Overseas Pakistanis can open bank accounts digitally without a Pakistani SIM

Zindigi, the digital platform powered by JS Bank, has announced the launch of Zindigi Overseas Accounts. The service lets Pakistanis living abroad open and manage bank accounts in Pakistan entirely digitally, without a Pakistani mobile number and without visiting a bank branch.

Eligible customers register using their international WhatsApp numbers. They can then open a bank account linked to an IBAN, and manage several financial transactions remotely through a mobile application.

Through the Zindigi app, account holders can transfer money within Pakistan, support family members financially and pay supported utility bills. Daily Pakistan reported that the service is aimed at Pakistanis abroad who regularly send money to relatives or pay household expenses at home.

The service is available to Pakistanis who hold a Pakistan Origin Card, a NICOP or a computerized national identity card. Customers can choose between a Non-Resident Account Repatriable and a Non-Resident Account Non-Repatriable, in line with applicable regulations, according to Express News.

Daily Pakistan said overseas Pakistanis had previously faced difficulties with digital banking because of local SIM requirements and account verification procedures. The new service removes two hurdles: the need for a local mobile number and the need to visit a physical branch to open an account.

Zindigi co-founder and chief officer Nauman Azhar said the overseas accounts are part of the institution's vision of making banking simple and accessible for every Pakistani. He said geographic borders should not be a barrier to accessing financial services, and that the facility will help overseas Pakistanis stay financially connected with their homeland.

Business Recorder described the launch as another step in Zindigi's effort to make banking simpler, more accessible and borderless for Pakistanis worldwide.