Bank Account

To open a student bank account in Austria, you’ll usually need:

• Passport or national ID

• Proof of residence (Meldezettel)

• University enrollment confirmation/student ID

• Austrian phone number (SIM card) for online banking setup

• Some digital banks (e.g., N26, Revolut, Wise) may require fewer documents and can be opened before you arrive, while traditional banks typically ask for all of the above.

How to open bank accounts

• Physical Branches (Traditional Banks): Linz, Wels, Steyr, and Hagenberg.

• Online (100% Digital): N26, Revolut, Wise (no physical visit needed), physical card being sent via post.

• Recommendation: Whenever possible, open your account at a campus branch. You’ll be tied to that branch for the duration of your studies, and campus branches are generally more student-friendly, with English-speaking staff who are familiar with the needs of international students.

Tips and tricks

• Always get a student account to avoid fees

• Open before the semester starts to skip the queues

• Get an Austrian SIM card first (needed for account setup)

• Online banking is essential—download the apps

• Austria still uses cash a lot—keep €100-200 on hand

• Set up automatic payments for rent & insurance

• Beware of ATM withdrawal limits & fees

• Keep student ID proof updated for account benefits

Setting Up a SEPA Direct Debit Mandate (SEPA-Lastschriftmandat)

A SEPA Direct Debit Mandate is an authorization you give to a company (like your phone provider, gym, or streaming service) to automatically withdraw money from your bank account regularly. It's the European standard for automatic bill payments and is very convenient for managing recurring expenses.

You may need to set up a SEPA mandate for things like:

• Your monthly mobile phone bill

• Health insurance (ÖGK)

• Your monthly rent

• Gym memberships (e.g., McFit, John Harris)

• Electricity or internet bills in your own name

The Information You Need to Provide (The Mandate)

To set up a direct debit, the company will ask you to fill out a mandate form (often online). You will need to provide them with the following details from your Austrian bank account:

• Your Name: Exactly as it appears on your bank account.

• Your IBAN (International Bank Account Number): This is your unique account number, starting with "AT" for Austria (e.g., AT12 1234 5678 9012 3456). Never give out your full BIC/SWIFT code for SEPA domestic payments; it is often no longer required within the EU.

• Your Bank Name: e.g., Bank Austria, Erste Bank, Sparkasse.

• Your Address: Your current Austrian address as registered with your bank

• Mandate Reference: The company will provide a unique reference number for this authorization.

• Date and Signature: You will need to agree to the terms and sign (often with an electronic signature or checkbox online).

How to Set It Up

• Online: This is the most common method. When signing up for a service online, you will be asked to enter your IBAN and agree to the direct debit terms and conditions. This act constitutes your digital signature for the mandate.

• Paper Form: Some services may provide a paper form to fill out and return by post.

Account opening bonuses and referrals

Bank Austria (UniCredit Bank Austria) — Student (GoGreen) account

Summary: Bank Austria’s GoGreen student account currently advertises a welcome voucher (≈€70) for new student accounts (promo windows vary). I couldn’t find an official “friends-refer-friends” referral (Weiterempfehlung) program specifically for the student account on the bank’s pages — only the standard student welcome voucher/campaign info.

Steps to open & what to expect

1. Open the GoGreen / student account online (desktop or mobile). Follow the online onboarding flow (ID verification and proof of enrollment, as required).

2. Complete required identity and student-status checks (upload or present matriculation/enrolment proofs if asked).

3. If there’s a time-limited welcome voucher campaign, follow any campaign conditions (e.g., open by a specific date). Campaigns specify whether a voucher or cash bonus applies. Check the press/campaign details for the exact expiry.

Tip: No official student-account referral program was listed on Bank Austria’s main student pages (only the welcome voucher/promo). If a referral program exists, it may be regional/temporary — always check the bank’s “Aktionen/News” and terms.

Sparkasse (Erste Bank & Sparkasse group) — Studentenkonto

Summary: Sparkasse offers a Studentenkonto with free account management until ~27 and commonly a €50 online account opening bonus in its online offer pages. Sparkasse/Erste also runs “Weiterempfehlung” campaigns (promo structures can include referral bonuses in certain campaigns).

Steps to open & referral steps:

1. Open the Studentenkonto online via the Sparkasse website (quick online onboarding is advertised — “in 7 minutes”). Provide student enrolment proof and ID.

