Banks in Italy that serve Russians: 2026

In short

The question "which bank should I go to" is the most frequent question in Russian-speaking chats about Italy. The short honest answer: a guaranteed bank does not exist, the decision is made by a specific branch and a specific employee, and policies change from month to month. But there is still a statistical picture of community experience, and it helps you avoid wasting weeks on obviously weak options. This is a comparison of banks based on reviews, not financial or legal advice: check tariffs and requirements on the banks' websites before visiting. The general mechanics of opening an account are covered in the article bank account and money transfers, and the sanctions nuances for citizens of Russia and Belarus in the article account under sanctions. Here it is specifically a comparison of individual banks.

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What the law says: the right to a basic account and the sanctions cap

A given bank chooses its clients, but that choice has limits. The rules below come from the texts on normattiva.it and eur-lex.europa.eu (checked 12.10.2026):

When this matters and how to use it. If a branch refuses you verbally, ask for a written reasoned refusal and file a separate written request specifically for a conto di base: the bank then has 10 working days to answer, and a refusal without a legal ground can be taken to Banca d'Italia. A conto di base is a basic payment account in euro for consumers, not for a business, and it gives you a first Italian account. Until you have a permesso, keep no more than 100,000 euro in one bank: the regulation exempts holders of a residence permit, and a D visa is not one; whether a ricevuta counts as one is up to the bank. Complaint tactics are in the article an account under sanctions.

Sources: art. 126-noviesdecies TUB, art. 126-vicies TUB - normattiva.it; Regulation 2022/576 - eur-lex.europa.eu (checked 12.10.2026).

In short: where to go first

Based on the combined community experience the picture is roughly this (every point has exceptions in both directions):

• higher chances: Banca Sella, BPER, small regional banks and cooperative credit banks, BancoPosta;
• a lottery, depends on the branch: Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Credem, BNL - there have been both openings in a single visit and refusals with a complete set of documents;
• before the permesso: PostePay Evolution and prepaid cards with an Italian IBAN, neobanks with a type D visa;
• with caution: N26 - the chats have many stories of account blocks for holders of a Russian codice fiscale.

More detail on each group below.

What almost any bank will ask for

The basic set without which the conversation usually does not start:

• codice fiscale - needed by everyone without exception; some branches want to see the plastic card, not a printout. If your codice carries the USSR country code, some banking systems will reject the application - the code is corrected at the Agenzia delle Entrate before going to the bank. How to obtain and correct it - in the article codice fiscale and residenza;
• a valid Permesso di Soggiorno - the paper ricevuta does not pass in most traditional banks; what is more, there have been refusals even with the plastic card when its expiry date was close;
• Carta d'Identita and residenza - formally not always mandatory, but in practice without registered residence many branches refuse "by default";
• sometimes - a tessera sanitaria, a work contract, a busta paga, or an explanation of where the money will be coming from (partita IVA, salary, rent).

An important caveat from community experience: one branch will ask for one list, and two days later another employee of the same bank will demand something else. That is normal for Italy; budget for several attempts.

Traditional banks: a comparison based on reviews

First, a summary of the traditional banks at a glance. Everything in the table is per community experience, neutral and with the caveat "depends on the branch": for the same brand, neighboring branches can produce opposite results. Tariffs and requirements change - verify the current ones on the bank's website before visiting.

Before going I gathered reviews from people I know around our town and put them into a little table. It turned out that at Intesa and UniCredit everything rides on the specific manager, BPER agreed more calmly, and nobody around here had really tried Banco BPM. In the end I went where the review was fresh and real, not where the brand was simply big.

Intesa Sanpaolo

The country's largest network. Reviews are polarized: in some periods branches actively opened accounts for permesso holders, in others they refused with a complete set of documents, and without a written refusal at that. The bank is gradually moving retail accounts to the digital Isybank - according to the community they asked for residenza plus a tessera sanitaria or an Italian driving license there. A plus of the network - the ATMs in branch vestibules are accessible around the clock. There have also been stories of blocked operations for existing clients with a Russian passport, so with large incoming transfers it is better to warn the branch in advance.

UniCredit

The second big network, and again a lottery. In the community's experience, accounts were opened in Milan and Rome with the set "permesso + Carta d'Identita + codice fiscale", sometimes at the second appointment while the security service reviewed the documents. At the same time other branches refused with the same papers, and a child without a residence permit was not given an account, with a reference to new internal rules. A separate plus from the chats: some UniCredit managers suggested notifying the branch director in advance of a large incoming transfer, with documents on the origin of the money - then it does not get blocked after the fact.

