Account FAQs

There are a few ways you can open a savings/current account with UOB, depending on whether you are a Singaporean, Permanent Resident or foreigner, or if you already are a UOB customer.

For Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and existing UOB customers
You can open an account online, get approval within minutes and start transacting instantly (where applicable).

How to apply for an account:

• Using your Singpass login
  Applicable to new to UOB customers, existing UOB customers and joint applicants
  On our website, select your preferred account and click ‘Apply now’. Retrieve your details with Myinfo using your Singpass login and follow the application process.
• Using UOB TMRW / UOB Personal Internet Banking
  Applicable to existing UOB customers (including foreigners) applying for single-named accounts
  You can apply for an account on UOB TMRW or UOB Personal Internet Banking, by using your username/password or credit/debit card and PIN. 

For Foreigners who are new to UOB and U.S Persons
Please visit a UOB branch to open your account. You will need to bring along original copies of:

• Your physical passport (minimum 6 months validity is required)
• Proof of residential address (e.g. latest utilities or telecom bills)
• Employment Pass/S Pass/Dependent Pass

Please note that photocopied or digital copies of the above documents will not be accepted for processing. The approval of the account opening is at the Bank’s sole discretion and the Bank reserves the right to reject the account opening without disclosing any reason.

Make a branch appointment

For Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, you may apply for a joint account online  (except for Junior Savers Account) via SingPass or at any UOB branch*.

Select ‘Joint account’ in the application and provide the joint applicant’s details. An email will be sent to the joint applicant(s) to inform them that they have been nominated by the main applicant. The joint applicant would be required to complete the application within 7 working days. Online joint account opening is applicable for UOB One Account, Stash Account, KrisFlyer UOB Account and Uniplus Account.

For Foreigners, please visit any UOB branch with original copies of the documents required.

*To open any of these as joint accounts – FX+ Account, LockAway Account, Global Currency Account or Global Currency Premium Account, Passbook Savings Account, Privilege Account or Junior Savers Account, please visit a UOB branch.

For accounts with a cheque book facility (UOB One Account, KrisFlyer UOB Account, Privilege Account), and FX+ Account, all accountholders will need to be at least 18 years old. For accounts without a cheque book facility, accountholders will need to be at least 16 years old.

For the Junior Savers Account, the child must be below 16 years old while the parent will need to be between 21–59 years old.

For Global Currency Account and Global Currency Premium Account, accountholders will need to be at least 21 years old.

Yes, you may open a joint account with another party who currently does not have an account with UOB, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for the account chosen.

For Singaporeans and Permanent Residents opening an account online, you will need a Singpass account or UOB Personal Internet Banking / UOB TMRW login.

For those opening an account at a UOB branch, please bring along your physical NRIC. To open a Junior Savers Account at the branch, please bring along your child’s original birth certificate.

For Foreigners who are new to UOB and U.S Persons
Please visit a UOB branch to open your account. You will need to bring along original copies of:

• Your physical passport (minimum 6 months validity is required) 
• Proof of residential address (e.g. latest utilities or telecom bills) 
• Employment Pass/S Pass/Dependent Pass 

Please note that photocopied or digital copies of the above documents will not be accepted for processing. The approval of the account opening is at the Bank’s sole discretion and the Bank reserves the right to reject the account opening without disclosing any reason.

Each online account opening request is subject to the Bank’s internal review, which may result in an application being rejected. It may also be due to insufficient or unclear information provided in your online application.

If this happens to you, please proceed to a UOB branch to get assistance with opening an account.

For online account opening, you will receive an acknowledgement email on submission and will be able to check your application status at uob.com.sg/applystatus.

For account opening at branches, our branch officers will inform you of your account application status.

The Reference ID can be found in the acknowledgement email that was sent to you upon submission. Try searching for an email from UOB in the inbox of the email address provided in the application.

Prior to closing your account, please make the necessary arrangements to change your recurring bill payments (if any) to a new account or to use an alternative payment mode. You may then proceed to any UOB branch to close your account. Pending debit card transactions will need to be posted to your account first before your account closure request is processed.

Please visit any UOB branch with your joint accountholder(s) to close the account. Do bring along your physical NRIC (for Singaporeans/Permanent Residents) or passport (for foreigners) as we will need to first verify your identity. 

Please note that for accounts under a joint-alternate mandate, either of the joint accountholders can close the account at a UOB branch.

It depends on the operating mandate of the joint account. If the account is opened with a joint-alternate mandate, any accountholder may close the account without the consent of the other joint accountholder.

