Bank account in Ireland: what Revolut, N26, Wise, AIB and Bank of Ireland each ask for

How to open a bank account in Ireland as a foreign student: documents, proof of address, the €6 monthly fee at traditional banks, IBAN and deposit protection at Revolut, N26, Wise, AIB and Bank of Ireland.

Published on 30 Sept 2026

You can apply for a Bank of Ireland account up to 45 days before you travel, online, with the address of your home country. The bank blocks the account if you do not replace that address with an Irish address within 60 days. Revolut and N26 open accounts only for people who already live in Ireland. AIB opens an account in its app with a passport and confirms your address with a letter that carries a code, sent to the Irish address you gave.

EU passports and passports from outside that group

A citizen of a European Union member state, or of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, opens an account at the same banks. The ISD, the Irish immigration service, publishes the exact list of those countries(opens in new tab). For this group, the identity document changes. Bank of Ireland accepts a national identity card from an EU country instead of a passport. It also accepts a UK driving licence card in the online application. AIB publishes a list of accepted documents by country of issue(opens in new tab) for opening an account in the app. That list treats the United Kingdom and Ukraine as countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) for opening an account remotely, and it has exceptions by country.

The rest of this post applies to passports from outside that group. If you are waiting for a European citizenship by descent, you open the account with the passport you hold today, and that passport's rules apply.

Four accounts side by side

	Revolut	N26	AIB	Bank of Ireland
Where you open it	App	App	App, with a passport with a chip, or a branch appointment	Online, by phone or in a branch
Who can apply	Over 18 and a legal resident of a country on Revolut's list. Ireland is on it.	Over 18 and a resident of a country on N26's list. Ireland is on it.	Aged 16 or over and living in Ireland. If you are abroad, you apply with certified copies(opens in new tab).	Aged 18 or over, living in Ireland or moving within 45 days.
Identity	Official ID document and a selfie	A document accepted for your nationality and country of residence. The app shows the list.	Valid passport	Valid passport and a selfie in the online application
Address	You enter it at sign-up. Proof only if the app asks.	You enter it at sign-up. Proof in some cases.	Letter with a code by post, in the app. Proof from the last 6 months, in a branch.	Proof from the last 6 months, in English or with a certified translation
Monthly fee	Free to open and use. Paid plans are optional.	Free account	€6 on the personal account. Basic account has no fee in the first year.	€6 on the personal account. Basic account has no fee in the first year.
IBAN, the account number in European format	Irish, for people who live in Ireland	Starts with DE, FR, IT or ES. There is no Irish IBAN.	Irish	Irish, sent by text message within three days of approval
Deposit protection	Lithuania, up to €100,000 per person	Germany, up to €100,000 per person	Ireland, up to €100,000 per person	Ireland, up to €100,000 per person

Revolut

Where you open it: App
Who can apply: Over 18 and a legal resident of a country on Revolut's list. Ireland is on it.
Identity: Official ID document and a selfie
Address: You enter it at sign-up. Proof only if the app asks.
Monthly fee: Free to open and use. Paid plans are optional.
IBAN, the account number in European format: Irish, for people who live in Ireland
Deposit protection: Lithuania, up to €100,000 per person

N26

Where you open it: App
Who can apply: Over 18 and a resident of a country on N26's list. Ireland is on it.
Identity: A document accepted for your nationality and country of residence. The app shows the list.
Address: You enter it at sign-up. Proof in some cases.
Monthly fee: Free account
IBAN, the account number in European format: Starts with DE, FR, IT or ES. There is no Irish IBAN.
Deposit protection: Germany, up to €100,000 per person

AIB

Where you open it: App, with a passport with a chip, or a branch appointment
Who can apply: Aged 16 or over and living in Ireland. If you are abroad, you apply with certified copies(opens in new tab).
Identity: Valid passport
Address: Letter with a code by post, in the app. Proof from the last 6 months, in a branch.
Monthly fee: €6 on the personal account. Basic account has no fee in the first year.
IBAN, the account number in European format: Irish
Deposit protection: Ireland, up to €100,000 per person

