The short answer for expats
The short answer
Default pick: UniCredit. Italy’s second-largest bank is the better choice for most expats — a pan-European group headquartered in Milan, a stronger app and English-language service, and branches across Italy, Germany, Austria and Central and Eastern Europe, so the account travels with you. Fallback: Intesa Sanpaolo. Italy’s largest bank, with the densest branch network in the country (about 3,300 domestic branches), is the better pick if you live outside the big cities and want a branch on your high street. Both are fully licensed Italian banks with deposit protection up to €100,000.
Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit are the two poles of Italian banking. Intesa Sanpaolo is the largest bank in Italy by total assets (about $1,042 billion) and by branches; UniCredit is second (about $916 billion) but the more international of the two, with its centre of gravity spread across Italy, Germany, Austria and Central and Eastern Europe. For an expat, the question is not which is “better” in the abstract — it is which fits your life: a Milan-based international bank with a strong app, or a Turin-based giant with a branch in every town.
This guide compares the two on the criteria that matter to expats: English support, account opening as a non-Italian, fees, the app, branch access, and moving money abroad. Fee figures are illustrative — both banks change their account price lists regularly, and the exact fee depends on the account package you choose, so verify the live price list before you open anything.
→ Free Best bank accounts in Italy for expats — the flagship Italy guide
Expert-Score comparison: UniCredit vs Intesa Sanpaolo
| Criteria | UniCredit | Intesa Sanpaolo |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets (group) | About $916 billion | About $1,042 billion |
| Position in Italy | 2nd largest | Largest |
| Domestic branches | About 1,950 retail branches | About 3,300 branches |
| Customers | Over 15 million (group) | About 14 million in Italy |
| Headquarters | Milan | Turin |
| International footprint | Italy, Germany, Austria, CEE | Italy plus subsidiaries in CEE |
| English support | Good — app and phone in English | Partial — Italian-first |
| Account opening for expats | Branch visit; permesso + codice fiscale | Branch visit; permesso + codice fiscale |
| Monthly fee (illustrative) | €0–8 depending on package | €0–9 depending on package |
| Deposit protection | Up to €100,000 | Up to €100,000 |
| Expert Score | 8.6/10 | 8.4/10 |
Asset figures: 2025 rankings of banks in Italy by total assets. Branch and customer figures are the banks’ own published numbers, rounded. Fee figures are illustrative — verify the live price list with the bank.
Scores weight what matters most to expats in Italy: English support, opening as a non-Italian, branch access where you live, the app, and international reach. Intesa wins on branch density; UniCredit wins on English service and the pan-European footprint.
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Open the winners
Both banks open at a branch with your permesso di soggiorno and codice fiscale — or start with a free digital account today:
Open UniCredit Account → Open Intesa Sanpaolo Account → Open Wise Account →
→ Free Best Bank Account for Moroccans in Italy — November 2026 Guide
1. UniCredit — the international pick
UniCredit
UniCredit is headquartered in Milan and is one of Europe’s largest banking groups, with its core markets in Italy, Germany and Austria and substantial operations across Central and Eastern Europe. That footprint is its decisive advantage for expats: if your career takes you from Milan to Munich or Vienna, you stay inside the same banking group, and the bank is used to customers with foreign documents, foreign income and cross-border lives.
The app is the stronger of the two for English speakers — full English interface, English phone support, and a website that does not hide the English version. Account packages range from free basic accounts (with conditions, typically a salary credit or a minimum balance) to paid packages with cards and services bundled. The trade-off is branch density: about 1,950 retail branches in Italy, concentrated in the north and in cities — thin in small southern towns.
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2. Intesa Sanpaolo — the everywhere pick
Intesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo is Italy’s largest bank by assets, market capitalisation, branches and employees, headquartered in Turin and formed in 2007 from the merger of Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI. With about 3,300 domestic branches and roughly 14 million customers in Italy, it is the bank you will find in almost every town — including places where UniCredit has no branch at all. Its market share exceeds 15% in most Italian regions.
The trade-off is language: Intesa is Italian-first, and English support is thinner than UniCredit’s — the app and website have English options, but branch staff in smaller towns may not. Account packages are comparable in price, and Intesa’s size means a wider product shelf (mortgages, investments, insurance) once you are settled. If you live outside Milan, Rome or Turin, the branch on your street may decide the question for you.
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Fees compared: what you actually pay
Both banks sell account packages, not single accounts, and the fee depends on the package. Typical patterns (illustrative figures — verify the live price list): a basic account can be free if your salary lands there each month; without a salary credit, expect roughly €3–9 a month. Cards, ATM withdrawals at your own bank’s machines, and SEPA transfers are usually included; paper statements, branch counter operations and international wires cost extra at both. Neither bank is the cheapest way to send money abroad — use Wise or a specialist for that, and keep the Italian bank for salary, rent and direct debits.
→ Cheapest way to send money from Italy to Morocco — fee comparison
Opening an account as an expat: the documents
Both banks open accounts at a branch, not fully online, and both ask for the same papers: your passport, your permesso di soggiorno (or the receipt proving you applied), your codice fiscale, and Italian proof of address. Non-EU citizens should expect the appointment to take longer — the bank must run anti-money-laundering checks, and some branches ask for your employment contract or enrolment certificate as well. Tip: book the appointment at a branch in a big city, where staff are more used to foreign documents, and bring every document in original plus a copy.
→ How to open a bank account in Italy as an expat — 2026 step-by-step guide
Scenario framework: which bank fits you?
- New arrival, still settling in. Open N26 first (Italian IBAN, no branch visit) and add UniCredit or Intesa once your permesso and codice fiscale are sorted.
- Working in Milan, Rome or Turin, career may move abroad. UniCredit — the pan-European footprint and English service are worth more than a few extra branches.
- Living in a smaller town or in the south. Intesa Sanpaolo — the branch on your street beats a better app you cannot reach.
- Settled, buying property, investing. Either works; Intesa has the wider product shelf in Italy, UniCredit the better cross-border setup. Compare the mortgage terms, not the brand.
→ House buying costs calculator for Europe — what an Italian purchase really costs
How we compared: the methodology
How we compared
Data checked: 2025 bank rankings by total assets, the banks’ own published branch and customer figures, and November 2026 expat banking comparisons. Criteria and weights: English support (25%), branch access where expats live (20%), account opening as a non-Italian (20%), fees (15%), app quality (10%), international footprint (10%). Scores are the editorial judgment of the ExpatMoneyEU Research Team — not financial advice. Fee examples are illustrative figures; verify current fees with the bank first.
→ Free Italy gross to net salary calculator — see what your Italian pay is really worth
What to watch in 2027
Both banks publish revised price lists each January — re-check your package fee at the new year. UniCredit’s cross-border expansion and Intesa’s domestic consolidation are both live stories in 2026, and either could change the branch map or the app in 2027. SEPA instant transfers are now standard at both. None of this is a reason to wait: open the free digital account now, and add the branch bank once your Italian paperwork is ready.
→ Best bank accounts in Italy for expats — the flagship Italy guide
Open the two big Italian banks
Branch accounts with Italian IBANs — or start free and digital today:
Open UniCredit Account → Open Intesa Sanpaolo Account → Open Wise Account →