In a week I went around several banks in the region, including both big networks - refusals everywhere, even though the document package was complete, and they would not even let me open a joint account with my Italian husband. Nobody wanted to issue a written refusal. I left an application at the post office and signed up with an online bank - decided I would do a second round once I have a work contract.

BPER

Sounds noticeably calmer than the giants in the chats: there are stories where an account was opened without drama in one or two visits. A telling case involved a technical glitch: the system would not accept the application because of a mismatched country-of-birth code in the codice fiscale, but the manager did not send the client home - she called the head office and saw the opening through. That kind of attitude is a good sign; in the community's experience it is precisely the employee's willingness to wrestle with a non-standard client that decides everything.

Banca Sella

Perhaps the bank most often mentioned in a positive light: accounts were opened both without residenza and with temporary documents, including a case with a certified copy of a passport while the original was sitting at the questura. The flip side is the tariffs: in reviews Sella is called far from cheap, and partita IVA holders were persistently offered a second, business account with a separate fee. If the goal is to quickly get a working Italian IBAN rather than to save on the canone, this is a frequent choice.

I had read plenty of stories that with our passport you cannot open an account, and simply walked into the branch closest to home in a suburb of Turin. My documents: a temporary permit and a certified copy of my passport. Forty minutes of conversation, a few jokes in Italian - and the account was ready. Since then I believe that language and a good rapport with the manager decide more than the name of the bank.

Credem and BNL

There are fewer community reviews of these two networks. Credem is a mid-sized bank with a strong regional footprint; the logic of the chats suggests that such structures are often more flexible than the giants, but there is little systematic confirmation - go with a complete package and by appointment. BNL (BNP Paribas group) appears in lists of banks for mortgages and salary accounts; on opening accounts for newcomers with a permesso there is little data, and the policy, as everywhere, depends on the branch.

Small regional banks

A separate strategy that has worked in the chats more than once: skip the national networks and go to a local bank or cooperative credit bank in your own town. There the decision is often made personally by the branch director: in one story he called the head office in front of the clients, described the situation ("Russians, entrepreneurship, they pay taxes") and got approval for a debit and a credit account the same day. Taxes paid in Italy and an understandable source of income are the main argument for such banks.

Online banks: Fineco, N26, Hype, Revolut, illimity

Fineco

In the chats FinecoBank is often called "the last hope" after a round of branch visits - and not without reason: reviews describe the staff as reasonable and willing to help. A nuance for Russian citizens: it is better not to risk submitting the online application with your passport - in the community's experience such applications go into a separate review track, and it is more reliable to come to an office in person with a complete package. There are no guarantees here either, but the probability of a sensible dialogue is above average.

N26

A German neobank with a European IBAN: it opens easily, but per the community it is the one with the most stories of blocks for holders of a Russian codice fiscale - the details and a comparison with the other neobanks are in the article Revolut and Wise for an emigrant.

Hype

An Italian fintech built on the infrastructure of the Banca Sella group; it provides a real Italian IBAN and opens online. Registration requires a codice fiscale and Italian documents; in the chats people asked whether its statements are good enough for the questura - there is no clear-cut statistic, and for the permesso renewal many people play it safe with a statement from a traditional bank. As an everyday card with an IT IBAN it is a workable option; the policy towards Russian citizens, as everywhere, can change.

Revolut

In the community's experience it opened even with a type D visa and is therefore popular as a "first account", but the IBAN was long not Italian and some purely Italian operations refuse the card - where exactly and with what limits is covered in the article Revolut and Wise for an emigrant.

illimity

A fully online bank with an Italian IBAN. There are still few reviews of it in the Russian-speaking community: onboarding is digital (usually via SPID or CIE and Italian documents), so until you have residenza and a digital identity it is unlikely to become your first account. If you already have SPID - you can try it as an alternative, checking the current requirements on the website.

By the same logic Isybank and ING come up in the chats: in the community's experience they let people in with residenza and a tessera sanitaria or an Italian driving license - that is, these are options for those who have already settled in.

Poste Italiane: BancoPosta and PostePay Evolution

The post office is not quite a bank, but it is what most often rescued those turned down by everyone else.

BancoPosta is a full account with an Italian IBAN. In the community's experience there were cases of opening one even with a ricevuta, which is nearly unheard of at traditional banks. The flip side: there is no personal manager, decisions "go upstairs" ("we will call you back within 7-10 days" is the typical answer), and they do not always call back. In one story the account was opened about a month after the client promised to complain to UNAR. Poste has its own tariffs: for a representative office's business account the chats mentioned around 12 euro per month - the figures are different for personal packages, check on poste.it.

