The Finnish bank account is the door to the rest of the system: it gives you the credentials that log you in everywhere. Here is how to open one as a newcomer, and what to do with it once you have it.
Before the henkilötunnus
Every EU resident has a right to a basic account (peruspankkipalvelut), and banks open limited accounts for newcomers with a passport and proof of a reason to be in Finland. The limitation is real: usually no online banking, no card at first, no credentials. It is a place to receive a salary while the registration is pending, not a long-term solution.
Better bridges for the first weeks: an account from your home country with a card that works abroad, or a European app bank with a Finnish IBAN, which many newcomers use for the first months and keep afterwards for travel.
After DVV: the full account
Book an appointment. Bring:
- Passport
- Residence permit card or, for EU citizens, the registration certificate
- DVV registration or the address extract
- Proof of income or purpose: employment contract, admission letter, or a letter from Kela
- Tax residency information: the bank will ask about tax obligations in other countries; answer honestly, it is routine
The appointment takes an hour. You leave with an account number, a card on the way by post, and, most importantly, online banking credentials (pankkitunnukset): a user ID, a password and a code app on your phone.
Why the credentials matter
Finland has no separate digital ID card for daily use. Your bank credentials are your strong authentication (vahva tunnistautuminen): you use them to log in to Kela, Vero (the tax office), Suomi.fi, Omakanta (health records), the police, your child's school app, electricity companies and phone operators. Without them, every one of those is a visit in person. With them, all of them are on your phone.
The alternative is Mobiilivarmenne (mobile certificate) from your phone operator, which works the same way once you have a contract.
Choosing a bank
| Bank | Good to know |
|---|---|
| OP | the co-operative giant, most branches, strong English app, fees waived for owner-members |
| Nordea | the biggest Nordic bank, dedicated English pages for newcomers, branches in every city |
| Danske Bank | English service, popular with international employees |
| S-Pankki | the S-group's bank, free everyday banking with the S-Etukortti loyalty card, fewer branches, service mostly online |
| Aktia, POP Pankki, Säästöpankki | regional, often cheaper, less English |
Monthly fees for an everyday package range from free to about ten euros. The differences are small next to the value of getting the credentials quickly, so choose the bank that can give you an appointment soonest. Current fees are compared in the bank accounts comparison.
Everyday money
- Cards everywhere, cash almost nowhere. Contactless is universal; many places do not take cash at all.
- MobilePay is the app for paying friends and small businesses by phone number.
- Bills by e-invoice. Turn on e-lasku for electricity, phone and rent in your online bank; the bill appears, you approve or automate it. Paper bills carry a reference number (viitenumero) that you type in when paying manually.
- Salary arrives on the agreed day, usually the 15th or the last day of the month, straight to the account.
- Credit record (luottotiedot): a default on a bill can be registered and blocks phone contracts, loans and some rentals for years. Pay on time; set reminders for the first months.
Sending money home
Bank transfers abroad are slow and expensive in most Finnish banks. Specialised transfer services are cheaper and faster; the money transfer comparison shows the current fees for the corridors immigrants use most.