Opening a bank account is not very complicated. You must take along a proof of identity and proof of address (passport, driving licence, or a bill from a company with your address on it).

Bank Hours

Official banking hours can vary slightly, but in general are from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and an hour and a half in the afternoon between 2:30 and 4:40. Banks are generally closed on weekends and holidays and sometimes close early on days prior to holidays.

Opening an Account

You'll need a codice fiscale to open any account. Some banks may ask you for a residence certificate, but this is no longer a legal requirement, only an internal one.

Checking Accounts

Checking accounts are interest bearing. Interest rates and service charges can often be negotiated. Withdrawal slips do not exist in Italy. To get cash, you either have to write a personal cheque made out to "me" ("stesso"/"stessa") or use a Bancomat card. Personal cheques can usually only be cashed in the branch of your bank where you have your account (and occasionally in other branches of the same bank). You are charged for checkbooks, and there is a service charge on each check written.

Filling in Checks

Remember when you are writing numbers to use a period instead of a comma to indicate thousands and a coma instead of a decimal point (350.500,00 lire). The amount of the check, when written out, contains no capital letters and all the words are connected, e.g
"trecentocinquantamilacinquecentolire".

Cash Cards

Bancomat cards are very popular and widely applied. Bancomat is a national card and can be used in automatic tellers throughout the country. Many supermarkets and shops have checkout counters where you can pay with your card (POS). You can be charged 1€ when you withdraw money from other places other than your own bank.

Credit Cards

Credit cards can be used in most stores and hotels and in many restaurants. A few stores off the main tourist routes do not accept them at all, and others require a minimum purchase. Though it is a violation of the merchant agreement some stores may refuse your credit cards for payments of discounted merchandise.

Banks:

• Credito Italiano (Unicredito group)
• Banco di Roma
• Banca Popolare di Milano
• Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena

Internet banking service:

• RAS Bank (Allianz bank)

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