Bank accounts

[alaric]

As we prepare to head to Italy, I need to work out how to manage my various credit card and bank accounts. As most banks are international is there a way of using my ratings from the UK to help open something in Italy and can people suggest a bank that would have experience of this? I was thinking of a simple current account with no overdraft facility, keeping my existing accounts in the UK running.

Thanks.

Sean.

[NickZ]

Assuming you have residence then you don't need anything special for what you want.

All the banks will happily open an account for you.

If you can manage with internet and Italian then take a look at the ING Italia website. For residents it's pretty close to free.

[BBCWatcher]

For such a simple account having a credit reference won't be necessary. Take a look at Poste Italiane's "click" account as an example.

[alaric]

Haha. Excellent. Thanks. I've been onto the click account web site and that certainly appears to give me what I want. I'm not sure what we need to do to get residence, but I believe it will be sorted out through my wife's job.

I know my questions probably seem obvious, but it's really helpful to have recommendations / suggestions at the moment.

Thanks again.

Sean.

[italy]

would agree with the ING or banca posta suggestion as having one Italian bank account is almost essential for the payment of some bills and other mundane bits of life... i would suggest that apart from that very limited association you avoid Italian banking if you can and just use your UK credit cards and debit cards.. many international banks have tried to break into the Italian banking system in the past and all have mainly given up trying to establish a high street presence as its all too complicated ... you will find normal things like bank statements or check books very complicated.. in fact you will have to learn how to write checks maybe but it needs you learning that points and commas are different here in the numbering system... checks are not just simple bits of paper you are given a limited amount that you have to account for if asked and any missing is almost a criminal offense.. having a residents account limits any cash withdrawal and costs a lot less with more scope ... having a non residents bank account allows you freedom regarding those rules that Italians have to comply with but costs a lot more and limits things you have access to.. often no check books or debit/credit cards.. and each banking transaction has a cost including deposits and withdrawals and bank statements...

[NickZ]

Originally Posted by italy

checks are not just simple bits of paper you are given a limited amount that you have to account for if asked and any missing is almost a criminal offense.. having a residents account limits any cash withdrawal and costs a lot less with more scope ... having a non residents bank account allows you freedom regarding those rules that Italians have to comply with but costs a lot more and limits things you have access to.. often no check books or debit/credit cards.. and each banking transaction has a cost including deposits and withdrawals and bank statements...

If you have an online account you can do bonifico (basically cheques). Sticking to BEU bonificos (less then I think €12.5K but it might be 50K, filling out all the required info. IBAN etc) the cost online is often zero.

Last time I looked Barclay Italia had a reasonable non resident account but things change.

[alaric]

Thanks for the Barclays tip - I have a Barclays current account already so have mailed to ask if I can open an account in Italy based on that.

Sean.