No, you generally cannot open a Barclays savings account without a Social Security number unless you hold a valid Taxpayer Identification Number. Barclays requires each U.S. saver to be at least 18, live at a U.S.
address, and supply an SSN or TIN. A Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is a tax ID for federal tax purposes. It includes the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for people who cannot get an SSN.
Table of Contents
- What Barclays requires
- Can an ITIN replace an SSN?
- Why you cannot skip the tax-ID step
- How to apply with an ITIN
What Barclays requires
Barclays limits new savers to adults 18 or older who are U.S. citizens or resident aliens, according to Barclays in its Barclays savings terms. Each saver must have a valid SSN or TIN and a U.S. residential address.
Check each item before you apply: Barclays says it must keep the current name, address, birth date, SSN or TIN, and other identifying details to maintain the account. The Motley Fool describes the U.S. online form as asking for a Social Security number plus external routing and account numbers, in its 2026 Barclays review. It uses those numbers to fund the new account.
- 18 or older
- U.S. citizen or resident alien
- Valid SSN or TIN
- U.S. residential address
- Current name, birth date, and other identifying details
Can an ITIN replace an SSN?
For a narrow group, yes. The IRS says an ITIN is only for people who need a taxpayer number for tax purposes but cannot get an SSN, in its IRS ITIN guidance.
That fits a resident alien with a filing duty, not someone who simply wants to avoid using an SSN. The IRS also limits ITIN eligibility to people with a valid tax-filing requirement or people filing to claim a refund of over-withheld tax. Without that tax purpose, you lack the TIN alternative Barclays accepts.
Why you cannot skip the tax-ID step
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency says identification rules require a bank to obtain taxpayer ID information before opening an account (OCC customer identification standards). The bank must collect it before it opens the account.
So an application with neither an SSN nor a valid TIN cannot proceed. Only a valid number tied to your current name, address, and birth date fits the maintenance rule Barclays describes.
How to apply with an ITIN
Treat Barclays' four tests as one package. You need the ITIN plus the age, citizenship or resident-alien status, and U.S.
address. Enter the ITIN exactly as issued and keep your name, birth date, and address consistent across documents. Have the external routing and account numbers ready, because the online form uses them to fund the new savings account.
- Confirm you are 18 or older
- Confirm U.S. citizen or resident-alien status
- Confirm valid ITIN tied to a real filing need
- Confirm U.S. residential address
- Secure a U.S. external bank account for funding
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