Every retail customer legally resident in the European Economic Area has a right to a basic payment account in Finland. Banks may generally refuse a basic account only for money-laundering reasons. The basic account includes online banking ID if the bank offers it to other customers, and a bank may refuse it only if the customer has no personal identity code or is not in the population register, in which case it must offer a limited identification method instead.

Your right to a basic bank account

Banks must provide a basic payment account on an equal, non-discriminatory basis to every retail customer legally resident in an EEA country. Under official rules on basic banking services, this provision includes an account, a debit card, online banking ID, cash withdrawals, payments, and an electronic means of identification. Overdraft accounts and credit cards are not part of basic banking services.

A bank may generally refuse to open a basic account only for money-laundering reasons, such as if it cannot reliably verify your identity. If a bank refuses your application, it must give the specific reason without delay, in writing and free of charge, along with an account of how to appeal the decision.

Once opened, a bank may close a basic account only after 24 consecutive months without transactions or if you are no longer legally resident in the EEA. Even then, the provider must give you at least two months' written notice. You may end a basic account at any time free of charge, and you can move an account to another provider through a switching service. Arranging your account sits among the core first steps after moving to Finland, particularly because Kela benefits pay into a bank account, while fees feed into your cost of living in Finland.

What the bank will ask you, and why

Banks have a statutory obligation to identify customers and know their activities and background. This customer due diligence is required by, among others, the Money Laundering Act and the Credit Institutions Act. The customer is identified before the banking relationship starts, for example when opening an account.

For basic banking the bank needs your:

In addition, the bank asks whether you or a close associate is a politically exposed person, and about expected domestic and foreign payment volumes. Banks may ask for the origin and purpose of funds and request documents. These standard queries are often called money laundering questions. Providers may refuse customers who do not give adequate information about themselves.

Which documents prove your identity

Finnish documents commonly used for identity verification are the identity card (henkilökortti), passport, and diplomatic passport. A passport issued by a foreign authority, or an identity card valid as a travel document, can also prove identity.

Each provider decides, on its own risk management principles, which documents it accepts.

Online banking codes and strong electronic identification

Strong electronic identification (vahva sähköinen tunnistaminen) is the electronic verification of a person's identity in online services. According to Traficom's NCSC-FI, which oversees electronic identification, these means include:

Each identification means must use at least two authentication factors drawn from knowledge, possession, and inherence, alongside a dynamic mechanism. Finnish identification providers must notify Traficom before starting, and Traficom's NCSC-FI supervises them under Act 617/2009.

The basic account includes online banking ID, a strong electronic identification means, if the bank offers it to other customers. A bank may refuse online banking ID only if the customer has no personal identity code or is not in the population register (väestötietojärjestelmä). In that case the bank must offer a more limited electronic identification method valid only for the basic account.

When the bank cannot verify you — police identification

The police can verify your identity before an electronic identification device or qualified certificate is issued. Complete the application with the provider first.

When attending the police station, you must bring:

Without a valid passport or identity card, the police may try other documents, registers, or an interview, but may still fail to verify you. The identification fee is charged on application and is not refunded even if identity cannot be verified. Under section 17 of Act 617/2009, the police fee for personal identification in 2026 is EUR 52. The police post the result by recorded delivery directly to the identification provider, whether or not identity was verified.

The identity card for a foreigner

A foreigner's identity card (ulkomaalaisen henkilökortti) needs permanent residence in Finland, data including a municipality of residence (kotikunta) in the Population Information System, and a valid permit, residence card, or registered right of residence.

The card is issued only after the person has been identified and their identity reliably verified. Present a valid passport or identity card. Without one, present a residence permit card, whose chip fingerprints can be compared with yours. The card is valid for at most five years or until the residence permit or card expires, whichever is sooner. It is not a travel document and can be applied for only from the police, not a Finnish mission abroad.

The 2026 fee for an alien's identity card is EUR 59, or EUR 53 applied for online. Rapid delivery costs EUR 77 (EUR 71 online), and express delivery costs EUR 96 (EUR 90 online). An online application is cheaper and quicker, but the system may still require a police station visit for identification. The police state that the foreigner's identity card enables use of banking services, including online banking.