Commercial Bank

Standard Chartered Dormant Account & Closure

Exactly when an SCB account turns dormant, how to bring it back to life, and what happens if it's left inactive for years — straight from SCB's own account terms.

1-Year Dormancy Rule
Written Request to Reactivate
Official Terms

Written & reviewed by Dildar Hussain — 10+ years in Pakistani banking, BS Banking & Finance (NUML University)

A Standard Chartered Current or Savings account is dormant after one year with no client-initiated transaction. Reactivating it just needs a written request plus a valid CNIC, SNIC, or Passport shown to a bank official — no fee, per SCB's own account terms.

Dormancy is a routine safeguard, not a penalty — banks in Pakistan are required to flag accounts that have gone quiet for a while, partly to protect customers from fraud on an account nobody's watching. The rules below come directly from Standard Chartered Pakistan's own official account Terms and Conditions (the "Most Important Document" every account holder is given at opening), not a generic industry estimate.

When Does an Account Turn Dormant?

A Current or Savings account is considered dormant if there has been no client-initiated transaction in the account for a period of one year. This means the account itself doesn't disappear or lose funds — it's simply restricted from normal use until reactivated.

How To Reactivate It

Submit a Written Request

Provide a written request asking for removal of dormancy status on the account.

Bring Valid ID

A CNIC, SNIC, or Passport (for foreign nationals) is required as supporting identity documentation.

Verification at the Bank

The ID document must be duly attested, or the original seen and verified by a Bank Official — typically done at a branch.

Confirmed verbatim from Standard Chartered Pakistan's official account Terms and Conditions (Saadiq Most Important Document, SAADIQMIDSCBP01012016, clauses 24–25). A parallel Conventional Terms and Conditions document, effective 1 November 2025, is also published on SCB's official Important Information page — confirm the exact conventional-account wording there if your account isn't a Saadiq account, though this dormancy framework is generally applied consistently across a bank's account types under State Bank of Pakistan regulation.

Long-Term Inactivity & Unclaimed Funds

Timeframe	What Happens
1 year, no client-initiated transaction	Account is classified as dormant
10 years, fully inoperative	Deposit is classified as unclaimed under the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962
After the 10-year mark	SCB sends a written notice by registered post to the last known address on record
3 months after that notice, still unclaimed	Funds are surrendered to the State Bank of Pakistan, without further communication

Confirmed from SCB's official account Terms and Conditions (clauses 26–27), which cite the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962 and SBP Circular BPD No. 7 dated 21/7/2006.

Account Closure

Closure works differently depending on the account's balance. If an account sits at a zero balance continuously for three months, SCB may close it at its discretion without giving prior notice. For an account with a balance, SCB gives 15 days' written notice before closing it, and any remaining credit balance is sent to the address on record, by draft or pay order, in full settlement.

Frequently Asked

Is there a fee to reactivate a dormant account?

SCB's official terms don't list a reactivation fee for the written-request process — only the standard account charges in the Schedule of Charges apply going forward. Confirm at the branch if anything's changed.

Does my balance earn profit while the account is dormant?

SCB's terms don't explicitly address this for dormant status specifically — ask your branch to confirm how your account type's profit/interest calculation is affected, since this can vary by account.

Can I reactivate a dormant account without visiting a branch?

SCB's official terms describe the identity document being attested or the original seen by a Bank Official, which typically means an in-person branch visit. Ask 111-002-002 if a digital alternative is available for your account type.

Good For

Knowing exactly when your account crosses into dormant status
Understanding the reactivation steps before making a branch trip
Seeing what happens if an account is left inactive for years, not just months

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See SCB's Official Terms & Conditions See SCB Bank Profile