just take 4 passport pictures and your passport but some banks will ask for acr card . one thing to remember steve only open a bank account where you plan to settle as the banks operate differently here. I have an account with metrobank in cebu and wanted to transfer to a branch in bacolod sorry sir you can,t do that you have to close your account and open another account in bacolod. WTF it seems the branches operate independently from each other so you can,t transfer to another branch it does not mean every bank works like this but the majority do, so its best to open one where you plan to settle.