Bank of Ireland

Where you open it: Online, by phone or in a branch
Who can apply: Aged 18 or over, living in Ireland or moving within 45 days.
Identity: Valid passport and a selfie in the online application
Address: Proof from the last 6 months, in English or with a certified translation
Monthly fee: €6 on the personal account. Basic account has no fee in the first year.
IBAN, the account number in European format: Irish, sent by text message within three days of approval
Deposit protection: Ireland, up to €100,000 per person

The AIB Moving to Ireland(opens in new tab) page still says the app needs an EEA passport and an age between 18 and 65. The page on opening an account in the app sets the age from 16 and asks for a phone with near-field reading (NFC) and a passport with a chip, the one with the biometric passport symbol on the cover. The list of documents by country accepts a passport from outside the EEA. This post follows the last two. Check in the app before you book a branch appointment.

Proof of address

Each institution publishes its own list. "Not listed" in the table means the document does not appear in the published list, and AIB presents its list as examples.

Document	Revolut	AIB	Bank of Ireland
Electricity, gas, water or phone bill	Valid	Valid. A first bill needs a second confirmation of address.	Valid, in electronic form
Lease or tenancy agreement	Valid	Not listed	Not listed
Written confirmation from a hostel, school or property owner	Not listed. An official university letter is valid, and a hotel is not valid as an address.	Not listed	Not listed. A letter from a university or college on an approved list is valid.
Letter or statement from a bank	Valid	Valid as a letter from a regulated financial institution operating in Ireland	Valid as a statement from a regulated financial institution
PPS number letter	The list has a letter from the Department of Social Protection	Not valid. AIB names the PPS letter as a refused document.	Not listed. The list has a letter from the Department of Social Welfare.

Revolut

Electricity, gas, water or phone bill: Valid
Lease or tenancy agreement: Valid
Written confirmation from a hostel, school or property owner: Not listed. An official university letter is valid, and a hotel is not valid as an address.
Letter or statement from a bank: Valid
PPS number letter: The list has a letter from the Department of Social Protection

AIB

Electricity, gas, water or phone bill: Valid. A first bill needs a second confirmation of address.
Lease or tenancy agreement: Not listed
Written confirmation from a hostel, school or property owner: Not listed
Letter or statement from a bank: Valid as a letter from a regulated financial institution operating in Ireland
PPS number letter: Not valid. AIB names the PPS letter as a refused document.

Bank of Ireland

Electricity, gas, water or phone bill: Valid, in electronic form
Lease or tenancy agreement: Not listed
Written confirmation from a hostel, school or property owner: Not listed. A letter from a university or college on an approved list is valid.
Letter or statement from a bank: Valid as a statement from a regulated financial institution
PPS number letter: Not listed. The list has a letter from the Department of Social Welfare.

A lease is only in Revolut's list. A letter or statement from a bank is in all three lists. N26 does not publish a fixed list. It asks for proof of address(opens in new tab) only in some cases, and gives a utility bill, an official government letter and a bank statement as examples. The post on the PPS number(opens in new tab) explains what the DSP, the social protection department, accepts as proof of address, including confirmation from a hostel.

The lists of Revolut, AIB and Bank of Ireland ask for a document from the last 6 months, with your name written as on your ID. Revolut also requires that the address on the document matches your sign-up address, and it does not accept a PO box, a hotel or a business address. If you do not have the documents on AIB's list, AIB tells you to talk to its staff.

Basic account and student account

A basic bank account is a current account with no fee in the first 12 months. After that year the bank reviews the account. It stays free, for up to five years in total, if the money paid into it each year is below the minimum wage. It has no cheque book and no overdraft. The AIB card has no contactless payment, and the Bank of Ireland card does.

