# Bank account for US Expat



## Zen-Ghost

Can anyone advice me what are the minimum documents an Italian bank requires for a non-Italian cirizen to set up an Italian checking-savings account with Bancomat card? I assume a passport to start. Permesso di Soggiorno? Codice fiscale? Visa? Utility bill? Rental agreement?

Is there a specific Italian banks anyone would recommend for Florence? I am considering BNL-BNP Paribas.

Is there merit to a Post Office bank account?

Thank you for your help,
Alan


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## Guest

Zen-Ghost said:


> Can anyone advice me what are the minimum documents an Italian bank requires for a non-Italian cirizen to set up an Italian checking-savings account with Bancomat card? I assume a passport to start. Permesso di Soggiorno? Codice fiscale? Visa? Utility bill? Rental agreement?
> 
> Is there a specific Italian banks anyone would recommend for Florence? I am considering BNL-BNP Paribas.
> 
> Is there merit to a Post Office bank account?
> 
> Thank you for your help,
> Alan


Hi Alan, 

You've actually mentioned most of them already. Italian citizens need a codice fiscale and an ID, and I'm pretty sure that you'll have to add a utility bill and definitely a permesso di soggiorno to the list for anyone else. I would bring your rental agreement along to be safe. I think they need to see proof of income for people outside of the EU, so a payment slip or contract or something would help as well. As with most things bureaucratic in Italy, the more paperwork that you bring along generally the happier the person you are working with will be!

I can't really recommend a specific bank in Florence, but I would imagine that it is easier to open an account at a larger bank or a foreign one like BNP Paribas since they will have more experience dealing with non-Italians. The smaller banks might not have any employees that speak English if your Italian isn't up to speed so something else to consider! I have heard good things about the Post Office account from friends but couldn't tell you anything from experience. The larger ones are also more apt to have telephone and online banking - BNP Paribas definitely must - so that is a plus as well.

I looked for some info in English for you and this seems to be a pretty good summary of everything you need to know:

Italy Guide: Accounts, How to open a bank account in Italy: You can open a bank account in Italy whether

The advice about the bancomats (cash machines/ATMs) is definitely true - They are almost always out of money so you need to plan ahead! 

Cheers


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## Zen-Ghost

DonPomodoro said:


> Hi Alan,
> 
> You've actually mentioned most of them already. Italian citizens need a codice fiscale and an ID, and I'm pretty sure that you'll have to add a utility bill and definitely a permesso di soggiorno to the list for anyone else. I would bring your rental agreement along to be safe. I think they need to see proof of income for people outside of the EU, so a payment slip or contract or something would help as well. As with most things bureaucratic in Italy, the more paperwork that you bring along generally the happier the person you are working with will be!
> 
> . . .
> 
> The advice about the bancomats (cash machines/ATMs) is definitely true - They are almost always out of money so you need to plan ahead!
> 
> Cheers


Thank you, Don

I appreciate the advice and link.

Alan


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## Dtee

Alan, 

The post office accounts are much cheaper almost nothing compared to the banks but have their limitations, might be worth looking into as it may suit your needs.


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## Barry

*Bank Account*



DonPomodoro said:


> Hi Alan,
> 
> You've actually mentioned most of them already. Italian citizens need a codice fiscale and an ID, and I'm pretty sure that you'll have to add a utility bill and definitely a permesso di soggiorno to the list for anyone else. I would bring your rental agreement along to be safe. I think they need to see proof of income for people outside of the EU, so a payment slip or contract or something would help as well. As with most things bureaucratic in Italy, the more paperwork that you bring along generally the happier the person you are working with will be!
> 
> I can't really recommend a specific bank in Florence, but I would imagine that it is easier to open an account at a larger bank or a foreign one like BNP Paribas since they will have more experience dealing with non-Italians. The smaller banks might not have any employees that speak English if your Italian isn't up to speed so something else to consider! I have heard good things about the Post Office account from friends but couldn't tell you anything from experience. The larger ones are also more apt to have telephone and online banking - BNP Paribas definitely must - so that is a plus as well.
> 
> I looked for some info in English for you and this seems to be a pretty good summary of everything you need to know:
> 
> Italy Guide: Accounts, How to open a bank account in Italy: You can open a bank account in Italy whether
> 
> The advice about the bancomats (cash machines/ATMs) is definitely true - They are almost always out of money so you need to plan ahead!
> 
> Cheers


UniCredit only asked for our passports when we opened an account. They provided us with codice fiscales. They even mail our statements to us here in Canada.


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