2. To qualify for the typical €50 online opening bonus, follow the account-opening campaign conditions (often: open online and perform a few transactions within a set period). See campaign details on the product page.

3. For referrals: Sparkasse/Erste run Weiterempfehlungsaktionen from time to time — these vary by region and campaign (some promotions explicitly list a small referral amount as part of a larger student bonus package). If a referral action is active, either the referee enters the referrer’s name/code during onboarding, or the referrer sends a referral link/code. Follow the campaign page.

Tip: Exact referral value/steps depend on the current campaign and region; always check the Sparkasse “Weiterempfehlung” / product page for the active terms and required qualifying actions.

Raiffeisen Bank (Austria) — Mein BONUS Studentenkonto

Summary: Raiffeisen’s Mein BONUS Studentenkonto lists a €50 start/online bonus for new student account openings and an explicit €50 Referral (Weiterempfehlungsbonus) (both referrer and referred receive €50 in many regional offers). This is shown on the Raiffeisen product and campaign pages.

Steps to open & refer (detailed)

1. Eligibility: be a student (product pages typically say free account up to a certain age — check region for exact age cutoff) and provide proof of enrolment.

2. Open the Mein BONUS Studentenkonto online (follow the online onboarding steps: ID, address, student proof).

3. Start bonus: follow the online opening campaign conditions to secure the €50 start bonus (the product page describes the online opening bonus).

4. Referral (Weiterempfehlungsbonus): to trigger the €50 referral payment, usually the referred person must be a new customer who opens the eligible student account and completes onboarding; the bank’s referral/campaign page explains how to indicate the referrer (some regions use a referral form or mention a name/code during opening). Both parties get the bonus if conditions are met.

5. Timing & limits: read the campaign terms, regional Raiffeisen banks often specify the time to credit the bonus and any limits per referrer.

Tip: Raiffeisen operates regionally; terms (exact age limit, how to register a referral, caps) may differ slightly by Landesbank. Use the regional Raiffeisen page (e.g., your Raiffeisenlandesbank) to confirm exact rules.

Easybank — easy gratis / easy plus / easy gratis Studenten

Summary: EasyBank runs a clear “Kunden werben Kunden” referral program: €50 per successful referral (both referrer and referred can receive benefits in many campaigns). The program often limits referrals (example: up to 10 referrals per customer). The referrer typically creates a personal referral link in the EasyBank app and shares it.

Steps to open & refer (detailed):

1. Eligibility: the referred person must open an eligible account type (easy gratis, easy plus, payroll account, depending on the campaign). Check the campaign page to see which accounts qualify.

2. Referrer: open the easybank app → create your personal referral link in the app → share with a friend.

3. Referred: sign up with the referral link and complete onboarding (ID, address, and any proof requested).

4. Typical qualifying action (example from easybank pages): the referrer receives the €50 when the referred person completes the first three salary/cash inflows of ≥€500 or other campaign conditions within a set period; the exact requirement is listed on the referral page. (So the bonus can be tied to salary inflows or other qualifying transactions.) 

5. Limits & timing: campaigns commonly limit to e.g. up to 10 referrals per referrer; the bonus credit timing is stated in the campaign terms (often within a few weeks/months after conditions are met).

Tip: EasyBank’s program is explicit and widely available; read the “Empfehlung” page for exact qualifying transactions and timing because the requirement (e.g., salary entry thresholds) is important.

Revolut — Refer & get campaign rewards

Summary: Revolut runs regular referral campaigns. Typical requirements (documented in Revolut help/referral terms): invitee must sign up via your unique link, verify identity, add funds (by card/Apple Pay/transfer — transfers from other Revolut accounts usually do not count), order a physical card (campaign dependent), and make a minimum number of card purchases. Campaigns vary in reward amount and limits. Read Revolut’s campaign terms for the active offer.

Steps to refer & open:

1. Referrer: open Revolut app → tap Refer tile → share the generated message with your unique referral link.

2. Referred friend: sign up using the link → verify identity → add funds to the new Revolut account (must be from an external source, not another Revolut account) → order the physical card if required by the campaign.

3. Complete required purchases/transactions as listed in the campaign (e.g., a number of card purchases). Once all steps are completed before the campaign deadline, the referrer’s reward becomes payable and will show in the app per Revolut’s processing time.

Tip: Revolut’s referral reward rules are campaign-specific and can change quickly. Check the in-app referral tile and the legal “Referrals Terms” page for the exact current requirements and any caps.

