How to Open a Bank Account in Italy as a Student

You have just arrived in Rome. Which bank account should you open to get an IBAN for rent, DiSCo and a salary, and what will the bank ask you for?

The short answer: in my experience and that of other students, Intesa Sanpaolo is the best first choice. I opened a normal current account (about EUR 6 a month) with only my codice fiscale, my passport and proof of enrolment. Revolut is the fast alternative in the app, Wise is the easy backup, and the conto di base is a legal right if a bank says no.

This is part 1 of the series on settling in Rome after you arrive. If you still have to pay fees before you leave, read how to pay Italian fees with an international card from Tunisia first. For where the IBAN fits among your other tasks, see the IBAN step in your first 30 days in Rome.

1. What documents do you need to open a bank account in Italy?

To open a bank account in Italy, you need an Italian codice fiscale and your passport; in my case, Intesa Sanpaolo also asked for proof of enrolment. Get the codice fiscale first, because every Italian bank asks for it. The codice fiscale normally comes with your residence permit application; see how to get your codice fiscale in Rome.

• Required in my case: codice fiscale, passport (with your study visa) and proof of enrolment at your university.
• Useful to bring, in my experience: your pre-enrolment summary and the certificate from your Tunisian bank about your blocked funds, showing the monthly transfers that will arrive in your Italian account (see how the blocked account for the student visa works).
• Also keep with you: the post office receipt (ricevuta) of your residence permit application.

The extra papers in this list are not official requirements. They simply show the bank branch who you are, why you are in Rome and where your money comes from.

2. Is Intesa Sanpaolo the best first bank for a student?

In my experience and that of other students, yes: Intesa Sanpaolo is the best first bank for a non-EU student in Rome, and I opened my current account there with only my codice fiscale, passport and proof of enrolment. Intesa Sanpaolo is one of Italy's largest banks, with branches all over Rome. Its official FAQ↗ (opens in a new tab) says a foreign citizen living in Italy can open an account in the app, online or in a branch, only with an Italian codice fiscale.

Intesa Sanpaolo's current offer for new customers is XME Conto Silver at EUR 5.90 a month (fee sheet updated 1 October 2026), or EUR 2.90 a month once a salary is credited. The first debit card has no fee, and withdrawals at the group's ATMs are free (XME Conto Silver↗ (opens in a new tab)).

Intesa itself has no under-35 account. The group's app-only bank, isybank↗ (opens in a new tab), offers its isyPrime plan at EUR 0 a month until age 35. I could not confirm isybank's requirements for non-EU students, so check its FAQ before you rely on it.

Step 1: choose a branch near a university

In my experience and that of other students, Intesa Sanpaolo branches near universities and campuses are used to non-EU students and usually open these accounts without trouble. Ask your university's international office or older students which branch they use.

Step 2: ask for a current account and show your papers

Say you are an international student and want a current account (conto corrente). Show your codice fiscale, passport and proof of enrolment, and ask the Intesa Sanpaolo branch which papers it still needs, if any.

3. Can a student get an Italian IBAN with Revolut?

Yes: Revolut↗ (opens in a new tab) gives an Italian IBAN (starting with IT) to customers who live in Italy (Revolut help), so a student can get one in the app after arriving. As of October 2026, Revolut's plans cost: Standard free, Plus EUR 3.99, Premium EUR 9.99 and Metal EUR 15.99 a month.

Revolut does not open personal accounts for residents of Tunisia (supported countries), so open it after you arrive, with your Italian address. Expect to verify your ID with a selfie, and have your codice fiscale ready in case the app asks for it.

If the app asks for a Tessera Sanitaria

During onboarding, the Revolut app may ask for a Tessera Sanitaria (the Italian health card), which most new students do not have yet. In my experience and that of other students, uploading the official codice fiscale document instead worked. The codice fiscale document may be rejected at first; resubmitting it usually sends the account to manual review by a person. My review took 3 business days and was approved.

Once approved, the Revolut account gives you an Italian IBAN straight in the app; if you want one, you can sign up through the partner link below.

4. Intesa, Revolut, Wise or conto di base: side by side

5. Is Wise a good backup account in Italy?

Yes, Wise is an easy backup, and the last option to try: Wise↗ (opens in a new tab) is not a bank, but the Wise account gives you EUR account details (issued by Wise Europe in Brussels, so the IBAN is Belgian) and a debit card. You need a registered address in a country where Wise offers EUR details (Wise help).

• Registration and the account are free; the physical card is EUR 7 (Wise card fees).
• ATM withdrawals are free up to EUR 250 a month, then 2.69% of the extra.
• Currency conversion starts from 0.2%, depending on the currency (Wise pricing).

Signing up through the partner link below also gives you a gift of one fee-free transfer, up to the amount Wise shows when you register.

You can probably register with Wise from Tunisia, but the Wise card is not available there (card countries). I could not confirm that Wise receives transfers in dinars from Tunisia, so do not plan your monthly transfers around it.

6. What is the conto di base, and can a bank refuse it?

The conto di base is a basic bank account that Italian law (TUB, art. 126-noviesdecies) gives to every consumer legally staying in the EU, regardless of where they live. On 5 August 2026, the Bank of Italy↗ (opens in a new tab) told banks that access was sometimes blocked without reason and that their systems must accept legitimate documents such as the receipt of the residence permit application.

At Intesa the conto di base↗ (opens in a new tab) costs EUR 30 a year and is free with an ISEE under EUR 11,600. To get the Intesa Sanpaolo conto di base, you must not hold another payment account.

The right to a conto di base is not absolute: anti-money-laundering checks still apply. If a bank refuses, ask for the reason in writing; the Bank of Italy expects banks to explain refusals.

7. Which account should you open first?

In my experience, most students in Rome should open a current account at Intesa Sanpaolo first; Revolut, Wise and the conto di base cover the other cases.

• Main account: Intesa Sanpaolo, at a branch near your campus, as soon as you have your codice fiscale.
• Need an IBAN today: Revolut from the app, once you have an Italian address.
• Backup card: Wise.
• Refused everywhere: ask for a conto di base, with your permit receipt.

Whatever account you choose, the IBAN must be in your own name, because DiSCo Lazio pays the scholarship to your account; see when DiSCo Lazio pays the scholarship.

With an Italian IBAN in your name, the next settling steps are to register your residenza in Rome at the anagrafe and to find a student job in Rome, where employers pay the salary by bank transfer.