After the account is closed, a month-end statement addressing all accountholders will be mailed to the account mailing address on record.

A joint account allows two or more individuals to open a banking account together. A joint account can be used for various purposes, such as for sharing household expenses between couples, creating a nest egg for your child, or for supporting elderly parents.

As all parties have equal access to the funds in a joint account, there should be a certain amount of trust between joint accountholders. Depending on the operating mandate of the account, one party could withdraw the money from a joint account without the other’s knowledge, leading to potential disagreements. 

For joint-alternate accounts (also known as ‘joint-or’ accounts), accountholders may access the funds in the account via a UOB debit or ATM card or digital banking*. For joint-all accounts (also known as ‘joint-and’ accounts), all accountholders will need to be physically present at a UOB branch to jointly provide a banking instruction.

*The exception for this is the UOB LockAway Account. Funds within this account cannot be withdrawn via the ATM or digital banking – only by visiting a UOB branch.

Many of our accounts can be opened as joint accounts. These include the UOB One Account, Stash Account, KrisFlyer UOB Account, FX+ Account, Uniplus Account, LockAway Account, Global Currency Account or Global Currency Premium Account. For joint accounts with your child, you may open a Junior Savers Account.

Use our Account Comparison tool to easily compare various accounts. Please refer to the respective product pages for details such as minimum age and balance for the account types.

Please see information under ‘Open an account’.

All applicants will receive an acknowledgement email on submission and will be able to check their application status at uob.com.sg/applystatus.

When you open a joint account, you will need to choose how you want it to be operated—in other words, the operating mandate.

Joint-all (also known as ‘joint-and’) requires all accountholders to give their consent for any transaction including withdrawals, transfers, or changes to the account. It is typically used when mutual agreement and control are essential—such as in business partnerships or estate planning. However, having all accountholders to be present to give their consent would be less practical for day-to-day use. Joint-all account is not applicable for UOB One Account, Krisflyer UOB Account and UOB Privilege Account.

Joint-alternate (also known as ‘joint-or’) means that any accountholder can operate the account independently, without the other party’s explicit consent. This is commonly used by couples or trusted family members for managing shared expenses, caregiving finances or savings goals. The drawbacks are that you have less control over the funds—one party can deplete the funds without the other’s knowledge, and there is a potential for disputes if trust breaks down.

If you do not reside in Singapore, your child will need to open an account in his or her own name. For example, the UOB Uniplus Account caters to those aged 15 years old and above, with a lower minimum balance of S$500.

For joint-alternate accounts, each accountholder can apply for UOB TMRW or UOB Personal Internet Banking access. In addition, each accountholder may also apply for a debit card in his/her personal name to access the funds in the account. The cheque book will be issued in joint names and mailed to the joint account mailing address stated during the application.

However, if you opened a joint-all account that requires all parties to authorise banking transactions, you will not be issued with digital banking access or a debit card. You may only manage the account by jointly visiting a UOB branch.

For joint-alternate accounts, any accountholder can withdraw funds from the ATM, over-the-counter at a UOB branch, via the UOB TMRW app, UOB Personal Internet Banking or debit cards.

For those with a joint-all account, all accountholders must be present at a UOB branch to make any transaction together. Please bring along your physical NRIC (for Singaporeans/Permanent Residents) or passport (for foreigners) as we will need to first verify your identity.

For joint-alternate accounts, any accountholder may log in to UOB TMRW or UOB Personal Internet Banking to change the account mailing address.

For joint-all accounts, all accountholders will need to visit a UOB branch together to update the account mailing address. Please bring along your physical NRIC (for Singaporeans/Permanent Residents) or passport (for foreigners) as we will first need to verify your identity.

If you need to update your phone number, residential address or email, you can update it via the UOB TMRW app, UOB Personal Internet Banking or at a UOB branch.

You will not be able to update the contact details of another joint accountholder.

You may access the eStatement from UOB TMRW app or UOB Personal Internet Banking. If you opted for a hardcopy statement, it will be mailed to the mailing address on record and addressed to all accountholders.

Yes, you can set up a standing instruction to deduct from your joint account.

There is no default linkage option. However, you may select your joint account for credit card repayment via GIRO.

No, the joint account cannot be used as a collateral.

The bank will send notifications to the primary accountholder. Physical communications will be mailed to the account's mailing address, addressed to all accountholders.

To add a new accountholder to a joint account, ALL existing accountholders will need to be present at the branch regardless of account operating mandate.

