Hello, I've just moved to Ravenna to work and live for a while. I need to set up a bank account next week, has anyone got a recommendation about which bank to use?

Cheers!

Hi, and first of all welcome to Italy,

I can't offer any advice on which bank to go to because I don't know Ravenna very well, but assuming you'll just be using the account for ordinary things - paying bills, getting money transferred and so forth, I'd think you'd do best to ask local people, and what's more ask one of them to actually go there with you to introduce you to the manager. Bella figura, etc.

I'm serious about this.

I would think about opening up an account at the Post Office. Cheaper than banks and there is a post office in every town, should you need to call in away from where your own branch is situated.
I closed my bank account and opened one at the post office and glad I did.

Good luck

'morning Cornish Knocker. May I ask how long did it take to get the activation pin once you'd completed all the paperwork at the Post Ofice?
many thanks,
'o nonno

It might be cheaper now, but once you hit the 5000 savings mark they hit you with some stupid tax.Plus, every time you withdraw cash ( I believe over 1000 euro) you have to fill in forms to stop money laundering. So much easier to go to the bancomat and get your cash.
Forgot to say, I have 650 euro limit on cash withdrawals with the Post office and a lot more than that with the bank.
My advice is you are more limited with the Post Office account than a bank one, but I do not know if my account is different from others who might have a different set up.

If I remember well, the PIN came in the post within a week.

[QUOTE=Isakat;11421788]If I remember well, the PIN came in the post within a week.[/QUO
Thanks :-). Way over that, and still waiting.
Bye bye dicette l'inglese

I don't know anything about post office accounts. If you want help setting up a direct debit, say, or switching over a resident-style ENEL direct debit to a non-residential one, or transferring €1000 to a nephew in South Africa, can you sit down and sort it out over a coffee and a quiet fag with the manager in his/her office, like you can at a local bank if you've got yourself with the right one ? Isn't a postmaster/mistress liable to be busy with queues of old age pensioners etc ?

hi,i might be wrong but im sure you have to be resident to open post office account,cheers brian.

Thanks for your help everyone...any other advice on getting started here in Italy would be welcome!

Go to Unicredit, simple and efficient, you will pay the same as any other account in Italy, but have a lot less paperwork and internal burocracy to deal with, the internet banking is really easy and very secure.