PostePay Evolution is a prepaid card with an Italian IBAN, the community's main "fallback airfield". It opens noticeably more easily than an account, the annual limit and balance ceiling are capped (the chats mentioned on the order of 10 thousand euro - check the current figures), and it can be topped up by transfer, at a Postamat or at a tabaccheria for a couple of euro. You can receive a salary on it and pay via SEPA. The downside: it is a prepagata, and some electricity and gas providers refuse to attach a domiciliazione to it - they ask for direct debit from a full account. As a temporary solution until the permesso, few options are less hassle.

With the post office it went like this for me: BancoPosta did not ask about residenza as strictly as the traditional banks, but it also dragged the decision out for weeks. An acquaintance in the same town got Fineco opened only after an in-person office visit, even though the online application with a passport was first sent off for a check.

For a month I went from branch to branch: in one they said "you do not work - goodbye", in another they entered my application and vanished, and nobody would give a written refusal. When I said I would contact UNAR, they suggested I "go ahead and try". In the end it was the post office that opened my account - either the complaint helped, or somebody's conscience woke up.

Maintenance costs and youth plans

All figures below are from community experience and go stale quickly; verify against the tariff sheets:

• a classic conto corrente - roughly from 0 to 10+ euro per month (canone mensile) depending on the bank and the package; reviews complain that Sella is expensive, and the post office has its own tariffs;
• online banks and neobanks - basic plans are often free, you pay for premium options;
• the stamp duty (imposta di bollo) - about 34 euro per year if the average account balance is above a threshold of roughly 5000 euro; the bank withholds it itself;
• instant transfers (bonifico istantaneo) at traditional banks are often paid - the chats mentioned 1.5-2.5 euro per transfer, whereas at neobanks it is usually free.

Students and young people have it easier: most large banks have accounts for clients under 30 with a zero or token canone, and in the community's experience students with a study agreement had accounts opened more willingly - the study contract replaces the employment link. If you are under thirty, ask directly about the youth plan - the staff do not always offer it themselves.

How to raise your chances: bank visit tactics

By trial and error the community has worked out a fairly stable set of techniques:

1. An appointment instead of walking in off the street. An appuntamento with a specific manager works better than the queue: the employee has time for a non-standard client.
2. A complete package with a margin. The plastic codice fiscale, the permesso, the Carta d'Identita, the tessera, a contract or an explanation of income. There is no such thing as too many documents - the more papers, the calmer the manager.
3. A coherent story for the account. Say directly what the account is for: receiving a salary from an employer, taking payments on a partita IVA, paying rent and utilities. The bank fears untraceable transit money, not you personally.
4. Italian, or a companion who speaks it. Success stories almost always include a live conversation in Italian. No language - bring a friend who speaks it or an escort from a patronato/CAF.
5. The "bring a friend" rule. Coming together with an existing client of that branch is an old Italian life hack that consultants mention too: on a referral, accounts were opened even where walk-ins were refused.
6. A small branch and the director. In a small town the branch director has more freedom than a teller at a Milan flagship. Ask to speak with the director, not the window.

For a rank-and-file teller it is easier to tell a foreigner "no" than to deal with compliance - they will not even look into it. That is why it is better to go to the bank with someone who speaks Italian and, ideally, banks at that very branch. A referral from an existing client opens doors that look locked from the street.

My conclusion after three refusals: while you have no contract and no identita, it is not you choosing the bank - it is the bank choosing you. But this is cured by making the rounds of branches - the same brand in the next neighborhood calmly opened an account for me with the same documents. Treat it not as a system but as a lottery in which you can buy many tickets.

What to do after a refusal

The most effective item in the community's experience is simply going to the next branch over or another bank. The legal tactics (a written reasoned refusal, a request for a conto di base, a call to UNAR, a complaint to Banca d'Italia) are in the article account under sanctions.

Life goes on while the account is not yet open: cash and exchange are covered in the article cash and currency exchange, transferring money from Russia in the article how to transfer money from Russia, and everyday payments are handled by neobanks and PostePay. In any case, do not keep all your money in one place: blocks happen even at "reliable" banks, and a second account is insurance.

Related articles

• An account in Italy for Russian and Belarusian citizens under sanctions - the right to a conto di base, the written refusal, complaints.
• Bank account and money transfers - the general mechanics of opening and using an account.
• Revolut and Wise for an emigrant - the neobanks and their limits in detail.
• Cash and currency exchange in Italy - life before the first account.
• Codice fiscale and residenza - the documents without which the bank will not talk to you.
• How to transfer money from Russia - channels and proving the origin of funds.
• Moving money out of Russia: CBR limits - the Russian side of a transfer to your own Italian account.

