Arrival and orientation

To open a bank account in Germany you need to present the following documents:

• Passport or ID card
• Your registration confirmation (Anmeldebestätigung)
• Your residence permit (some bank institutions only)
• Your tax identification number (some bank institutions only)

Germany has both banks with branches nationwide and banks with only local branches.

Once you have opened a bank account, you will receive by post a debit card (EC-Karte) and a PIN number for the card.

Payment by bank transfer is very common in Germany. It is helpful to have a bank account with online access. If you have requested online banking you will also receive account information and initial passwords by post.