Opening a bank account in Austria may take a bit of time, especially if you are not from the EU. Be prepared to have a lot of documents at hand, as some banks may ask for it. Most banks would require you to have:
- Passport (non-EU) or a government issued ID (EU)
- Residence Registration ("Meldezettel")
- For NON-EU: Proof of residence in Austria (Residence Permit)
- For STUDENTS: Student Identification (Student ID/Letter of Enrolment)
In order to open a bank account, you will likely have to call in advance and more an appointment ("Termin").
You will often see signs in front of restaurants, bars or bakeries "Cash Only" or "Card Only" - be prepared to have more at hand!
Most used banks in Austria are:
Bank Austria (UniCredit Bank)
Erste Bank
Raiffeisen
Other banks include:
Oberbank
Volksbank
BAWAG
HYPO NOE
When deciding between different banks it is beneficial to think about what the account will be used for. Different banks have different monthly payments, be sure to compare the packages!