Opening a bank account in Italy without your permesso card (2026)

If a bank tells you to come back when your permesso card arrives, you may not have to wait. Anyone legally staying in the EU who does not already have a payment account in Italy has a legal right to a basic account, the conto di base. In 2026 the Bank of Italy also said it expects banks to be able to handle non-standard documents when you ask for one, such as the receipt of a permesso application or a provisional numeric codice fiscale.

What the conto di base is

A basic payment account that banks, Poste Italiane and other payment providers must offer. It includes:

• receiving your salary or pension;
• bank transfers;
• a debit card.

There is no overdraft, and usually no cheques. Operations beyond those included in the fee can cost extra, so read the information sheet.

Who has the right to one

Every consumer legally staying in Italy or another EU country, including asylum seekers, refugees and people without a fixed address, as long as you do not already hold a current or payment account in Italy. When you apply you are usually asked to sign a self-declaration saying so.

Already have an app account with an Italian IBAN? That is very likely a payment account in Italy, so it counts. Do not sign the self-declaration if it would not be true. Your options: open an ordinary account instead; close the app account first; or move it to the conto di base through account switching (portabilità) and ask for the old one to be closed.

What it costs

An ISEE requires an Italian declaration (DSU), so most newcomers will not have one at first.

A bank may meet its obligation with an equivalent no-cost account under another name, if its information sheet says that account replaces the conto di base. If the bank offers you a different, paid account, it should still present the conto di base as an option.

The 2026 Bank of Italy guidance

On 5 August 2026 the Bank of Italy published supervisory guidelines on the basic account. It said it expects banks to adapt their systems so they can handle non-standard documents in support of a conto di base request, giving as examples a provisional numeric codice fiscale and the receipt of the application for a permesso di soggiorno. A bank should not refuse anyone just because they belong to a group seen as higher risk; any anti-money-laundering check must look at the individual case.

By 30 November 2026 each bank must check its own procedures and report any gaps still open on 30 November to the Bank of Italy, with a plan to fix them, so some branches may still not be ready.

At the branch

Bring your passport, visa (if you have one), the ricevuta (permesso receipt) and the paper showing your codice fiscale. A provisional code (for example from the Sportello Unico or the Questura) can be 11 digits only, not the usual 16 letters and numbers; that is the "provisional numeric" code the guidance mentions.

Vorrei aprire un conto di base. Non ho altri conti di pagamento in Italia.

I would like to open a basic account. I have no other payment account in Italy.

If they ask for the permesso card, mention "gli Orientamenti di Vigilanza della Banca d'Italia del 5 agosto 2026 sul conto di base"; it helps to show them on your phone.

If they still say no:

Mi può dare il rifiuto per iscritto, con le motivazioni?

Could you give me the refusal in writing, with the reasons?

The quickest fix is often simply to try another bank or a post office.

If the bank refuses

A bank can refuse only for specific legal reasons, for example a well-founded suspicion of illegal use. It must tell you promptly and give the reasons within 10 working days, except where anti-money-laundering or public-security rules prevent it.

To challenge a refusal:

1. complain in writing to the bank;
2. report it to the Bank of Italy;
3. take it to the Arbitro Bancario Finanziario (ABF), the banking ombudsman. You can go to the ABF once the bank has rejected your complaint, given an answer you find unsatisfactory, or not replied within its deadline (60 days, or 15 working days for payment-services complaints), and within 12 months of the complaint. Filing costs €20, refunded if you win.

Ordinary current accounts

For a regular account, banks typically ask for a valid ID, your codice fiscale, your permesso or receipt, and often proof of address. Requirements differ from bank to bank, and the 2026 guidance on non-standard documents is about the conto di base, so ask before you go.

Sources: Banca d'Italia, economiapertutti.bancaditalia.it (Il conto di base); bancaditalia.it, "Comunicazione in materia di offerta del conto di base" and "Conto di pagamento con caratteristiche di base. Orientamenti di Vigilanza sul comportamento degli intermediari" (5 August 2026); arbitrobancariofinanziario.it (verifiche preliminari). Checked October 2026.