April 23, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Convert a Password-Protected Bank Statement
Many banks email statements as password-protected PDFs. Here's how to unlock yours legitimately and convert it to Excel or CSV.
Banks across India, the UK, and parts of Europe ship monthly statements as password-protected PDFs. The password is usually a combination of your name, date of birth, account number, or PAN — printed in the email itself. Once you have it, conversion is straightforward.
Step 1: Find the password
Check the email the bank sent. The password format is almost always written there explicitly:
- HDFC Bank: first 4 letters of the customer name (uppercase) + DDMM of date of birth — example: RAHU0507
- ICICI Bank: first 4 letters of name + DOB in DDMM format
- State Bank of India: account number, or the registered mobile number's last 4 digits
- HSBC UK: date of birth + last 4 of sort code (varies by product)
The bank's email is authoritative — copy from there, don't guess.
Step 2: Remove the password (optional but recommended)
If you'll convert the same file more than once, remove the password so you don't have to type it every time:
- macOS Preview: open the PDF, enter the password, then File → Export as PDF. The exported copy is unprotected.
- Adobe Acrobat: File → Properties → Security → Security Method → No Security.
- Chrome/Edge: open the PDF, enter the password, Print → Save as PDF.
The new copy is identical except it has no password.
Step 3: Convert it
Drop the unprotected PDF onto our PDF to Excel converter. For CSV or QBO, use PDF to CSV or PDF to QBO.
If you want to skip the unlock step, our converter accepts password-protected PDFs and prompts you for the password during upload — the password is used only to read the file and is never stored.
A note on legality
Removing the password from a PDF that was issued to you, for your own use, is legitimate. Doing it to a statement that wasn't issued to you is not. Don't.