Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
An Oʻahu residential address
An SSN or ITIN if you have one; a passport number if not
An opening deposit, which varies by institution

Step-by-step

1
Open a checking account in branch
Bring your passport, Oʻahu address and SSN or ITIN if issued. Federal Customer Identification Program rules explicitly permit a passport number and country of issuance instead of a taxpayer number for non-US persons.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Mention a pending ITIN if you have no SSN
Banks may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and keep the receipt.
In personWho: You
3
Consider a local bank or credit union rather than a national brand
Hawaiʻi's retail banking is dominated by locally headquartered institutions with deep branch networks across the islands, and by credit unions — several grown out of the military and government communities — whose membership rules are broader than expected. Both tend to be more flexible with thin credit files, and their branch coverage on the neighbour islands matters if you travel for work.
In personWho: You
4
Set up direct deposit
Give payroll your routing and account numbers. Direct deposit waives the monthly maintenance fee on most US checking accounts.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
5
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a deposit, typically around $500, and get a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus. Age of history matters as much as behaviour, so the clock is the thing you are buying.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
Size the move-in cash properly — it is larger here than you think
First month's rent, a security deposit capped at one month, and a Hawaiian Electric account with a deposit if you have no credit file all land in the same fortnight, on top of shipping costs for anything you brought. Hawaiʻi's cost base means the same emergency buffer buys fewer weeks here than anywhere else in this app.
In personWho: You
7
Set up utilities and expect a deposit without a credit file
Hawaiian Electric supplies power on Oʻahu and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply the water. Without a US credit history expect a security deposit on the electricity account, refundable after a period of on-time payment. Ask what it will be before you sign a lease rather than discovering it on connection day.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport, with country of issuance serving as the identifying number if you have no SSN or ITIN
Visa and I-94, where applicable
SSN card or ITIN letter, if issued
Proof of an Oʻahu address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Federal rules let a bank take your passport instead of an SSN.

The Customer Identification Program rule accepts a passport number and country of issuance for non-US persons. Branch staff often do not know this. Escalate politely, or try a credit union, before concluding you must wait for the SSN.

Source: FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual — Customer Identification Program

The banks here are local, and that changes who will talk to you.

Hawaiʻi's largest retail banks are headquartered in Honolulu rather than being branches of a mainland network. Decisions on thin-file customers are made closer to home, and the branch network across the neighbour islands is far better than any national bank's. If a national brand declines you, it is worth walking into a local one rather than concluding the answer is no.

Source: community-reported

Your emergency fund is worth fewer weeks here.

Hawaiʻi has consistently the highest cost of living of any US state, and the gap is largest exactly on the non-discretionary lines — housing, groceries, electricity. A buffer that covers three months on the mainland covers noticeably less here, and that is the number to recalculate before you move rather than after.

Source: US Energy Information Administration / community-reported

Carrying a balance builds interest, not credit.

Scores respond to on-time payment and low utilisation, not to interest paid. Paying in full each month builds history identically and saves a rate above 20% APR.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — credit cards

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Assuming a mainland bank's decline is the market's answer, rather than trying a local institution.
Being surprised by an electricity deposit in the same week as the rental deposit.
Moving with a mainland-sized emergency buffer.
Delaying a secured card until credit is actually needed.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.