CommBank). NAB asks for the passport linked to your Australian visa, your valid visa and related documents, an Australian residential address and an Australian mobile number (NAB).
Two details catch people out. First, the address and phone number have to be Australian ones, so both are worth arranging as early as your accommodation allows. Second, if your identification document is written in a language other than English, ANZ requires a translation into English by a translator accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (ANZ). Other banks may apply a similar rule that is not spelled out on the pages cited here, so ask before you rely on a document in another language.
The reason for all of this is regulation rather than bank bureaucracy. AUSTRAC, the Australian Government agency that oversees anti-money laundering rules, explains that when you are a customer of a regulated business such as a bank, it needs to know you are who you claim to be, as part of its customer due diligence obligations (AUSTRAC's "Why you might be asked for ID"). It also notes that when a provider identifies higher risks, it must ask customers for more information, such as proof of source of funds and source of wealth (AUSTRAC). If you are asked for more than a passport, that is the process working, not a sign that your application is failing.
Is there still a 100 point ID check?
The phrase "100 point ID check" is still common in guides and forums, but none of the bank or government pages cited in this answer sets out a points-scoring system for new customers. AUSTRAC says the type and amount of ID you are asked for depends on the institution and the nature of your transaction, and that the organisation you deal with will tell you what identification it accepts (AUSTRAC).
That means official guidance does not publish a points table, and you should not assume one exists. Ask your chosen bank for its current accepted-documents list — Westpac refers to an Identity checklist for individual customers and ANZ to a Customer Identification Process document — and confirm what will satisfy it before you book a branch appointment.
Who cannot use the pre-arrival route?
Eligibility narrows in a few specific ways. CommBank states it is unable to accept visitor visas under subclass 600, 601 or 651 (CommBank). Westpac allows part of the process to be completed online once you are in Australia if you are from India, China or New Zealand, while anyone from another country needs to present a valid form of ID at a Westpac branch (Westpac). NAB limits its newcomer eligibility to people who arrived within 12 months or are arriving within the next 30 days (NAB).
Whether a particular visa subclass or nationality qualifies for online rather than branch verification is not answered for every case on these pages. That is a question for the bank itself, and for visa questions generally, the Department of Home Affairs is the authority to ask; tax residency and TFN questions belong to the Australian Taxation Office.
What will the account cost you?
Moneysmart, the Australian Government's financial guidance site, notes that some transaction accounts charge monthly account-keeping fees and other fees for things like ATM withdrawals and internet banking, and advises thinking about your spending habits and choosing the account with the lowest fees (Moneysmart on transaction accounts). For someone arriving on a student or work budget, the practical move is to start with a low or no monthly-fee transaction account and compare fee schedules against how you will actually use it.
What to do next
- Confirm your bank's current pre-arrival window and whether it accepts your visa subclass.
- Ask for its accepted-documents list, and whether your nationality can verify online instead of in branch.
- Line up an Australian residential address and an Australian mobile number before your branch visit.
- Arrange a NAATI-accredited translation if any ID document is not in English.
- Compare the account's fee schedule with your expected spending, using Moneysmart's guidance on fees as a checklist.
General information only, not personal legal, migration, tax or financial advice.