Opening a bank account in Germany

Can I actually open a bank account in Germany if I’m living and working in America?

The lawmakers basically told you that you can't

I mean, Google is an incredible tool, no doubt about it

but honestly? I have no idea if people out there even realize our local regulations are set up this way.

Susan Walker said:Can I actually open a bank account in Germany if I’m living and working in America?

Well, who's stopping you?

I mean, look at how non-residents just pop in and set up accounts all the time everywhere else.

Technically speaking, according to our local laws, it might be a bit of a gray area... but if you follow their rules, it works perfectly fine..........

I’m asking because I can't receive PayPal funds here in the States—so, is it actually feasible to open an account in the USA instead and just use that to collect payments? I have stuff I want to sell online, but I'm stuck because I need a working PayPal.
For instance, my uncle receives his Social Security checks into a US bank account while living abroad; would he be able to set up a PayPal account like that?

You should be totally fine to do that according to the law... just don't forget to grab your passport before you head out!!

I suppose setting up the bank account should be fine, but PayPal might still give you some trouble since you aren't actually based in the USA, even if the account is registered there. I guess once you try to withdraw any funds, they might notice you're operating from overseas, and while I'm not saying for certain it'll happen, they could potentially freeze your account.
Of course, that assumes they'll even let you open it in the first place, given the discrepancy between your location and the US-based account. Maybe try calling PayPal directly to see if you can get a straight answer about your specific situation; I've heard it's occasionally possible to actually reach a real customer service rep...

Let me know how it turns out... 🙂

Some say I can, others swear I can't, and frankly, I’m lost. Maybe I should just give my bank in the USA a call and get some actual answers.

Susan Walker said:Some say I can, others swear I can't, and frankly, I’m lost. Maybe I should just give my bank in the USA a call and get some actual answers.

In reality, opening an account has always been technically possible without much trouble, though it used to sit in a bit of a gray area regarding our local regulations.

Since January 1st, 2011, however, everything has been completely above board and perfectly legal.

an account in the USA