Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 where applicable
A Richmond 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 in week one
Bring passport, Richmond address and SSN or ITIN if issued. The federal Customer Identification Program rule explicitly permits a passport number and country of issuance instead of a taxpayer number for non-US persons. A refusal on that ground is branch policy, not law.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Try a credit union if a branch turns you away
The Richmond region has a dense credit union sector, including large ones attached to state employment, the universities and the hospital systems. They are frequently more willing than a national bank's branch to open an account on a passport and an employment offer letter.
In personWho: You
3
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 — raising it at the counter can move your banking forward by weeks.
In personWho: You
4
Set up direct deposit immediately
Give payroll your routing and account numbers. Direct deposit waives the monthly maintenance fee on most US checking accounts, which is the simplest saving on this list.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
5
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a refundable deposit, typically around USD 500, and receive a card with a matching limit that reports to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Length of history counts as much as behaviour, so start the clock the week you arrive rather than the year you want a mortgage.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
Put the car tax and the meals tax into your budget from month one
Two Richmond line items catch people out. The vehicle personal property tax arrives as a lump sum on 5 June rather than monthly, so set money aside for it from the start. And prepared food carries 13.5% in tax here — 6% sales plus the city's 7.5% meals tax — which in a city that eats out this much is a bigger monthly number than it sounds.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1

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 Richmond address
Employer offer letter, accepted by many banks, landlords and utilities as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Virginia caps a security deposit at two months' rent and gives the landlord 45 days to account for it.

The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act provides that no landlord may demand or receive a security deposit in excess of two months' periodic rent, and requires an itemised written notice of any deductions within 45 days of the tenancy ending or the tenant vacating, whichever is later. A landlord asking for three months is asking for something the Code does not allow, whatever they say about your lack of a credit file. Photograph everything on move-in day and keep the dates.

Source: Code of Virginia § 55.1-1226

No credit history is treated worse than bad credit history.

American underwriting scores a file, and a file that does not exist cannot be scored at all. A well-paid newcomer can be declined for an apartment, a phone contract and a car loan in the same fortnight while holding a spotless twenty-year record at home. Nothing crosses the border — not the mortgage, not the decade with the same bank.

Source: community-reported

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, and branch staff frequently do not know it. Being refused is common and is not a legal outcome. Print the CFPB guidance, ask for a manager, or try a credit union — waiting weeks for a number you may not be eligible for is the avoidable mistake.

Source: FDIC — Customer Identification Program requirements

Virginia's minimum wage is scheduled, not indexed, until 2029.

The Code sets it at USD 12.77 an hour from 1 January 2026, USD 13.75 from 2027 and USD 15.00 from 2028, after which the Commissioner adjusts it annually against the CPI. That is a known, published path rather than a political guess — useful if you are hiring, negotiating an hourly rate, or comparing a Richmond offer against one in a state with no schedule at all. There is no separate Richmond minimum wage; Virginia localities cannot set one.

Source: Code of Virginia § 40.1-28.10

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport often suffices.
Accepting a security deposit demand above the statutory two months' rent.
Forgetting that the car tax lands as a single bill on 5 June.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file and accepting a punitive rate.
Paying an avoidable monthly maintenance fee by never setting up direct deposit.

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