You are not allowed to remove an accountholder from a joint account. Thus, you will first need to close the joint account, then set up a new one without the accountholder you wish to remove.

Yes, you may change the operating mandate of your joint account from joint-all to joint-alternate, and vice-versa. All accountholders will need to be present at the branch to change the operating mandate.

You will need to discuss with the joint accountholder on how you should split the funds in the joint account based on mutual understanding. All parties will need to be present at a UOB branch to close the account.

You will need to seek legal opinion at your own cost to mediate the dispute.

If any joint accountholder incurred debt which is not repaid on time, the Bank reserves the right of set-off to debit monies from the joint account.

Yes. For joint accounts, the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) will divide funds in the joint account evenly. Each accountholder’s share is then combined with his or her own accounts and the total amount of insured deposits is then covered for up to S$100,000. For example, if you and your husband have a joint account with a balance of S$90,000, and you have a personal account with S$60,000, your total deposits of S$105,000 will be covered up to the maximum of S$100,000.

If a joint accountholder passes away, please bring along the original death certificate to the branch to close the joint account. You may open an account in your single name.

Should a joint accountholder become mentally impaired, you may close the joint account by following the procedures in this guide.

Please also note that the Bank may take steps we deem appropriate including paying the credit balance in the account into a court of competent jurisdiction.

If you wish to apply for a Grant of Probate / Letter of Administration on your own, without engaging a lawyer, we seek your understanding that we have to verify the identity of the applicant/requesting party in order to provide any customer information.

For us to verify your identity and relationship with the deceased customer, we would require the following:

• Applicant/Requestor to be present in person at a relevant branch. Book an appointment here
• Original Identity Document(s) of such applicant / requestor (NRIC – Singaporean/PR, Passport – Foreigner)
• Original/Digital Death Certificate
• Original signed letter of request (the information required by us including, but not limited to, the information of the deceased customer that you are requesting for, the basis for your request, the capacity in which you are making such a request) in form and substance acceptable to us.

This varies depending on the complexities of each case. For non-contentious cases, the process may take around 2 to 6 months. We would strongly encourage that you seek your own independent legal advice on the matter.

Yes, we require all appointed executors/administrators to be present at the branch so that we can verify all their identities before closing the account and releasing the funds.

No, executors / administrators will not be issued with Personal Internet Banking access or ATM cards for an Estate Account.

The estate of the deceased (represented by the executor(s) or administrator(s) of the estate of the deceased) is responsible for paying off the debts owed by the deceased. Generally, the debts of the deceased will be payable out of the assets of the deceased’s estate. However, in cases of joint debts (e.g. joint loans or mortgages), the surviving borrowers / debtors may be required to assume responsibility to pay off any debts that were taken out jointly with the deceased.

A current account offers the ease and flexibility of cheque issuance and the provision of monthly statements, thus this type of account facilitates you managing and distributing the estate of your loved one.

• The minimum initial deposit is S$1,000.
• A service charge of S$7.50 will be applied if the average daily balance of the Estate Account for the month falls below S$3,000.
• A cheque book fee of S$10 per cheque book issued applies.

Donee Account: LPA document, medical report (certifying loss of mental capacity), physical NRICs of Donor and Donee.

Deputy Account: Court Order, medical report, physical NRICs of Deputy and person lacking capacity.

Opening and/or closing of accounts that require special handling are available at specific branch locations. You may book an appointment at selected branches here to open a Deputy or Donee account.

If there is more than one appointed Deputy or Donee, the number of parties required to be present for the account closure of existing accounts will depend on whether the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or Court Order is stated as 'jointly' or 'jointly or severally'. If it is 'jointly', then all the appointed Deputy/Donee(s) will need to be present.

No, the Deputy or Donee will not be issued with Personal Internet Banking access.

The Bank may issue only one ATM card to the Deputy or Donee(s) regardless of the number of Deputy/Donee(s) appointed, subject to the following conditions:

• Where there is more than one Deputy/Donee(s), each Deputy or Donee is authorised to act singly. For the avoidance of doubt, ATM service cannot be made available where the Deputy/Donee(s) have to act jointly.
• For Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA): Only if the LPA Form 1 allows the Donee to make ALL decisions on matters relating to property and affairs.
• For Court Order: Only if the Deputy is empowered to make decisions relating to the property and affairs of P, including the opening and operation of bank accounts (without any restriction on the use of ATM services).

The minimum initial deposit is determined by the type of account selected.

