Having recently arrived in Spain, I’d heard good things about ING Bank—no messy maintenance fees and a user-friendly app—so I decided to open an account. However, I got stuck at the identity verification step. I’m sharing my experience to hopefully help others facing the same issue.
ING’s Passport Verification Process
Nowadays, many banks prefer online account opening, and ING is no exception. When you reach the identity verification step in the app, the system will ask you to scan your ID document with your phone’s camera. For expats, this is typically our passport. This process, known as ‘Pasaporte Check’ or a similar term, uses OCR technology to read the data from your passport’s information page (powered by systems like Ingenico), and then captures your photo for a facial recognition match to confirm you are the one performing the action.
Sounds simple, right? But here’s the problem: for some reason, the system just couldn’t recognize my passport. I tried more than ten times, adjusting the angle and lighting, but the app kept showing an ‘Unable to read document information’ error or would just crash. I was getting really frustrated, thinking there was something wrong with my passport or that ING’s system didn’t support passports from my country well.
What to Do If the Passport Scan Fails?
First off, don’t panic if this happens to you—you’re not alone. I did some research online and asked friends who use ING, and it turns out this is a fairly common issue. Machine recognition isn’t always perfect. If you also run into a failed online passport verification while opening an ING bank account, you can try the following solutions:
Video Verification: This is the most direct and effective solution. After several failed attempts, the app will usually present an option for a video call with a customer service agent for manual verification. You just need to have your passport ready. During the call, the agent will ask you to show your passport to the camera and may ask you to say a few words or make simple gestures. The whole process takes just a few minutes. This is how I ultimately completed my verification.
Visit a Physical Office: Although ING is primarily an online bank, they do have some physical offices. You can find the nearest one on their website. Just bring your passport and NIE, and they will handle everything for you at the counter. You can also ask about other services while you’re there. This is the most reliable method, but visiting an ING Bank office might require an appointment or waiting in line.
| Solution | Pros | Cons |
|---|
| Video Verification | Convenient and fast, can be done from home | May require waiting for an agent, needs a stable internet connection |
| Physical Office | Most reliable, allows for in-person consultation | Time-consuming and requires travel |
| Change Phones | Sometimes it’s a phone camera issue | Not guaranteed to work, can be costly |
Ultimately, ING’s ‘passport verification’ is just an identity check. If the online method doesn’t work, don’t waste time trying over and over again—switch to video verification or visit an office. I hope everyone’s account opening process goes smoothly! Has anyone else encountered a similar situation? How did you solve it?
