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Bank account verification

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Elegantutility
  4/30/2019 14:29 EST

Last week we went to Portugal and opened a bank account with Millennium BCP bank. Bank to US and know they are telling us that we need a Portuguese cell phone to receive an activation code. Any suggestions, please? I’ve checked the option to get a virtual phone number but was not able to find a company that gives an option with SMS/ text from Portugal.
Thank you!

realspear
  4/30/2019 15:56 EST

All the banks I've used in Portugal (four at this point) require local mobile phones for verification. It's pretty cheap to get a SIM with a minimal plan. If your phone isn't dual SIM, you can be a feature phone for €20 and just use it for bank verification. You're probably going to need a local number here anyway, there's a lot of things that will require it.

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sshelton1
  4/30/2019 17:39 EST

I have an Activo Bank account opened in Portugal which is owned by Millennium Bank and they send the text to my US cell phone number for multi-factor identification when I am making a transfer. They send this to me in the US so don’t know why you have an issue.

Elegantutility
  4/30/2019 18:39 EST

Thank you for your reply. I will mention your case to the bank and you were able to get verification code via US phone number. Our bank is on Terceira Island, maybe that is why but should not be the case.
Thank you

sshelton1
  4/30/2019 19:04 EST

Maybe you should open an Activo account as well. That might make a difference.

sshelton1
  4/30/2019 19:59 EST

I think they might send the text by computer to the us phone number so that’s how it’s done without incurring phone charges.

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Luned
  5/1/2019 19:11 EST

Can you open an Activo account from the US and complete everything from the US?

realspear
  5/2/2019 03:26 EST

It's extremely difficult to open any Portuguese bank account from the US. I was able, after a lot of effort, to open a millennium account but I could not do anything with it. I couldn't even right into it. When I arrived, I was able to convert it to an Activo account and put money into it.

Elegantutility
  5/2/2019 11:15 EST

Hello, How I can open an Activo account?

Elegantutility
  5/2/2019 11:24 EST

Hello, thank you for your reply.
There isn't Activo bank on Terceira island. Millennium bank was the best choice but now it seems as a big problem. :(

Will keep finding the solution and will post the results for other people to know.

realspear
  5/2/2019 11:40 EST

You go to an Activo store. In Lisbon, they are in most malls and in Chiado. Outside Lisbon, you will find their store locations on their website and look for one close to you.

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Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Portugal Residency AdvisorsPortugal Residency Advisors

Portugal Residency Advisors is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to providing personalized services to individuals and families seeking to relocate to Portugal. With a team of experienced professionals and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to assist clients with all aspects of the relocation process.
Connect

Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Elegantutility
  5/3/2019 08:47 EST

Thank you for your time and all suggestions! We are not on a mainland but on Azores Islands and there isn't Activo bank on the islands. Hopefully Millennium would find a less painful solution than making us flying to Azores from US just to get a local phone number.

dancebert
  5/3/2019 10:46 EST

Activo Bank has 5 locations in Lisboa. For map and details go to https://www.activobank.pt/en/public/produtos/Pages/homepage.aspx , then click on Our Locations in the small print at the bottom of the page.

GeoffK
  5/3/2019 14:43 EST

I gave you the solution. I don't see any security issues with you using it. But it is up to you.

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