A Reuters report yesterday identified a couple more of the lengthening list of foreign banks seeking fully fledged banking authorities in Australia. Reuters reported that "around 10" banks are seeking licences from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. If granted it would take the number of foreign banks with branch banking authorities to more than 40.The two new names in the report were Agricultural Bank of China and Spanish bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria.Other foreign banks recently reported to be in the hunt for a branch banking licence are Santander, also from Spain, and three Indian banks; Bank of Baroda, which already holds licences in Fiji and New Zealand, Union Bank of India and ICICI Bank.A quest for a banking authority can be a drawn out process.The Reuters report mentions Bank of Communications, a Chinese bank that has been in the hunt for a licence from APRA for at least two years.Bank of Lebanon took 18 months to secure approval for its takeover earlier this year of Laiki Bank, with the latter now trading under the name Beirut Hellenic Bank.