Official sources

• poste.it - Poste Italiane: BancoPosta and PostePay Evolution tariffs, conto di base conditions.
• agenziaentrate.gov.it - Agenzia delle Entrate: obtaining and correcting the codice fiscale (including the country-of-birth code).
• normattiva.it - art. 126-noviesdecies and 126-vicies TUB: the right to a conto di base and the deadline to answer a request (checked 12.10.2026).
• eur-lex.europa.eu - Regulation (EU) 2022/576: art. 5b of Regulation 833/2014, the 100,000 euro cap and the residence-permit exemption (checked 12.10.2026).
• bancaditalia.it - Banca d'Italia: the basic account (conto di base), client rights and filing a complaint online.
• portaleimmigrazione.it - status of the Permesso di Soggiorno application, which banks want to see valid.
• spid.gov.it - SPID: the digital identity for online bank applications.

Frequently asked questions

How should I read reviews of specific banks (Intesa, UniCredit, BPER, Banco BPM, BancoPosta, Fineco)?

In the community's experience reviews of any bank depend heavily on the branch and the month, so there is no single rating. With the big networks - Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, BPER, Banco BPM - there have been both single-visit openings and refusals with a complete package; residenza is usually asked for, the ricevuta is more often not accepted. BancoPosta (Poste) and Fineco more often helped out as a fallback in the chats, with Fineco being more reliable to open by an in-person visit than by an online passport application. Maintenance costs vary for everyone - from nominally free packages to 10-plus euro per month. This is not financial advice: look at fresh reviews for your own town and check current tariffs on the bank's website.

Which bank in Italy opens an account for a Russian citizen most easily?

In the community's experience there is no single answer: policies change and depend heavily on the branch. The most frequent positive reviews mention Banca Sella, BPER and small regional banks, with BancoPosta and the PostePay Evolution card as a fallback. With the big networks (Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit) there have been both successful openings and refusals with a complete set of documents. This is not financial advice - check the conditions at the specific branch.

Will they open an account with a ricevuta, before the plastic permesso arrives?

In the community's experience most traditional banks do not accept the ricevuta and wait for a valid Permesso di Soggiorno, and often also a Carta d'Identita with residenza. There have been cases of opening an account with a ricevuta at the post office (BancoPosta) and at individual branches, but that is more the exception. For the waiting period many people use prepaid cards with an Italian IBAN or neobanks. Policies change - check on the spot.

Do I need a codice fiscale to open an account in an Italian bank?

Yes, in the community's experience absolutely all banks and payment services ask for a codice fiscale - without it the application is not even entered into the system. Some branches want to see the plastic (physical) codice card, not a printout from the letter. A separate trap is the country-of-birth code in the codice: with the old USSR code some systems reject the application, and people first correct it at the Agenzia delle Entrate.

How much does maintaining an account at an Italian bank cost?

In the community's experience a classic conto corrente runs from about zero to 10-plus euro per month depending on the bank and package, online banks and neobanks often offer the basic plan for free, and Poste has its own tariffs. Plus the stamp duty of about 34 euro per year if the average balance is above a threshold of roughly 5000 euro. The figures change - check the current tariffs on the bank's website before signing.

What should I do if a bank refuses to open an account because of my citizenship?

In the community's experience the working sequence is this: ask for a written reasoned refusal, submit a written request for a basic account (conto di base) with the request registered, call UNAR right from the branch, and if the refusal persists - file a complaint with Banca d'Italia through their online services. Often the mere request for a written refusal changes the tone of the conversation. The detailed tactics with the legal basis are in the article 'Bank account in Italy for Russian citizens' (/docs/money/banking-russian-citizens).

Do Italian banks have student and youth plans?

Yes, in the community's experience most large banks have accounts for young people (usually up to age 30) with zero or reduced canone, and students with a study agreement have historically had accounts opened more willingly than other categories without a work contract. The conditions and age thresholds differ per bank and change - verify them on the official tariff pages.

How long does a SEPA bank transfer (bonifico) take in Italy?

Under art. 20 of D.Lgs 11/2010 the payer's bank must credit the amount to the payee's bank by the end of the next business day after receiving the order; for a paper order the parties may agree one extra business day. The rule applies to transfers in an EU member-state currency when both banks are in the EU; weekends and holidays are not business days. Text on normattiva.it, checked 05.10.2026.

Related materials - Money, taxes and daily life

• Revolut and Wise in Italy: the limits
• Cash in Italy: exchanging dollars, limits, ATMs
• Working for a Russian firm from Italy: taxes
• Tax deductions in Italy: 730, medical costs

Documents for this topic

• Template for opening a conto di base for Russian citizens in Italy
• Instructions for Paying Enel Energia Bills via Bank Transfer
• Poste Italiane Tariffs for SEPA Transfers (bonifico and Postagiro)