How to Get a Bank Statement: 3 Ways, Step by Step

You need a bank statement more often than you think: for a loan, a visa, a rental, a tax return or your own books. The good news is that getting one usually takes two minutes.

This guide shows how to get a bank statement in three ways, what to check before you send it, and what to do when the PDF arrives locked with a password.

How to get a bank statement from your banking app

This is the fastest way, and most banks support it. The steps are similar in every app:

• Sign in to your bank's app or online banking.
• Open the account you need and look for Statements or e-Statements. Some apps put it in the account menu or under Documents.
• Choose the period: a month, a quarter or your own dates.
• Download the PDF, or have it sent to the email registered with your bank.

If you then need the statement in Excel, find your bank among the supported banks, for example the Al Rajhi Bank statement page.

How to get a bank statement by email or phone

Some banks email a statement after you ask through customer service, chat or a verified text message. It goes to the email registered with the bank, so keep that address up to date.

How to get a stamped bank statement

Some embassies, courts and lenders ask for a statement stamped by the bank. Request it at a branch or through customer service, and allow a working day or more.

Ask the organisation first. Many accept the PDF from the app, which saves you the trip.

How far back can you get a bank statement?

Most apps show about the last 12 months. For older periods, ask the branch or customer service.

Older statements sometimes arrive as scanned images rather than digital PDFs. That matters if you plan to convert them later, because images have to be read with AI.

What to check before you send a bank statement

• The name and account number or IBAN are right and belong to the account requested.
• The period covers every date the organisation asked for.
• Every page is there. Look for page numbers such as "Page 3 of 5".
• Opening balance + money in − money out = closing balance.
• The file has no password if the other side needs to open it.

The balance check is the quickest test. If the closing balance does not match, a page is usually missing or a transaction was lost along the way.

Bank statement PDF locked with a password?

Many banks protect statement PDFs with a password, and the email that comes with the file usually explains what it is. Open the file with it, then save or print it as a new PDF without a password.

Bayainy does not open locked files, to protect your data, so this step comes first if you want to convert the statement.

Why review your bank statement every month

• You catch fees you missed: transfer fees, account charges or a subscription you forgot to cancel.
• You spot unauthorised transactions early, while they are easier to reverse.
• You see what you really spend, not the number in your head.
• If you run a business, it is the first step of bank reconciliation.

Turn the statement into Excel

A PDF is fine to read but hard to sort or analyse. Upload the same file to Bayainy and it extracts every transaction into a ready Excel file, with every balance checked. One file of up to 3 pages is free every 24 hours, no sign-up.