Finland is among the wealthiest countries in the world. Residents enjoy high living standards and better social services. In case you are thinking to move to Finland either as a student or a worker, it is important to open a bank account. This article will guide you on the steps of opening a bank account in Finland.
Documents Required For Opening Bank Account In Belgium
- Proof of identity (passport and picture identification)
- Proof of residence (like a utility bill or employment contract)
- Residence permit
- Kela card and Finish ID number
Contents
Is it possible to open a non resident bank account in Finland?
Yes. Finland is in the EEA. You can open a non resident bank account in Finland since the Finnish banks have international accounts designed for non-residents. The required documents for a bank account in Finland for non-residents will vary from one bank to another, so make sure that you contact the individual bank to get additional information.
However, there could be limits and additional requirements to open a non resident bank account in Finland. One option you can use to open a bank account in Finland for non residents is an international bank account.
Online Bank Account Finland
When using a virtual bank, you don’t have to worry about visiting hours at local bank franchises. Setting up an account takes very little time, as does nearly every banking action.
Besides that, virtual banks make transferring money internationally usually easier and cheaper than via main street banks.
WISE multicurrency account
Transferring funds across the border can become expensive. However, with WISE, you can transfer and receive funds at low competitive exchange rates at a small charge.
You can open an IBAN as a foreign Finnish resident, free of cost. You only require an ID, an address in Finland, and a phone. Only 2 withdrawals, totaling 200 Euro, are free each month (250 Euro from 03/01/2023). Above 200/250 Euro, it’ll cost 50 cents per withdrawal plus 1.75%. But no monthly fee. And receiving money is free.
Revolut
Revolut accepts customers that are residents of the European Economic Area (EEA, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They are working on expansion across the world, “soon”.
Revolut is a virtual bank that offers multi-currency accounts in 28 currencies, IBAN for personal accounts and business accounts, virtual cards and money transfer services.
bunq
Like all virtual banks, bunq, based in the Netherlands, solves many complications that you will have when trying to open a bank account at a main street bank. If you have the right documents (a passport), you can open a fully functional bunq account online in minutes (2.99 euro a month). Website and service in English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Italian.
All citizens of the EEA can open a bunq account with an International Bank Account Number (IBAN). Non-EEA-citizen residents of one of bunqs countries of operation (most European countries) can also open an account, but fewer IDs will be accepted. The best option is to use your passport.
Monese
Monese is a British Online Bank. Even after BREXIT, it’s available for anyone living in the EEA or the UK. Monese offers a multicurrency digital bank with IBAN and supports SEPA payments.
N26
N26 is available for UK and US citizens living in Finland. You’ll get an online account with Finnish IBAN in Euro.
N26 only asks for a valid ID and a valid address in Finland. The address is to send your bank card and mail to. They trust you’re a resident of Finland. Technically, you could use the address of a trusted (!) friend or family member living in Finland. No further certificates are required. You do need a smartphone for the identification video call.
There even is a free N26 bank account, but there might be a waiting list. That’s because the German banking authorities (BaFin), where N26 headquarters is stationed, have limited their growth to 50k new customers per month. N26 paid bank accounts cost 4.90 Euro a month and up.
Wirex
Wirex is a European digital payment platform that combines both fiat and crypto banking solutions in Finland.
Best banks in Finland
Most of the banks have English-speaking staff and therefore, the process of opening a bank account will be easy and fast. There are over 240 banks to choose from.
The majority of them have online banking with well-networked branches and ATMs. Therefore, it is possible to open a Finnish bank account online.
Most of the traditional banks, however, would require you to visit the bank physically to finish the process. The following are some of the banks that you might consider opening an account for.
Bigbank
Bigbank offers bank accounts in Finland. It mainly focuses on deposit and consumer loans in Finland. You can get customized financing solutions, for example a vehicle or renovation loan. It finances both small and larger projects, up to 50,000 euros. Minimum amount you can borrow is 4,000 euros. Bigbank loan interest starts at 5.9%. Bigbank has no account opening fees and if you are not satisfied with Bigbank loan, you can return the loan amount within 60 days of granting the loan free of charge.
For deposit account, you can open a fixed-interest term deposit starting from 1,000 to 100,000 euros.
This is a savings account, which accumulates 2.50% interest between 1-120 months.
Holvi
You can open a Finnish bank account online with Holvi Bank. The bank offers banking services that support IBAN and SEPA. The bank was opened some few years ago. BBVA acquired the bank and it is now offering excellent services to its customers. Holvi offers bank accounts for freelancers, entrepreneurs and self employed in Europe. You can also open Finland bank account for non resident with Holvi if you have a business registered through Estonian e-Residency program.
Aktia Bank
Aktia Bank is among the oldest banks in Finland. It is close to 200 years while serving individuals and corporations. It has around 430 well-networked branches in Finland. Some of the services it offers to its clients include online banking for corporate and individuals. However, their website is not in English.
Nordea Bank
Nordea Bank is among the largest banks in Finland with over 650 branches. It has millions of clients all over the world. They require one to take his time before calling them so that they can serve you well. They have excellent online banking.
OP Bank
OP Bank is among the largest banks and it has over 200 branches and over 1.5 million clients. Their banking service incorporates Otto ATM Network which is included when you open a bank account. They provide their customers wide a wide range of products such as savings account, investment and retirement services.
Danske Bank
Danske Bank provides its clients with various types of personal and business needs. It has a special offer for students and teenagers that is known as Danske Cash reward that offers 84 Euros for free every year. They have many branches conveniently located all over the country.
Fees in Finnish Banks
Opening a bank account comes with other charges. You can request to be provided will all the charges involved. Some of the charges banks in Finland charge include ATM fees. It is cheaper to withdrawal funds in the ATM of the bank you have an account with. However, different banks have different charges. Other bank charges include maintenance fees and fund transfer fee.
