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The short answer
Most Australian banks let a new migrant open an account with a passport and visa, and some let you start before you land: Commonwealth Bank, for example, allows it up to 14 days before arrival or within 12 months after, but you must verify your identity at a branch within 20 days or the account may close. Visitor visas are often excluded, and you should give the bank your TFN once you have it, or more tax is withheld from interest.
A local account is the first money task after you arrive in Australia: your employer pays into it, your landlord expects rent from it, and it is the start of your Australian credit file. The good news is that a Nigerian passport and a valid visa are usually enough to begin. The detail differs by bank, so this guide uses one bank's published rules as a worked reference and tells you what to ask the others.
What banks usually ask for
- Your passport, as the main identity document. Commonwealth Bank says the original is required at the branch check.
- A visa that the bank accepts. Commonwealth Bank says it cannot accept visitor visas under subclasses 600, 601 or 651.
- An Australian residential address, at least by the time of the identity check. Commonwealth Bank does not need one to set up the account online, but asks for it when you visit the branch.
- Your tax identification number for each country where you are tax resident other than Australia. If you are still a Nigerian tax resident, that means your Nigerian tax ID.
- Your Australian tax file number (TFN) once issued; see below.
Opening before you arrive
Commonwealth Bank's Moving to Australia page (updated 23 October 2026) says you can open an account "up to 14 days before you arrive in Australia, or within 12 months after arriving", from age 14 and in your own name. Until you have verified your identity in a branch, you can receive money but cannot make purchases or withdraw. The bank must see you, with your original passport, at a branch within 20 days of opening, "or it may close automatically". Other banks run similar migrant accounts; check each bank's own page for its window and conditions.
Is it worth opening early?
- For: you have BSB and account numbers to give an employer or landlord in your first week.
- For: you can move some savings in ahead of time and see them arrive.
- Against: the identity-check clock starts when you open, so do not open so early that you cannot reach a branch in time.
The "100-point" ID check
Many Australians still talk about a "100-point check", where identity documents are given points and you need enough to reach 100. Each bank sets out which documents it accepts, and for new arrivals the passport is usually the core one. Do not rely on a points table you find online; ask the bank which documents it will accept from you, and bring your passport, visa grant letter and any Australian document with your address (a lease or utility letter) to the branch.
If the branch check is hard to reach
If you land somewhere far from a branch, or your first weeks are taken up with temporary housing, plan the identity check before you open the account, not after. If the deadline passes, ask the bank whether the account can be reopened or whether you need to apply again.
Fees to check
Account fees vary. Commonwealth Bank says its migrant everyday account has a $0 monthly fee if you are under 30 or meet other criteria; over-30s get $0 for the first 12 months, after which a fee applies unless a waiver is met, such as depositing at least $2,000 each calendar month. It lists no fee at its own ATMs and no transfer fee on international money transfers through its app, excluding AUD to AUD, but the exchange rate still carries a margin. Ask any bank for its fee schedule and the exchange rate it applies to transfers to Nigeria.
Give the bank your TFN
The ATO says you do not have to have a TFN, but without one your employer or financial institution must withhold more tax. The ATO lists your bank as one of the organisations you give it to. Apply as soon as you arrive; our guide to applying for a TFN on a Nigerian passport covers the steps, and you can add the number to your account later.
Steps for your first fortnight
- Choose a bank and check it accepts your visa subclass.
- Open online (before arrival if the bank allows) or at a branch.
- Book or walk in for the branch identity check, with your original passport and address details, inside the deadline.
- Apply for your TFN online and give it to the bank when it arrives.
- Set up internet banking and turn on the bank's security options.
- Give your BSB and account number to your employer.
Our first 90 days money checklist covers what comes next, including building an Australian credit history.
Where Pryme fits
An Australian account is for life in Australia. For the Nigerian side, a Pryme Personal account, which you can open from any country, holds naira, US dollars, pounds and euros with local details for each, so you can keep paying family, rent or school fees at home. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's services are provided through regulated partners. See the multicurrency account and sending naira.
Questions people ask
Can I open an Australian bank account before I arrive?
Some banks allow it. Commonwealth Bank allows it up to 14 days before arrival or within 12 months after, with a branch ID check within 20 days of opening.
Can I open a bank account in Australia on a visitor visa?
Some banks exclude visitor visas. Commonwealth Bank says it cannot accept subclasses 600, 601 or 651.
Do I need a TFN to open a bank account?
No, but without a TFN the bank must withhold more tax from your interest. Give it to the bank once you have it.
Is a Nigerian passport enough ID for an Australian bank?
For new arrivals the passport is usually the main document, with your visa and Australian address. Ask the bank what it accepts.
Sources
- Commonwealth Bank: Moving to Australia (updated 23 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- ATO: What is a tax file number? (updated 22 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- ATO: TFN application for foreign passport holders, permanent migrants and temporary visitors (updated 22 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.