HSBC Safeguard

The information we ask for depends on your circumstances. In most cases we look to update your primary details, such as address and photographic ID.

We may also need information about your source of funds and / or source of wealth. To meet regulatory and legal obligations, we need to know where funds are coming from and going to. This also helps us to protect you from fraud and financial crime.

If you’ve received a letter/email asking you to contact us, we’ll let you know the information we need when we speak with you. 

Laws and regulations vary from country to country, which is why you may have been contacted more than once for the same information. We’re sorry for any inconvenience but it is important that you respond to each of the requests that you receive.

Where regulatory rules allow us to do so and with your consent, HSBC Expat can look to contact your relationship manager if you hold additional HSBC accounts in order to update your information before contacting you.

We are required by our regulators to have this information. If we don't receive your up-to-date information we may no longer be able to provide you with our services. If you are having trouble gathering the information, need more time or have any further questions, please let us know and we will do our best to help.

Where we ask for certified documents, your documents must be:

• certified within the last three months and;
• be in English.

Where documents are not in English, we can accept certified copies that have been translated into English – as long as both the foreign and English copies are provided and certified.

If you have been requested to provide a certified copy or an original document to verify your residential address, the document must be dated within the last four months.

The following people can certify photocopies of your documents, on sight of the original document:

• Bank Manager of a licensed, regulated bank
  
• Embassy Consulate or High Commission Official of the country of issue of the documentation
• Lawyer or Notary Public¹
• A Member of the Judiciary or a Senior Civil Servant
• Actuary1 of the country of issue of the documentation
• Accountant or Tax Adviser¹

Most documents can be sent via email – our Safeguarding team will run through your options when you speak with them.

If you don’t want to send your documents by email, you can send them to us via post, or via your local HSBC branch staff, who can forward this on by secure mail.