To apply for a basic account you must be 18 or over, or 16 at AIB. You must also live legally in the European Union and hold no other current or payment account at a bank in Ireland. Bank of Ireland asks for a signed declaration about this. The Bank of Ireland Coming to Ireland process(opens in new tab) lists the personal current account and the Third Level, Graduate and Golden Years accounts, and the basic account is not on that list.

Irish law (S.I. 482/2016(opens in new tab)) requires the bank to open the basic account or refuse it within 10 working days of receiving a complete application. If it refuses, the bank must give the reason in writing and free of charge. It must also tell you that you can complain to the Central Bank and to the financial services ombudsman, the FSPO(opens in new tab). The Irish Banking Culture Board publishes a basic bank account guide(opens in new tab).

The two student accounts are for full-time higher education courses, called third level on the banks' websites. The AIB Student Plus(opens in new tab) asks for a course of at least one academic year, and the Bank of Ireland Third Level account(opens in new tab) lists college, university and institute of technology. Neither page mentions English courses.

Deposit protection

The Irish guarantee scheme, run by the Central Bank, covers up to €100,000 per person at each institution the Central Bank authorises, such as banks and credit unions. It applies to AIB and Bank of Ireland. Deposits at Revolut are protected by the Lithuanian institution Deposit and Investment Insurance, also up to €100,000 per person. The limit adds up all your deposits at Revolut Bank UAB, and payment comes within 7 working days. Deposits at N26 are protected by the Compensation Scheme of German Private Banks, up to €100,000. The scheme that pays depends on the country where the bank holds its licence.

IBAN, salary and direct debits

The IBAN is the number you give your employer to receive your salary and utility companies for direct debits. Revolut advertises its euro account in Ireland with an Irish IBAN, which starts with IE. With it you can receive a salary and pay direct debits and utility bills. Revolut also says it avoids the paperwork that often comes with an IBAN from another country. Older accounts with a Lithuanian IBAN, which starts with LT, move to the Irish branch if the customer lives in Ireland and has documents in order. The move happens about two months after the email that announces it, and the Lithuanian IBAN keeps working for direct debits and payments you already have. According to someone who was paid a salary into Revolut, two different employers agreed to pay into that account.

N26 publishes that its IBANs start with DE, FR, IT or ES. According to N26, an employer or company that refuses an IBAN from another EEA country breaks Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 260/2012, in force since 1 February 2016. N26 says to report a refusal to the national authority.

If you already have a Revolut account

Revolut allows one personal account, even across countries, and publishes a list of countries(opens in new tab) where you can open one. If you move to another country, you close the account to open a new one in the new country. If the move is temporary, the account keeps working.

What about Wise?

Wise is not a bank. Wise Europe SA is a payment institution supervised by the National Bank of Belgium(opens in new tab), and Wise itself says its account is not a bank account(opens in new tab). Your balance has no deposit guarantee, because its payment services are not subject to the Belgian Deposit Guarantee Scheme(opens in new tab). Wise receives euro by IBAN, accepts direct debits(opens in new tab) and issues a card. It does not accept cash or cheques.

If you already have a Wise account in another country and change your address to Ireland(opens in new tab), the account is suspended during the review, for up to 2 days. Wise may also ask for a residence document(opens in new tab) issued by Ireland.

The ISD asks for a "bank statement" on its proof of finances page(opens in new tab), and the page does not mention payment institutions. Acceptance of a Wise statement is not published as a rule. According to a student who registered for the IRP, the ISD accepted the Wise statement. The post on documents and entry to Ireland(opens in new tab) covers the rest of the proof.

What we could not source

No source says whether a Revolut, N26 or Wise account counts as the "payment account" that gives a bank the right to refuse a basic account. The law speaks of an account at a credit institution in Ireland and lets the bank ask for a declaration. Wise says it is not a bank. No source says either whether AIB or Bank of Ireland accept a statement from one of these accounts as proof of address.

