Opening a bank account in Italy as an expat: codice fiscale, IBANs and your rights

In Italy, the number you need before almost anything else is the codice fiscale, your Italian tax code. N26, bunq and Revolut all give new customers in Italy an Italian (IT) IBAN in the app, and anyone legally resident in the EU has a right to a low-cost conto di base (basic account) at an Italian bank.

What you will be asked for

These items come up most often:

Getting your codice fiscale

The codice fiscale is an alphanumeric code issued by the Agenzia delle Entrate (Italian Revenue Agency) and calculated from your personal details. Italian embassies list opening a bank account among the reasons you need it. It does not expire.

How you get it depends on your situation:

• EU citizens in Italy submit form AA4/8 at any Agenzia delle Entrate office, with a valid ID and the reason for the request.
• Non-EU citizens receive it from the Sportello Unico per l'Immigrazione (work or family reunification visas) or from the Questura (other permit types) as part of the residence permit process.
• From abroad, some Italian consulates accept requests. The embassy in Berlin, for example, takes them through its prenot@mi booking portal and says the digital certificate is usually emailed within about 15 days. Otherwise, you can give someone a special power of attorney to apply for you at an office in Italy.

EU citizens staying longer than three months

EU citizens who stay in Italy for more than three months must apply for registration at the anagrafe (registry office) of their municipality, in person or online where the municipality allows it. According to Italy's Ministry of the Interior, you need proof of employment or self-employment; if you do not work, proof of sufficient resources (which you can self-certify) and comprehensive health insurance, plus proof of enrolment if you are a student. The municipality gives you a certificate showing that you have applied.

Neo banks: what N26, bunq and Revolut offer in Italy

N26

N26 is a digital bank with a German banking licence. New customers who sign up in Italy receive an Italian IBAN. N26's expat page asks for a valid ID showing your Italian codice fiscale, a smartphone and residence in a country where N26 operates; no minimum deposit or income is required. Deposits are protected up to €100,000 by the German deposit guarantee scheme. Standard has no account fee; Smart costs €4.90, Go €9.90 and Metal €16.90 a month.

bunq

bunq holds a Dutch banking licence from De Nederlandsche Bank, and deposits are covered by the Dutch scheme up to €100,000 per depositor. bunq announced its Italian IBAN and its first Italian branch on 23 June 2026. Anyone who signs up from Italy gets an Italian IBAN from the start, on any plan. The signup uses a video check with your ID and codice fiscale. Verified Pro and Elite users elsewhere in the EEA can add an extra account with an Italian IBAN, but must verify their identity again. Plans: Free, Core €3.99, Pro €9.99 and Elite €18.99 a month.

Revolut

Italian accounts are provided by Revolut Bank UAB, Italian branch (Via Dante 7, Milan), listed in the Bank of Italy register of banks under code 3669. Revolut Bank UAB is licensed by the Bank of Lithuania and the European Central Bank, and deposits are covered by Lithuania's scheme up to €100,000. New accounts opened in Italy automatically get an IT IBAN; older customers moved to the branch keep their Lithuanian IBAN alongside it. The Standard plan costs €0. Revolut also offers a conto di base.

At a glance

For plan details, see N26 plans explained, bunq plans explained and the Revolut listing.

Stamp duty: a cost to know about

Italian current accounts carry a stamp duty (imposta di bollo) of €34.20 a year. N26 says it applies when your average annual balance is above €5,000 and that it pays it only for Metal customers. Revolut's information sheet adds it to the account costs, and bunq says it is calculated and applied automatically.

Your right to a basic account

Banks, Poste Italiane and other payment providers must offer a conto di base to anyone legally entitled to stay in Italy or another EU country, including people with no fixed address and asylum seekers. According to the Bank of Italy:

• it is for consumers only, and you cannot open one if you already have a current or payment account in Italy;
• it covers transfers, salary or pension payments and a debit card, but no overdraft, cheque book or securities account;
• it is free if your ISEE (household means indicator) is below €11,600, in which case you pay no stamp duty either;
• it is also free for pensioners with gross income below €18,000, though the €34.20 stamp duty still applies.

A bank may refuse only if you do not meet the legal requirements or there is a well-founded suspicion of illegal use, and it must tell you why within ten working days. You can then complain to the bank, report it to the Bank of Italy or go to the Arbitro Bancario Finanziario (ABF), the banking ombudsman.

Can you keep your foreign EU IBAN?

Yes, in principle. Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 requires businesses to accept euro payments and direct debits from any SEPA country's IBAN. In practice, N26 notes that German IBANs were not always accepted in Italy, which is one reason it introduced Italian ones. Italy's competition authority (AGCM) fined lender Agos Ducato €800,000 in February 2026 for refusing non-Italian SEPA IBANs for direct debits.

Compare all providers available in Italy in our comparison table for Italy. Moving to Spain instead? Read opening a bank account in Spain as an expat, and see is my money safe in a neo bank? before you move large sums.

Moving to France? Read opening a bank account in France as an expat: French IBANs, the droit au compte and form 3916.

Moving to another country? See which neo banks accept residents of each country.

Sources

• Embassy of Italy in Berlin: Codice fiscale per cittadini stranieri
• Embassy of Italy in Oslo: Tax Code (Codice Fiscale)
• Ministry of the Interior (Your Europe): Residence in Italy for EU citizens
• Banca d'Italia (Economia per tutti): Il conto di base
• AGCM: Agos Ducato fined €800,000 for IBAN discrimination
• N26: Conto corrente per expat
• N26 Support: What you need to know about the Italian IBAN
• bunq: bunq focuses on Italy with the launch of the Italian IBAN
• bunq: Italian IBAN, an account built for Italy
• bunq Help: What kind of IBAN will I get with bunq?
• bunq Help: Is my money safe with bunq?
• Revolut: Italy information sheet for the standard current account
• Revolut: Personal Terms (Italy)
• Revolut Help: What account details are available for me?

Prices and features checked on 31 October 2026.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Fees, features and availability change, so check the provider's own website before you apply. Read how we compare providers and our affiliate disclosure.