Austria: opening a bank account.
Austria is a traditionally friendly state, and Vienna is one of the first European "hubs" "facing" a wave of immigrants from the USSR - back in the 80-90s of the last century.
Almost any Austrian city is today a place of pilgrimage for Russians: tourists, businessmen, students, seekers of foreign adventures ...
For many, the task of opening a bank account is relevant. We confine ourselves to a summary of our experience.
Let's start with Vienna. Stephanplatz square and Graben street are the heart of the Austrian capital. The head offices of Bank Austria and Erste Bank are located here.
Bank Austria is a Unicredit group represented in both Western and Eastern Europe, including Russia. Erste Bank - “Austrian Sberbank”. Branches of Erste Bank can, without exaggeration, be found in any corner of Austria.
Let's try to open an account for an individual - a citizen of Russia. I want to warn you right away, do not try to do this by direct appeal from the street. It is unlikely that anything will work out.
Prepare a set of documents, send by e-mail, wait for a response, make an appointment. The simplest, but very reliable algorithm.
Allowed communication in both German and English.
What is the difference between the procedures for these banks? Exclusively in the requirements for documents. At Erste Bank, everything is much simpler and, as a result, “more affordable”.
Correspondence takes several days, sometimes a couple of weeks. Preparation of papers - a maximum of a week - two.
So, the date of the interview is set. Now you are already looking forward at the office of the bank.
What is the most interesting during a personal conversation with a bank representative? “Endless stream of questions”: why, what for, sources, goals, etc.
Austria is one of the leaders in the fight against illegal income. Starting from the moment you visit the bank, you are closely monitored. Therefore, be so kind as to be able to explain the sources of income, and, if necessary, to substantiate your words with documents. Hopes for condescension is not worth it. The bank always adheres to a simple rule - it is better to refuse a prospective client today than later to have problems with him.
If your income is a salary, then you are “lucky." The content of the conversation is much more interesting if you are a business owner ...
The only caveat. Do not try to explain to the bank employee the financial scheme according to which your business operates. What is quite natural for Russia will by no means always provoke a positive reaction from your new partners.
The decision to open an account is made either before your visit, or based on its results. Opening papers are prepared within half an hour. Do not forget to “update” the account by putting any reasonable amount on it.
Let's try to “repeat” the operation, somewhere on the periphery. Here, as a rule, two meetings are waiting for you: the first, at which you will answer questions, and based on the results of which a decision will be made, the second - for paperwork.
The main question on the part of the bank employee: “And why actually with us?” The correct answer is 50% success. Following this, a “meaningful conversation” about the sources of income and the purpose of using the funds.
What can become a stumbling block? Language problem. Your German is unconvincing, your English interlocutor is far from perfect? Be carefull. Misunderstanding is a poor helper in the procedure being performed.
And finally. If you are refused, try to find out the reason. We have repeatedly encountered a situation where the reasons for the refusal, in fact, turned out to be absolutely ridiculous and baseless.
So, if you have a residence permit in Austria or are a citizen of one of the EU countries, opening a bank account in Austria is not difficult. You will need:
- passport,
- a document confirming the lawfulness of residence in the territory of the republic (residence permit, for example),
- Meldezettel registration form certifying the fact of your registration at a specific address,
- information about your employer (if you work in Austria) or “student ID”, as documents about your current activity and income.
Bank cards will be mailed to you within a few days.
If you are a citizen of a third country and you do not have permission to stay and Meldezettel, then in this case you should be prepared to answer three basic questions:
- for what purposes does this account open, more precisely, why you can no longer “exist” without opening an account in Austria,
- what sources of income do you have and how will your Austrian account be replenished,
- where you are going to live in Austria, and how it will be possible to contact you.
It is incorrect to say that it is impossible to open an account if you are not a resident of Austria, but it is very likely that you will need several visits to the bank and relatively long discussions of your case with bank employees, including the management of the branch where you are going to be served.
The easiest way to solve the problem is to get the recommendation of people who are well known to the bank and whose reputation is beyond doubt. If a sufficiently complete set of documents is added to the recommendation, the issue will be resolved positively.
The opening of most bank accounts is associated with the issuance of a debit card (Bankomatkarte), which, as a rule, is a card of the MaestroCard system. However, upon request, you can also receive a MasterCard system card.