Unclaimed Money in China
China does not have a unified national portal for searching dormant bank accounts — unlike Australia, the US, or many European countries. However, an estimated RMB 100 billion or more is believed to sit in long-term inactive accounts (长期不动户) across China's state-owned and commercial banks.
Under People's Bank of China (PBOC / 中国人民银行) guidelines, accounts with no transactions for 5 years are flagged as long-term inactive. Banks are required to notify account holders and may freeze transactions on these accounts. The process for reclaiming funds is handled directly through the individual bank — either in person at a branch, via the bank's app, or through the bank's customer service.
⚠️ No national search portal: You must contact each bank individually. If you have your old account number or bank passbook (存折), the process is straightforward. Without those, you will need your National ID (居民身份证) and the branch where you originally opened the account.
How to Reclaim a Dormant Account in China
Visit a Bank Branch
The most reliable method. Bring your original National ID (居民身份证) and any account documentation. Ask the teller to search all accounts linked to your ID number. Major banks can search across all their branches nationwide by ID.
Mobile Banking Apps
ICBC (工行), Bank of China (中行), CCB (建行), ABC (农行), and most large banks have official apps where you can check all accounts linked to your ID. Log in with your registered phone number or ID number to see dormant accounts.
Customer Service Hotlines
ICBC: 95588 · Bank of China: 95566 · CCB: 95533 · ABC: 95599 · Bank of Comm.: 95559. For overseas callers, add country code +86 before the number. Hotlines can advise on the claim process.
Online Banking Portals
Each major bank has an online banking portal where registered users can view all accounts linked to their ID. If you are overseas and still have login credentials, check the bank's official website first before contacting the branch.
China's Major Banks — Who to Contact
China's five largest state-owned commercial banks hold the vast majority of retail deposits. If you had accounts in China, start with these institutions:
ICBC (工商银行 / icbc.com.cn) — China's largest bank by assets. Overseas hotline: +86-95588. Bank of China (中国银行 / boc.cn) — Has the largest overseas network, with branches in over 60 countries. Overseas hotline: +86-95566. China Construction Bank (建设银行 / ccb.com) — Overseas hotline: +86-95533. Agricultural Bank of China (农业银行 / abchina.com) — Overseas hotline: +86-95599. Bank of Communications (交通银行 / bankcomm.com) — Overseas hotline: +86-95559.
For accounts at joint-stock commercial banks (招商银行 CMB, 浦发 SPDB, 中信 CITIC, etc.), contact each bank's customer service directly.
National ID and Documentation Required
Your 18-digit Resident Identity Card number (居民身份证号码) is the key to locating all accounts in your name. Banks in China link accounts to your ID rather than just account numbers, so even if you have forgotten the account number, your ID alone may be sufficient to locate dormant accounts at a branch visit.
For overseas Chinese (华侨) or former mainland residents now living abroad, your passport number (护照号码) or Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents (台湾居民来往大陆通行证) may also be used. A notarised power of attorney (公证委托书) is required if claiming through a representative. For estates, Chinese inheritance law applies and a court or notary-certified inheritance certificate (继承公证书) is required.
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