For Singaporeans/Permanent Residents

• Current Accounts: S$1,000
• Savings Accounts: S$500

For foreigners

Current and Savings Accounts: S$1,000

1. What happens to the account of a work permit holder if their work permit is cancelled and the account holder leaves Singapore?
Following the cancellation of work permit and departure from Singapore, work permit holders' accounts will be suspended. To avoid disruption, work permit customers are encouraged to ensure all funds are withdrawn, transferred or that the account is closed prior to departure.

1. Why must Work Permit Holders (WPHs) withdraw their funds or close their bank accounts before leaving Singapore?
This is to lower the risk of criminal syndicates using WPHs’ banking credentials for unlawful purposes if the accounts remain active after WPHs leave Singapore. Closing accounts and/or withdrawing funds prior to leaving Singapore will help protect and safeguard their financial assets.

2. When will my bank account be suspended?
Your account will be suspended when your work permit expires or is cancelled, and you have left Singapore. Your account will be suspended, meaning it will not be closed, and your funds will remain in the account. However, you will be unable to access the account or its balance during the suspension. Your funds remain safe, and you can access them again upon returning to Singapore and reactivating your account.

3. What happens if my account is suspended?
Your funds remain safe and protected, but you will be unable to access your account or conduct any transactions (deposits or withdrawals). Your account remains suspended, not closed. Your funds will be held until you return to Singapore to work and can reactivate your account. You are therefore advised to withdraw all funds before leaving.

4. Am I allowed to keep my account active for my friends and family to use?
No. Based on the Bank’s Terms and Conditions governing accounts and services, account access is strictly for the registered account holder only. Using your personal account for transactions on behalf of others or allowing third parties to use your account is prohibited. Your account will be suspended upon cancellation or expiry of your work permit and your departure from Singapore.

5. How does this affect me, and what should I do?
Once your work permit is cancelled or expires, and you have left Singapore, your account will be suspended. Your funds will remain in the account, as it will not be closed but suspended. You will be unable to access your account or its balance. Your funds are protected and held for you should you return to Singapore to work in the future. To avoid inconvenience, WPHs are advised to transfer their bank balances before their work permit is cancelled or expires and before they leave Singapore.

6. I am a Malaysian and frequently travel to Singapore, even though my work permit has expired. Can I keep my account?
There is a risk that that criminal syndicates may use former WPHs’ banking credentials to access and abuse their accounts for unlawful purposes if the accounts are not closed after the WPHs leave Singapore. Once your work permit has expired or been cancelled and you have left the country, your bank account will be suspended.

7. What should I do if I return to Singapore and want to reactivate my suspended account?
To reactivate your account upon your return to Singapore, please visit the nearest branch with your new valid pass. 

8. Can I digitally transfer funds from my suspended Singapore account to my home country account?
No. You will not be able to digitally transfer funds from your suspended bank account.

9. If my account is suspended, can I still receive funds (e.g. salary payment)?
No. If your account is suspended, you will not be able to receive funds to your account. You may need to coordinate with your employer to receive the funds to your overseas bank account directly.

10. What if I have GIRO payments linked to my account?
Do make other arrangements if you have GIRO payments linked to your account. Such payment instructions will be blocked when the account is suspended. Inform your service providers as soon as possible so your services are not disrupted.

1. My employees, WPHs, are leaving for a short break and will return to work (their work permit remains valid). Do they need to close their account?
No. If their work permit remains valid (e.g., for home leave), their account will not be suspended.

2. What if my former employees, WPHs, did not close their account before leaving Singapore after their employment ended?
If the workers did not close their account before leaving Singapore after their work permit was cancelled or expired, their bank account will be suspended.

3. My employee, a WPH, is under investigation, and I cancelled his/her work permit, but he/she remains in Singapore. Does he/she need to close his/her account or withdraw the balances?
The WPH should close his/her account or withdraw his/her funds after the investigation concludes and before leaving Singapore.

4. My employees’ work permit expired, and they left Singapore for a break. They intend to return to work. Will their account be suspended?
Yes. Their account will be suspended after their work permit expires and they have left Singapore. Upon their return to Singapore, they may visit the nearest branch with their new valid pass.

5. I am cancelling my employees’ work permits, and they are returning home. They have filed work injury/salary claims with MOM. Do they need to close their account?
No. Their account will not be suspended while a claim is pending with Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

6. We have employees awaiting final payouts after their work permits were cancelled and they left the country. What should we do?
If payment crediting fails because the former WPH’s account has been suspended, please arrange for payment to be made to the WPH’s overseas bank account directly.