Even though Croatia is an EU member state and part of the Eurozone, it hasn’t adopted the euro yet. To facilitate your transactions (paying rent, paying the bills) and to receive your salary, you might want to open a Croatian account in kunas (HRK), even though opening an account in foreign currency is also possible.
However, this requires a lot of research because there are more than 30 banks in Croatia. In addition to globally recognized names like Sberbank, Raiffeisen, Erste & Steirmärkische, Addiko Bank, or OTP, there are Croatian banks like Hrvatska poštanska banka, Primorska banka, or Kreditna banka Zagreb, but there are also Croatian banks who are part of global groups, like Privredna banka Zagreb (Intesa Sanpaolo), Zagrebačka banka (UniCredit Group), or Splitska banka (Societe Generale Group).
Some companies do business with specific banks, so you might want to check with your employer if they have a preference first.
All banks have a website in English, so you can choose a bank based on your preferences. The services offered are more or less the same everywhere: opening and servicing accounts, deposits, money transfers, foreign exchange transactions, asset management, credit cards, insurance, etc. The average service cost is €10-12 a year. The most typical account types are giro, current and savings account. Some banks offer automatic overdraft once you open an account, while in others you have to apply for overdraft once the account has been set up.
Most banks offer Internet and mobile banking services, which comes in handy when paying the bills, for example, because you can simply scan the QR code that can be found on every payment slip and the payment information is filled in automatically, so you simply have to authorize the payment and that’s it.
Zagrebačka banka and Privredna banka Zagreb have the biggest number of offices and ATMs across the city, so if convenience and accessibility are crucial for you, one of them might be a good choice.
Click here to see a list of all the banks in Croatia and choose the best one for you.
In general, the documents you need for opening a bank account are a valid passport, residence permit and the application form that you can find online or get directly at the bank. Most of the staff is fluent in English, so you shouldn’t have any communication difficulties.
