Open a bank account

If you are studying in Finland for an extended period, it is advisable to open a Finnish bank account. Opening an account will be easier if preparations are made before leaving your home country. Please note that the process can take several months. 

To access Finnish banking services (e.g. opening an account, granting student loans) as an international student, the following steps must be taken: 

1. Book an appointment with your chosen bank. This can be done through a phone call, online booking, or visiting a branch in person. Make sure that you have already received your personal identity code and registered your municipality of residence at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency before doing so. 
2. Bring the required documents to your first banking appointment. Standard documents include:
   1. Passport / national ID card
   2. Finnish personal identity code
   3. Finnish residence permit card / proof of residence in Finland
   4. Certificate of student status at the University of Helsinki (you can download it from Sisu)
   5. Employment contract (if applicable)
3. Be prepared to provide additional information / answer any questions given by the officer in charge of your application. Questions may include:
   1. Your occupational status which describes your financial position (e.g., student)
   2. Origin or source of your funds and regular payment transactions or cash flows
   3. Estimated amounts of your regular payment transfers (e.g., certificate of scholarship)
   4. Estimated amounts of your foreign payments and reasons for them
   5. Whether you will use the bank as your main bank 
   6. Whether you, or your family members or business partners, are in a prominent public function and thus, a Politically Exposed Person (PEP) 
   7. NB! Non-Finnish citizens should get basic banking services, including online banking IDs, without a Finnish ID or identification form by the Finnish police. This is endorsed by the Finnish Financial Supervisory, which states that "The bank can only refuse an electronic identification service if the customer does not have a personal identity code or if he or she has not been entered in the population register."  Nevertheless, some banks might still demand a Finnish ID or form from the Finnish police, but you can always try to convince them otherwise by showing the page of the Finnish Financial Supervisory.
4. Once your card is ready, you will be contacted either through phone number or email. Your card can be picked up at the branch where you opened your account or posted to you through mail.  

NB! The practice of opening a bank account varies according to bank and branch in Finland. Each case is decided individually by the bank. However, every bank has a statutory obligation to open basic payment account services to anyone who has a legal residence in an EEA member state. When making an appointment with your chosen bank, please confirm what documents are required for opening an account.  

In most banks, you will be able to get your account number immediately. However, getting access to a Visa Electron bank card and internet banking will take longer, possibly two to four months after the account has been opened. 

Here are Finland’s four major banks with links to their web pages. 

1. OP Financial group (English, Finnish, Swedish)
2. Nordea (English, Finnish, Swedish)
3. Danske Bank (English, Finnish, Swedish)
4. S-Pankki (Finnish, Swedish)