Revolut does not define when a move is temporary. None of the banks publishes what a new arrival living in a hostel presents as proof of address.

If you are still deciding

The basic account saves the €6 monthly fee of the first year, €72 in total. The law lets a bank refuse someone who already holds a payment account in Ireland, and no source says whether Revolut or N26 fall under that rule. If you already have proof of address that the bank accepts, apply for the basic account before you open the digital one. If you do not, ask AIB or Bank of Ireland, by phone or in a branch, whether a digital account counts as another payment account.

If your priority is to have an account in the first week, Revolut and N26 open in the app and charge no monthly fee. Of the two digital accounts, only Revolut gives you an Irish IBAN.

If you already use Wise, it gives you a way to receive euro, convert currency and spend with a card. Wise does not replace a bank when you need a deposit guarantee or want to deposit cash.

If you have decided

Compare the fees of the Irish banks in the CCPC tool(opens in new tab).
To apply before you travel, use the Bank of Ireland Coming to Ireland process(opens in new tab), at most 45 days before you arrive. Have your passport, proof of address from your home country in English or with a certified translation, and a selfie. Change to an Irish address within 60 days.
When you arrive, gather the proof of address that the table above shows for the bank you chose.
To open Revolut, follow the sign-up rules(opens in new tab) and, if the app asks for proof, use one of the accepted documents(opens in new tab).
To open N26, follow the sign-up rules(opens in new tab) and check the list of documents(opens in new tab) the app shows for your nationality.
If you already have a Wise account, read how to change your country of residence(opens in new tab) and which residence documents(opens in new tab) Wise accepts.
To open AIB, use account opening in the app(opens in new tab) with a passport that has a chip. If you are not eligible, book a branch appointment(opens in new tab) and bring your passport and proof of address.
If you want the basic account and already have proof of address that the bank accepts, apply for the one at AIB(opens in new tab) or at Bank of Ireland(opens in new tab) before you open a digital account.
Keep your first statement for the PPS number(opens in new tab) application. Registration with the ISD costs €300 and accepts card payment only, as the post on documents and entry to Ireland(opens in new tab) explains.
If a bank refuses your basic account application, ask for the reason in writing. If you disagree, complain to the bank first and then to the FSPO(opens in new tab).

Sources

Verified on 30 September 2026.

