{"id":1192,"date":"2025-10-10T15:06:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T13:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/?p=1192"},"modified":"2025-10-10T15:07:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T13:07:10","slug":"banks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/?p=1192&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Banks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>According to the answers to our questionnaire, only 7% of the respondents considered it difficult to open an account in Lisbon. The majority of people who claimed that it was not easy said that a lot of documents were requested, here are some tips to easily process with your bank account.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"blob:https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/9bce8cbe-2393-49c3-9487-85973b522124\" width=\"624\" height=\"385\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Using your bank account in Portugal without fees<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on your bank, you can use some accounts and credit\/debit cards in Europe without fees. We advise you to check with your bank first, so you might not have to create a new account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Choosing a Bank in Lisbon<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the questionnaire, the most used bank by Lisbon residents is Activo Bank, since it\u2019s free of charge and you need only a few documents to open it.<br>NIF, residence declaration are required.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some popular banks in Lisbon where you can open an account include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Caixa Geral de Dep\u00f3sitos (CGD)<\/strong>: One of the largest and most reputable banks in Portugal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Banco Santander Totta<\/strong>: A well-known international bank with a strong presence in Portugal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Millennium BCP<\/strong>: Another popular choice with good options for expats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Novo Banco<\/strong>: Known for competitive offerings, particularly for digital banking services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Banco BPI<\/strong>: Offers a wide range of services and branches across Portugal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Types of Accounts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most banks offer the following types of accounts for personal use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Current Account (Conta \u00e0 Ordem)<\/strong>: Most common type of account for daily banking, receiving payments, and making withdrawals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Savings Account (Conta Poupan\u00e7a)<\/strong>: Ideal for saving money with interest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re looking for more flexible options, some banks also offer <strong>online accounts<\/strong> that can be managed via apps and websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Documents Needed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To open a bank account in Portugal, you will typically need the following documents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Proof of identity<\/strong>: A passport, residence card, or national ID (if you&#8217;re from the EU) is usually required.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Proof of address<\/strong>: A utility bill, rental agreement, or any official document showing your name and address in Portugal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Taxpayer number (NIF)<\/strong>: This is essential to open an account and can be obtained at the Portuguese tax office (Autoridade Tribut\u00e1ria).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Proof of income\/employment (optional)<\/strong>: Some banks may ask for proof of income or employment, especially for more specialized accounts or loans.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Portuguese mobile number<\/strong>: This may be required for online banking services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fees<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The fees can vary widely depending on the bank and type of account. Here\u2019s a general breakdown of what to expect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Account maintenance fees<\/strong>: These can range from <strong>\u20ac0 to \u20ac5 per month<\/strong> for basic accounts. Premium accounts or accounts with added benefits (e.g., higher withdrawal limits, access to better credit services) may charge higher fees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ATM withdrawal fees<\/strong>: Domestic withdrawals from the bank\u2019s own ATMs are often free, but withdrawing from other banks\u2019 ATMs can incur a fee of around <strong>\u20ac1 to \u20ac2<\/strong> per transaction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International transactions<\/strong>: For transfers outside of Portugal, fees can range from <strong>\u20ac5 to \u20ac15<\/strong> or more, depending on the service provider.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Debit\/credit card fees<\/strong>: Cards are typically issued for free with the account, but some banks charge fees for additional services or cards, around <strong>\u20ac10 to \u20ac20 per year<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some banks may waive monthly fees if you maintain a minimum balance or use your account regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Online Banking Options<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Portugal has a strong digital banking system, and many banks offer online account management via apps and websites. Some digital banks, like <strong>Revolut, Wise<\/strong> or <strong>N26<\/strong>, are also available for expats and allow you to manage accounts easily without having to visit physical branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Opening the Account<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While you can open an account at a branch, most banks also allow you to open accounts online, especially if you\u2019re a resident. You may need to schedule an appointment to meet with a bank representative in person to finalize the process, especially if you&#8217;re a foreigner without a Portuguese address history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Banking Hours and Language<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Most banks in Lisbon operate from <strong>9:00 AM to 3:00 PM<\/strong> on weekdays. Some may close for lunch between 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While Portuguese is the official language, most bank staff will speak English, especially in Lisbon and other large cities, so language shouldn&#8217;t be a major barrier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Compare options<\/strong>: Take the time to compare different banks and account types to find the one that best suits your needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ask about student accounts<\/strong>: If you\u2019re a student, some banks offer student accounts with lower fees or benefits like free cards or ATM withdrawals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consider a mobile bank<\/strong>: If you don\u2019t need to visit the branch often, a mobile-first bank like <strong>N26<\/strong> or <strong>Revolut<\/strong> can be an easy and cost-effective option.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the answers to our questionnaire, only 7% of the respondents considered it difficult to open an account in Lisbon. The majority of people who claimed that it was not easy said that a lot of documents were requested, here are some tips to easily process with your bank account. Using your bank account&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lisbon-info"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-scaled.jpg",2560,1440,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-scaled.jpg",2560,1440,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-scaled.jpg",2560,1440,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-3200x1800.jpg",1290,726,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-1536x864.jpg",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-2048x1152.jpg",2048,1152,true],"rt_custom":["https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ATM-scaled.jpg",2560,1440,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"adminYouth","author_link":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/?author=1"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/?cat=71&#038;lang=en\" rel=\"category\">Practical info<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"According to the answers to our questionnaire, only 7% of the respondents considered it difficult to open an account in Lisbon. The majority of people who claimed that it was not easy said that a lot of documents were requested, here are some tips to easily process with your bank account. Using your bank account...","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1192"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1195,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1192\/revisions\/1195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthfulproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}