Wise (formerly TransferWise) — Invite program

Summary: Wise’s invite programs usually give the invitee a sign-up gift (free transfer/fee discount or a free card offer), and the referrer earns rewards once invitees complete qualifying actions. Wise documents multiple invite program variants (free transfer, free card, fee credit); rewards and qualification rules depend on the specific invite program. Often, rewards are structured (e.g., you earn a reward for every 3 qualifying friends).

Steps to refer & open:

1. Referrer: open the Wise app or website → go to “Invite friends” → copy your unique referral link → share.

2. Referred friend: sign up using your referral link → verify identity → complete the qualifying action (e.g., make a first transfer, order the card) as stated in the specific campaign.

3. Rewards: Wise often credits the invitee with a discount/free transfer; referrer rewards depend on the promotion (sometimes tied to groups of successful invites — e.g., a reward for every three qualifying friends). Check the help article for the active invite program for details and limits.

Tip: Wise referral incentives are typically transfer/card-oriented rather than a straight “student account cash” rebate, so check specific program wording for what the invitee and referrer receive and any minimum transfer/usage requirements.

bank99 — aktivkonto99 bildung / jugend + Referral Program

Summary:
bank99 offers special student/youth accounts:

• aktivkonto99 bildung (for students/people in education, free until age 27 during studies + 12 months after).

• aktivkonto99 jugend (for young customers, with free conditions up to ~20–21 years).

• In addition, bank99 has a “refer-a-friend” (Kundinnen werben Kundinnen) program: both referrer and referee get €25 per successful new account opening. Each customer can refer up to 20 friends → maximum €500 bonus.

Steps to open & refer (detailed):

1. Eligibility

   • aktivkonto99 bildung: must be in education/training and typically up to 27 years old. Provide proof of enrolment.

   • aktivkonto99 jugend: for young customers (teens/young adults), with reduced or free account management.

   • Both accounts are among the qualifying types for the referral campaign.

2. Open account

   • Open one of the eligible accounts (smartkonto99, balancekonto99, topkonto99, aktivkonto99 bildung, or aktivkonto99 jugend).

   • For the referral bonus, the new customer (referee) must open the account in a bank99 branch, not online.

3. Receive referral code

   • After opening an account, you’ll receive your personal referral code by email (“Wichtige Infos zum Start und Ihre Gutscheincodes!”).

   • You can share this code with up to 20 people.

4. Referral process

   • Friend (referee) goes to a branch and opens one of the eligible accounts.

   • During onboarding, they must provide your referral code.

5. Bonus payout

   • Once the account opening is successful, both you (referrer) and your friend (referee) receive €25 each.

   • Bonus is credited to the account, timing according to campaign terms (usually within a few weeks, max 60 bank working days).

6. Limits

   • Maximum 20 referrals per customer → up to €500 total bonus.

   • Only valid for the specified account types.

Quick comparison

• Banks with explicit €50 referral/start bonuses for student accounts (Austria, per official pages):

  1. Raiffeisen:(Mein BONUS Studentenkonto: €50 Start + €50 Referal).

  2. Easybank:(€50 per referral — covers student accounts under the referral rules).

  3. Sparkasse: often runs €50 online student opening bonuses and referral actions in some campaigns.

  4. bank99: runs a €25 + €25 referral program (referrer + referee), valid also for aktivkonto99 bildung (students) and jugend (youth). Up to 20 referrals → €500 max.

• Banks with strong referral programs (app-based invite links), but mechanics differ:

  1. N26: usually €5–15 after a friend makes a card payment.

  2. Revolut: €10–200 depending on campaign, requires ID + card order + three €5 purchases.

  3. Wise: referral rewards (often €50 after 3 successful invited transfers).
     These are platform-wide referral schemes rather than student-specific bonuses.

IMPORTANT: These offers are updated as of 15/09/2025 and are subject to change.

Suggested next steps (practical)

1. Pick the bank(s) you’re interested in and open the relevant product page (I cited the pages above). Save the exact campaign terms (expiry dates, required transactions).

2. For referral campaigns: copy the in-app referral link / note the field where the referee must enter your name/code. Keep screenshots of onboarding confirmation (useful if the bonus is delayed).

3. Check limits and timing in the campaign terms (e.g., easybank up to 10 referrals; N26 caps the total referral earnings).