Having a bank account not only allows you to safely store money and make non-cash transactions, but it is also required in order to draw money from social programs.

Necessary documents

Most of the banks have simplified procedures of opening an account for Ukrainian citizens. To open an individual bank account in Poland one of the following identity documents is required: a passport, an identity card, or the Temporary Foreigner's Identity Certificate. Sometimes having a Polish phone number or a Ukrainian tax identification number is also required.

Due to current extraordinary circumstances it is possible to provide an address of your family member, a friend’s address, or a refugee centre’s address as a place of residence. A proof of residence is not required.

An individual identification number PESEL is not required.

A guide to opening a bank account

• Detailed information on how to open an account can be found on the websites of banks that have prepared a tab in Ukrainian. Most banks have also opened a Ukrainian-language helpline.
• Prior to visiting a bank branch, it is advisable to check on the bank website or via a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline if the branch offers Ukrainian-speaking customer service. If not, an assistance of somebody who speaks Polish and Ukrainian or English and Ukrainian is the best solution.
• Some banks allow you to open a bank account online.
• You should make sure whether the account is fully free of charge – although the bank advertises a free card, you often have to meet certain conditions to make the card really free of charge (e.g. making minimum 3 card transactions a month).
• - It is worth checking the waiting time for the payment card - in some banks it is issued on the spot, while in others it will be sent by post to the indicated address.
• Costs of withdrawals and deposits in ATMs and places where you can do it vary from bank to bank.
• Below is a list of banks that offer free account maintenance, ATM withdrawals, transfers to Ukraine, and service/telephone in Ukrainian:

 

Please find below the list of the banks that offer free of charge account maintenance, cash withdrawals, transfers to Ukraine, and Ukrainian-speaking customer service or a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline:

Alior Bank – an individual online account

• a bank card issued onsite
• free of charge withdrawals made from the bank’s ATMs or Eurocash ATMs (if the amount withdrawn exceeds 100 zloty)
• a special offer of currency exchange addressed to Ukrainian citizens
• one of the following documents is required: The Ukrainian passport, a residence card, or the Temporary Foreigner's Identity Certificate
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 12 370 70 00

 

For more information visit Alior Bank website

Bank Millennium – an individual account “Konto 360”

• a passport is the only document required
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 22 598 40 45 (Monday – Friday; 8:00 – 20:00)

For more information visit Bank Millennium website

Bank Pekao

• no currency conversion fee for payments made with a bank card
• free management of Ukrainian companies from Poland - free company account
• a passport or an identity card is required
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 22 591 22 20 (Monday – Friday; 8:00 – 20:00)

 

For more information visit Bank Pekao website

Bank BNP Paribas

• a free of charge bank card (if 3 transactions are made within a month)
• free of charge withdrawals and deposits made in the bank’s branches (applies to citizens of Ukraine only)
• one of the following documents is required: a passport, the Temporary Foreigner's Identity Certificate, or a biometric Ukrainian identity card
• Additionally, a Polish phone number and a Ukrainian tax identification number are required
• a 24-hour Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 503 228 228

For more information visit BNP Paribas website

Bank Citi Handlowy

• an issued bank card delivered by post
• an assistance of an interpreter of an Ukrainian sign language is available
• one of the following documents is required: a passport, a residence card, a permit for tolerated stay, a school identity card (for citizens under the age of 18), a Ukrainian identity card, or the Temporary Foreigner's Identity Certificate
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 71 799 71 14

For more information visit Credit Agricole website

Bank Credit Agricole

• an issued bank card delivered by post
• an assistance of an interpreter of an Ukrainian sign language is available
• one of the following documents is required: a passport, a residence card, a permit for tolerated stay, a school identity card (for citizens under the age of 18), a Ukrainian identity card, or the Temporary Foreigner's Identity Certificate
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 71 799 71 14

For more information visit Credit Agricole website

ING Bank Śląski

• a free of charge bank card (if a minimum total monthly transaction is 300 zloty)
• free of charge withdrawals made from ING Bank Śląski or Planet Cash ATMs
• an issued bank card delivered by post
• one of the following documents is required: a passport, a national visa, a Schengen visa, an application for international protection given at the Polish border crossing, a border guard chief’s consent granted at the border crossing
• a Russian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 32 357 00 69

 

For more information visit ING Bank Śląski website

Getin Bank

• a bank card issued onsite
• Ukrainian-speaking customer assistance available in the bank’s branches
• a passport or a residence card and an individual taxpayer number (IPN) is required
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 32 604 30 18

For more information visit Getin Bank website

PKO Bank Polski

• a bank card issued onsite (in certain branches)
• free of charge fast bank transfers to Kredobank S.A. and to other banks to and from Ukraine in a regular mode
• an identity card or a residence card is required
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +38 032 297-64-70 / +38 032 240-06-00

For more information visit PKO Bank Polski website

Santander Bank Polska

• a free of charge account and a free bank card – offer valid until 31.05.2022
• free of charge withdrawals from ATMs in March and April
• an issued bank card delivered by post
• one of the following documents is required: a passport, a national visa, a Schengen visa, a residence card, the Temporary Foreigner's Identity Certificate with a certificate of entry to Poland after 23.02.2022 attached
• a Ukrainian-speaking customer service helpline: +48 61 811 9999

For more information visit Santander Bank Polska website

Opening a bank account online

Opening a bank account online is offered by:

• Bank Pekao
• BNP Paribas

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