Debit account in Europe

Hello.

Im going to Europe for 4 months. I would like to know if there is any Bank that you could recommend to me. I just want to open a Debit account, also i would like to use it for buying online, and finally get my physical Havannah and EWN boards (not counting the one that i crafted myself with carton)

Any suggestions?

Thanks

-kpato

Hi kpato,

this depends on the country you want to stay (mostly stay in).

Maybe you just want to get an account as early as possible, so you could give a hint about the European country which soil you are going to touch first. ;-)

When you are using Visa, MasterCard or some other broadly accepted credit card, you should be able to live in Europe without a bank account. Buying online you can use (attention: this post contains product placement) PayPal. And you can also ask the people (e.g. LittleGolem users) you are going to visit, if they are willing to pay your bills while you refund their expenses via bank transfer.

Thomas

im not staying on a country. I will work and live on a cruise ship.

So im cursing over a lot of countries.

I do not have my own VISA, MasterCard or any Credit card. That's why i just need to open a Debit account, and i will close before come back to Chile.

I want to give you the hint that we are having many different DEBIT payment systems (PIN, girocard, PagoBancomat - only working in Italy, Telebanco...) in european countries as well as different regulations with respect to payment in stores.

While switzerland (e.g.) is accepting all european (or foreign) DEBIT cards/systems in stores are foreign cards not accepted in german (e.g.) stores except there is a specific contract with a bank or the bank uses the MAESTRO (or VISA ?! either rarely or not: ATM) system. I never had a problem with my MAESTRO card in other european countries, thus I would recommend to choose at least a bank that uses that system.

In my eyes it would also be sufficient if you would have an account at a chilean bank with an upgrade for the MAESTRO service.

This service is pretty good accepted at (internet) stores in europe and the next cash machine is never far away. If you know the route of your ship you can find the next ATM here:

http://www.mastercard.us/cardholder-services/atm-locator.html

That's also an indicator how high the acceptance in a specific country is.

VISA provides the same service but I have the feeling that it is not so popular in all european countries. I would say ask an chilean bank agent (or webpage of a chilean bank) if it's offered or could work so.

I agree. Obtaining a Visa or MasterCard from your bank seems the easiest way to go. I don't know the requisites in Chile, but in Europe with a job (even with a temporary contract) you should be able to get one.

In the EU, there is a "free circulation" of citizen which gives EU members the right to open bank accounts in any EU country. But for non-EU citizen you will need (in Spain) at least a permanent residence (which you get immediately as soon as you have some owner certifying that you live in his/her house, or you rent or buy) and having asked for a certificate to work (which may have other requirements like a clean criminal record, but in Spain it is easy for a Chilean). That requires some time in a fixed place. Also, the bank may mistrust you in the beginning and set some limits to your operability that may make the whole idea unworkable. Maybe the international transfer requires your bank giving you some amount of credibility in the banking net and it takes some time for them to trust you enough to do. I don't know how this works, but I wouldn't be surprised if a just opened account with minimum requirements and no credit limit did not work in a different country.

I would clearly talk about this in your usual Chilean bank and have them give you a card that works.

You'll not be able to get a bank account unless you become resident in one of the countries.

Get either a VISA, or Mastercard credit card. If you can't, then a VISA debit card should work in most places, but won't in some. (E.g. Denmark, where nothing works, in my experience.)

Did you already ask your co-workers (you are a musician, right?) how they solve this problem?

Perhaps these pages will help you, you should be prepared well with a Maestro (debit card) and/or a Debit MasterCard in europe. The last card would even work in Denmark. ;)

Why is everyone hating on Denmark :P Germany is the place where you have to be really lucky in order to pay with your card.
In Denmark, you can pay with your visa card in a bookstore or in a supermarket or in a café or in a bar or by the hotdog man. Everywhere!
So quit the hating on Denmark :) we just agreed on one card and stuck with it.

A *foreign-issued* Debit MasterCard did not work in Denmark in a few places (bars, restaurants, public transport depots, ...)
A foreign-issued Visa debit card likewise would not work, in the same couple of places.

Fortunately the barman was so nice in one of them (and the group I was with had spent thousands of crowns in total), when our cash was about $10 short we were let off the rest of our bill. We went back the next day, with more cash, and tipped generously. He did explain "we only take Danish Visa cards" - almost as if the Visa *network* wasn't connected across national borders.

We've used those exact same cards in at least a dozen other countries with no problems at all. It's not "hating on" (whatever that godawful expression means) anything, it's just reporting facts that could be very useful to a foreigner.

Hehe fair enough :) I've never tried a visa issued somewhere else in Denmark, but I did try my card in other contries. Maybe the network is a digraph.

i don't have meet my co-workers yet.

Mmm seems like i will try to get a Debit Card/VISA on England (cause , southampton is my homeport, so maybe that could it be my residence address, that how i did it last time)

In Chile the things are difficult. Everything works wrong , and more even the attention for an independent musician in a bank.

Thanks

good luck :)

In England?

So will not stay in Europe after all... Note that is the only European country not wanting to keep the finances at a reasonable spot. It is also not a Euro-country... in most others there is a single currency.

In Belgium Maestro should do.