Opening a bank account as an international student in Poland is an important step to take immediately after you get to Poland. This is because your bank account determines how you manage your finances, savings, purchases and even credit in the country. 

While there are many banks to choose from, they aren’t always beneficial to international students. For one, some do not have an English interface so you can only use your mobile app in Polish. So, in this post, we’ll outline the top five banks for international students in Poland. 

What to Look Out For in a Polish Bank as an International Student

Before committing to a bank account in Poland, here are some key features and factors to consider:

• Most student accounts don’t require monthly maintenance fees so look out for accounts with low minimum balance requirements.
• A bank with an English mobile app or translation for English speakers. Also while banks may have English support online, check to be sure there’s English in-branch support as well.
• Choose an account that allows you to receive or send money abroad at competitive exchange rates and low international transfer fees. 
• Accessibility like ATMS and a physical branch when you need in-person inquiries.

OhentPay is a mobile app that lets you send and receive money internationally swiftly and at the best rates.  With Ohentpay, you can send and receive money to over 190 countries, and exchange over 40 currencies. So you can send or receive support from loved ones back home without delay. 

The Top Banks for International Students in Poland

Based on the features above, here are the top five banks you can choose as an international student in Poland:

PKO Bank Polski.

If you’re under 26 years old, the PKO Bank offers a PKO Konto Junior account that has free account maintenance for the first 12 months. You also get a free Visa debit card that offers free withdrawals across all PKO Bank Polski’s ATMs and a limited amount of free withdrawals from other banks. 

Most importantly, the mobile app is very popular and is available in English. So you can find it very user-friendly as a student. For international payments, there is a multi-currency for international payments at no conversion fees. 

To open an account with PKO Bank Polski, start here.

Millennium Bank.

Millenium Bank is a popular and well-established bank in Poland. They specifically target individuals and students on a budget. Similar to our first recommendation, Millennium Bank offers an account for students between the ages of 18 and 26. However, the major current account also has zero account maintenance fees. 

In addition to no monthly fees, you also have free cash withdrawals from all ATMs in Poland. The website and mobile app are available in English so you’re guaranteed a good user experience as an international student.

To open an account with Millenium Bank, start here.

Santander Bank Polska.

Popular in other countries like the UK and other countries, Santander Bank is known for its international presence. You are guaranteed to get English support online, via phone and even in physical branches. 

The bank also has a dedicated student account “Konto dla studenta” an account with no monthly fees and a free Visa debit card. One amazing feature it also has is that there are various student discounts thanks to the multiple partnerships with institutions across the country.

To open an international student account with Santander Bank Polska, start here.

Bank Pekao S.A.

Pekao S.A. is known for its focus on international clients and foreigners in Poland. This is why it's a perfect option for international students. They offer a student account “Uczniostudent Konto” that has no monthly fees as long as you’re under 26 years old. The mobile app known as Pekao24 is available in English and is highly functional. 

On this account, you get a free Visa debit card that grants free withdrawals from any Bank Pekao ATM along with a limited number of free withdrawals from other Polish ATMs. 

To open an international student account with Pekao S.A., start here.

mBank.

mBank is known for its very innovative mobile app and it is quite popular with students in Poland.  Like other banks, they offer the “Konto dla mlodych” which is its student account with free account maintenance for students under 26 years old. 

It has a mobile app that is available in English and it offers a free Visa debit card. This card offers free withdrawals across all mBank ATMs as well as a limited amount of free withdrawals across other bank branches. 

To open an international student account with mBank, start here.

OhentPay- A Better Option for International Students

If you’re an international student who will need to make a lot of international transactions by sending or receiving money from home, you need a better alternative. 

With OhentPay, you can send, receive and exchange over 40 currencies across 190 countries. It’s also 100% cheaper than using a bank and faster as you get your payments instantly - regardless of where they are coming from. 

Most importantly, you do not need a Polish residency to open an account. You only need a valid ID card to proceed. Learn more about how OhentPay works here. 

Wrapping Up

If you're an international student looking for the best bank account in different countries, you should go through our blog for more.

If you’d like to send money anywhere in the world from Poland and you prefer fast transfers at great rates, we recommend the OhentPay money transfer service. Create an account to get started here.

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