Bank account
Once you have the post office ricevutaRent goes out by transfer, the scholarship comes in, tuition has to be paid — all of it needs an IBAN. Digital banks open in minutes; a traditional Italian bank is easier for landlords and universities to accept. Plenty of students keep both.
Step by step
- 1
Open a digital account to tide you over
Revolut, N26 and Wise want a passport and a selfie, and open on your first day here. Use one for living money and the supermarket.
Some digital banks give you a non-Italian IBAN. EU rules forbid refusing a payment because of the IBAN’s country, but the odd landlord or utility company will still make it difficult.
- 2
Then open an Italian one
Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, BPER, Banco BPM and Poste Italiane all run fee-free student accounts for the under-30s or under-35s. Book an appuntamento and bring the full set of documents.
- 3
Get the IBAN and the card
The IBAN is handed over on the spot; the Bancomat debit card arrives in 5–10 days. Save the IBAN somewhere you can find it — rent, reimbursements and university refunds all ask for it.
- 4
Turn on online banking
Activate the app, and get SPID, Italy’s digital identity. You will need SPID for permit renewals, tax filings and student aid applications.
You can apply for SPID with your permesso di soggiorno and codice fiscale; PosteID is the most widely used provider.
Where people get stuck
- !Without residenza, some banks will only give you a non-resident account: dearer, and with less in it. Open it anyway and convert it to a resident account once your residenza comes through.
- !Always pay rent by bank transfer, and write the month in the reference. Cash leaves no trace, and you feel it when the deposit is due back.
- !An average balance above €5,000 costs €34.20 in imposta di bollo. That is a tax, not a bank charge — changing banks will not shake it off.