In connection with the military invasion of Russia on the territory of Ukraine, as well as prolonged hostilities, many citizens of Ukraine were forced to leave the territory of their residence. In particular, the Ukrainians also went abroad, where they faced the need to arrange their temporary or permanent stay. Of course, in the modern world, in order to fulfill our financial and domestic needs, we cannot do without opening a bank account. That is why our company Campio Group has analyzed the most loyal and profitable banks in Europe for opening accounts for refugees or temporarily displaced persons from Ukraine.
Below you will find information with which you can independently open a foreign account for personal needs: safe storage of funds, making payments, paying rent, purchasing goods, transferring funds, etc.
POLISH BANK ACCOUNT
Since the majority of Ukrainian citizens have evacuated to the neighboring state of Poland, the most common question is: How can a Ukrainian refugee open a bank account in Poland?
Based on our experience, we recommend opening accounts with the following Polish banks, which, in solidarity with Ukraine, have simplified the procedure for opening an account without charging fees.
- for refugees there is no fee for maintaining an account, issuing a payment card, or withdrawing cash from a cash dispenser;
- fees for all foreign transfers of individual clients to Ukraine have been canceled;
- to open an account, it is enough to come to a bank branch with identifying documents (passports), you may also need a Polish tax number (PESEL);
- no need to verify residence and income.
- opening a refugee account and card is free of charge, but the offer can only be used until April 30, 2023;
- a personal visit to a bank branch is required to open an account. During the visit, it is necessary to fill out and sign the "Application on the refugee status of Ukraine";
- in addition to standard documents (passports), a Polish tax number (PESEL) may be required;
- the number of payments and transfers that are accepted into the account cannot exceed 10 000 PLN /month;
- there are no requirements to confirm the origin of funds;
- there is no commission for transfers from/to Ukraine.
ACCOUNT IN A SLOVAK BANK
A considerable number of Ukrainians are also forced to stay in Slovakia. Therefore, in this region, the following banks are loyal to Ukrainian refugees:
- a bank where you can exchange hryvnias for euros, the daily exchange limit is 250 EUR;
- the bank's contact center is available in Ukrainian;
- no commission for withdrawing funds from the bank's ATMs;
- free maintenance of existing and new settlement accounts of Ukrainians;
- to open an account, you must provide a passport and a refugee/temporary protection status (issued when crossing the border from Uzhgorod to the village of Mikhailovtsy in Slovakia);
- money transfers from bank accounts to Ukraine are free;
- without confirmation of the origin of funds, you can deposit 50 000 EUR into the account;
- dollar account maintenance 5 EUR/month.
Slovenska sporitelna (Slovakia):
- free account for one year, including credit card and internet banking;
- for opening you will need: passports, an entry stamp to Slovakia, and a refugee/temporary protection status (issued when crossing the border from Uzhgorod to the village of Mikhailovtsy in Slovakia).
- fees for payments to/from Ukraine have been temporarily suspended;
- there is no commission when withdrawing funds from ATMs, including from cards of Ukrainian banks;
- without confirmation of the origin of funds, you can deposit 50 000 EUR into your account.
CZECH BANK ACCOUNT
For those Ukrainians who are in the Czech Republic, it is worth considering opening a bank account:
- to open only a passport is enough, it is desirable to have a local phone number (a personal visit is required);
- free issuance of a physical card;
- free withdrawal from Ukrainian cards at CSOB ATMs;
- free account in kroons and foreign currency EUR;
- free deposits in EUR;
- you can deposit no more than 10 000 UAH per week on your account;
- account maintenance, cash withdrawal in kroons, incoming and outgoing payments - free of charge;
- assistance in the amount of 2500 kroons in case of opening an account.
VIRTUAL ACCOUNT IN THE PAYMENT SYSTEM
For those refugees who are interested in issuing a virtual card, or do not have time to visit the bank in person, an online account opening in the payment system is suitable.
Revolut payment system (England):
- simple opening of a personal online account - digital cards;
- fees for all transfers to or from Ukraine have been canceled;
- the process of opening an account is simplified: you need to download the Revolut application from the App Store or Google Play Store, current address, and photo of a document to verify your identity;
- fees for conversion and replenishment of the account have been canceled;
- the cards can be used throughout the European Economic Area and Ukraine.
Wise payment system (England):
- simple opening of a virtual card, only a passport is needed, a selfie may be required;
- it is possible to order the delivery of a physical card to Europe;
- absence of fees and commissions for those who transfer money to the accounts of charitable organizations (Ukrainian Red Cross; Save the Children Foundation; CARE, UNHCR).
- now fully available for Ukrainians: it is possible to link cards of Ukrainian banks to the PayPal wallet, make personal transfers and withdraw funds;
- commissions for transfers and receipt of funds to Visa and Mastercard cards were canceled during the war;
- to create an account, it is enough to register on the Paypal website, select the country "Ukraine" and confirm your email address.
Dear Ukrainians, we hope that this information about opening an account for refugees from Ukraine was useful for you and will help you at this difficult time for all of us.
Our specialists are also ready to support you with a free consultation on how to open a bank account for refugees from Ukraine. To do this, please contact:
+38098-737-88-88
We all hope for an early victory and the return of all our citizens to Ukraine.
