So you’ve moved to Italy. You did it! But, before you pop open that nice bottle of prosecco and celebrate a fait accompli, you might want to open an Italian bank account in your new dream city.
“Another thing to do? Oh brother, bank accounts are a nightmare.” I hear you. After getting residency or a visa, along with all the other requirements to move to Italy, you’re probably exhausted by now. But have no fear! Take a chill pill, gather the courage to do one more important thing, and check out our top picks for best Italian banks for expats!
Best Italian banks for expats:
1. Unicredit
The most popular and most trusted by Italians, Unicredit has the strongest financial clout in all of Italy. Unicredit is always rated number 1 on the international stage, which might explain their strong reputation.
They also have locations absolutely every across Italy, so you’ll never have to go far to find a branch or an ATM, or bancomat in Italian.
2. ING
If you’re an expat, you might be looking for a bank with a bit more international clout. If so, check out ING!
The only catch? They’re not very common. In my city of Turin, there are only 2 of them for the whole region. Bad news if you need cash on the fly!
3. Intesa Sanpaolo
Similar to Unicredit, Intesa Sanpaolo among the 2nd highest rated Italian banks. They’re popular among Italians, and you can find their branches practically everywhere. They also offer plenty of banking options to clients and their families, including investments and insurance packages. Convenient!
4. BNL
Another strong bank, BNL, or Banco Nazionale del Lavoro, is ubiquitous across Italy. The benefits? BNL offers a loyalty program called “payback”, which allows clients to get money back for purchases on certain goods. Can’t beat that!
5. Poste Italiane
You may be thinking to yourself, “hang on here, isn’t that the Italian postal service?”. Yup! The postal service also happens to offer bank accounts through its BancoPosta service. Who would’ve thought?
Although they might be a better fit for teens or younger expats in the family, one great benefit to having a BancoPosta account is that account holders receive a normal debit card, which can then be refilled by parents or other family. This allows younger account holders to have all the convenience (and responsibility) of their own Visa card, but with a little help from mom and dad.
While each Italian bank is different in its own way, there is bound to be one bank account out there that suits you. Just get out there, head into some banks, and start asking questions. Happy searching!