Botswana - Open a New Bank Account

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Procedure

Apply In-Person

1. The application to open a bank account shall be made to any registered bank that operate in Botswana, which are regulated and licensed by the Bank of Botswana, which is the Central Bank of Botswana. Bank of Botswana Contact Details
2. Before opening a new bank account, the applicant should frist carry out an extensive survey to find out which bank has the best policies,that will suit their financial needs. After you have decided the bank, gather all the supporting document and visit the nearest bank branch.
3. The applicant should express their interest to the customer care desk and collect the applicable Account Opening Application Form, obtainable for free at any of the bank branch offices or download it via the bank website if available.
4. Fill out the application form and read the Terms and Conditions section keenly before making the declaration, as this is where the bank asks you to confirm that you read disclosure documentation describing fees, liabilities, and how to account interest is calculated. Ideally, you have selected an account that earns high rates and has no or low monthly service charges. If need any assistance please do not hesitate to ask the customer care staff.
5. Submit the duly completed application form in all respect, attached to the relavant supporting documentation as mentioned under the “Required Documents” section of this page to the nearest bank branch office, consultant/inquiries for account opening and issuing of passbooks section for consideration.
6. Upon submission of the application, the bank officer will check for discrepancies or ineligibility in the application documents. If a discrepancy that cannot be immediately corrected exists in any of the documents, the application and all the submitted documents will be returned to the applicant and should not be re-submitted until the discrepancy has been rectified corrected.
7. If the officer is satisfied that all the requirements have been met for the application,the client will be issued with a passbook, fill the deposit slip and submit it to the teller together with the minimum opening amount. The customer will be given a bank card with the account details.
8. The application processing can take between two and five business days for the bank to verify your information, activate the account, and give the client access to the bank account.
9. Once the account is opened, the holder of the account can set up a direct deposit, schedule automatic transfers or withdraw cash.
   

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Required Documents

• Completed application form
• Valid proof of birth certificate or passport for persons below 18 years of age.
• Omang and passport for citizens and foreigners respectively
• Proof of residency for foreigners ( valid residency card)
• Proof of home address in Botswana (such as a utility bill or rental agreement)
• Passport size photograph- occasionally more than one is needed
• Reference or recommendation from an employer, as a character reference
• Registered Certificate of Incorporation
• Any other supporting document as request by the bank agent.
  

Office Locations & Contacts

Bank of Botswana
(Central Bank of Botswana)
Gaborone Branch (Headquarter)
Address: 17938, Khama Crescent, Gaborone,
Botswana
Private Bag 154, Gaborone,
Botswana.
Telephone: (+267) 360 6000

Francistown Branch
Address: 9597, Thapama Circle, Francistown,
Botswana
Private Bag F212, Francistown,
Botswana.
Telephone: (+267) 241 0450, 240 0400
Bank of Botswana Contact Details
Bank of Botswana Website

Eligibility

All citizens and non-citizens above the age of 18 and above and of sound minded are eligible to apply.

Fees

• Minimum Account opening amount is between BWP 50 - BWP 10,000 (note, this amount varies from bank to bank and the type of account been open)

Note: The bank account will also attract a maintance monthly fee.

Validity

The bank account is valid forever, however, the bank may close the account, if it remains dormant for a long time, etc.

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

The application processing can take between two and five business days.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

Withdrawal of money from an Ordinary saving Account

• An interval between two withdrawals should at least be clear for seven days. For minors below seven years of age, withdrawals are permissible after attaining seven years of age. This is a visa card account that can be used in any visa ATM.
  

Required Information

• Full name of the applicant
• Date of birth/Gender
• Nationality
• Country of origin
• Contact details.
• Type of bank account you wish to open (ordinary, saving, corporate ,fixed etc)
• Identity document number
• Residential address
• Employment details
• Spouse details
• Details of next of kin
• Declarartion by the applicant
  

Need for the Document

A bank account is an arrangement made between the applicant who is the account holder and the bank. The account is maintained by a financial institution on behalf of the customer.

Information which might help

Importances of having a Bank Account

• The holder of the account may deposit cash in their account and in some cases be paid interest and withdraw money at their convience and in some cases be paid interest.
• Holder of a Bank accounts may secure a loan with the financial institution, using their financial bank statement.
• It is safe to deposit money in a Bank account, as the money is protected from theft, fire and the money is insured.
• It is an easy way to save money.
  

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Please explain what are other uses for obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Bank of Botswana

Others

More information which might help people.