What do I bring to open a preparatory account? What restrictions do banks commonly have?

Required documents

• Two forms of ID for the responsible person
• The responsible person's personal seal
• The company name reservation approval

Recommended to bring as well

• The lease
• Contracts with customers or suppliers (evidence the company will actually operate)

Banks have become strict about account opening in recent years, and whether the preparatory account can be opened directly affects the incorporation timeline. We strongly recommend calling the branch first: whether an appointment is needed, what documents to bring, and how long review takes.

Common thresholds we have seen at various banks

• Personal account history of at least six months (Bank of Taiwan, Cathay United, SinoPac, Fubon, etc.)
• Review period of 1–3 weeks (Taishin, Hua Nan, Chang Hwa, etc.)
• Capital thresholds: Fubon requires NT$500,000 or more; Chang Hwa and Land Bank may require a site visit or six months of operation before converting to a formal account for companies with capital of NT$250,000 or NT$500,000 or less
• Business center addresses may be declined (Cathay United, SinoPac, Taishin, Fubon, Taiwan Cooperative Bank, etc.)
• A company seal engraved with "preparatory office" may be required (CTBC, some Taiwan Cooperative Bank branches)
• CTBC additionally requires six months of operation and three periods of VAT (Form 401) returns before converting to a formal account, so it is less recommended

A few reminders

1. The above is compiled from client experience; the actual rules are those of each bank and branch at the time. Standards can differ between branches of the same bank, so if declined, try another branch.
2. Banks mentioned less often (such as First Bank, Yuanta, Mega, HSBC) may have relatively relaxed rules.
3. A practical strategy: choose a bank where the preparatory account is easy to open, complete incorporation, and then open a formal account at the bank you really want to use.