Citizens Information, Opening a bank account (account types, student account, proof of identity and address). Page edited 22 July 2026. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/personal-finance/banking/opening-a-bank-account/(opens in new tab)
Citizens Information, Basic bank accounts (no fee in the first year, up to five years below the minimum wage, no cheque book or overdraft, who can apply). Page edited 21 July 2026. https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/personal-finance/banking/standard-bank-account/(opens in new tab)
Irish Statute Book, S.I. 482/2016, European Union (Payment Accounts) Regulations 2016 (regulations 15 to 17: right to a basic account, 10 working days, grounds for refusal, declaration, refusal in writing). https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2016/si/482/made/en/print(opens in new tab)
Irish Banking Culture Board, Guide to the Basic Bank Account (basic account rules, banks that offer it). Published September 2023. https://www.irishbankingcultureboard.ie/publications/ibcb-basic-bank-account-guide-2/(opens in new tab)
CCPC, Basic bank accounts. https://www.ccpc.ie/manage-your-money/day-to-day-finances/current-accounts-and-bank-cards/basic-bank-accounts(opens in new tab)
Central Bank of Ireland, Deposit Guarantee Scheme (€100,000 per person per institution). https://www.centralbank.ie/consumer-hub/deposit-guarantee-scheme(opens in new tab)
AIB, Personal Identification Requirements (passport, proof from the last 6 months, PPS letter refused, two proofs for people not living in Ireland). https://www.aib.ie/our-products/savings-and-deposits/personal-identification-requirements(opens in new tab)
AIB, Non Resident Personal Identification Requirements (certified copies). https://www.aib.ie/our-products/savings-and-deposits/non-resident-personal-identification-requirements(opens in new tab)
AIB, Online account opening and List of eligible EEA countries (age, passport with a chip, letter with a code, passport from outside the EEA, United Kingdom and Ukraine treated as EEA). https://aib.ie/our-products/current-accounts/online-bank-account-opening(opens in new tab)
AIB, Moving to Ireland (EEA passport requirement, which disagrees with the pages above). https://aib.ie/i-am/moving-to-ireland(opens in new tab)
AIB, Basic Bank Account, Student Plus Account and the Fee Information Document for the personal account dated 1 July 2026 (€6 a month). https://aib.ie/our-products/current-accounts/basic-bank-account(opens in new tab)
Bank of Ireland, Coming to Ireland and Identification documents needed to open a current account (45 days, 60 days, proof of address list, IBAN within three days, €6 a month). Documents page updated 19 February 2026. https://personalbanking.bankofireland.com/bank/current-accounts/personal-current-account/coming-to-ireland/(opens in new tab)
Bank of Ireland, Basic Bank Account and Third Level current account (eligibility, declaration, contactless, higher education course). https://personalbanking.bankofireland.com/bank/current-accounts/basic-bank-account/features-benefits/(opens in new tab)
Revolut, Getting started with Revolut, Where you can sign up for Revolut, How do I provide proof of address and Accepted proof of address documents (eligibility, country list, accepted documents, hotel not valid). https://help.revolut.com/en-IE/help/profile-and-plan/getting-started-with-revolut/(opens in new tab)
Revolut, Getting an Irish IBAN (move to the Irish branch, about two months, Lithuanian IBAN). https://help.revolut.com/en-IE/help/profile-and-plan/switching-to-an-irish-iban/(opens in new tab)
Revolut, Euro IBAN Bank Account Details (euro account in Ireland with an Irish IBAN). https://www.revolut.com/en-IE/multi-currency-account/euro-bank-account/(opens in new tab)
Revolut, Deposit Insurance Information (Lithuania, €100,000, 7 working days). https://www.revolut.com/en-IE/legal/deposit-insurance-information/(opens in new tab)
Revolut, Change my address (one account per person, permanent and temporary moves). https://help.revolut.com/en-IE/help/profile-and-plan/profile-plan/profile-settings/how-do-i-change-my-country-of-residence/(opens in new tab)
N26 Support, How to open my N26 account, Availability across Countries, Verify your identity, The Costs of an N26 Account, Guaranteed Money Protection and What to do if my N26 IBAN is not accepted. https://support.n26.com/en-eu/account-and-personal-details/opening-an-account/how-to-open-my-n26-account(opens in new tab)
N26, IBAN number (IBANs with DE, FR, IT or ES). https://n26.com/en-eu/iban-number(opens in new tab)
Wise, How our EU entity, Wise Europe SA, safeguards customer funds and How is Wise regulated in each country (payment institution supervised by the National Bank of Belgium, no deposit guarantee). https://wise.com/help/articles/50VrYRVwHcsYeKzvWbjf3n/how-our-eu-entity-wise-europe-sa-safeguards-customer-funds(opens in new tab)
Wise, Euro account details in Ireland, Getting started with Direct Debits, How do I update my country of residence and How do I verify my country of residence (not a bank account, direct debit, suspension when changing country, residence document). https://wise.com/ie/account/eur-account(opens in new tab)
Immigration Service Delivery, Information on Student Finances (asks for a "bank statement" and does not mention payment institutions). https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/what-are-my-study-options/a-fee-paying-private-primary-or-secondary-school/information-on-student-finances/(opens in new tab)
Immigration Service Delivery, EU/EEA country or Switzerland (exact list of the countries in the group). https://www.irishimmigration.ie/eu-eea-country-or-switzerland/(opens in new tab)

Rules, fees and document lists change without notice. If you are reading this months after the verification date, check the original sources before you pay.