Problems Opening Accounts and Banking Services for Ukrainians in Romania
Read our main article on how to open a bank account in Romania for Ukrainians.
Ukrainian refugees in Romania have been facing banking issues, including blocked accounts and frequent rejections of new account applications. This violates their rights, which are protected by the EU. A petition signed by over 400 people raises this issue.
Link to the original petition.
Banks, including BRD, OTP, Alfa Bank, Raiffeisen, BCR, Banca Transilvania, and ING Bank, are mentioned as examples. The petition highlights that many are unable to receive salaries or social benefits. No solutions have been provided yet, and access issues persist. It’s important for seafarers and other refugees to be cautious when opening accounts and consider all risks.
Excerpt from the Petition Regarding Banking Services for Ukrainians in Romania:
“Unfortunately, a large number of our Ukrainian refugees have encountered unforeseen problems when receiving social assistance into their bank accounts, which clearly violates the rights established by the EU Temporary Protection Directive.
Currently, more than 1000 people’s bank accounts or bank cards in various Romanian banks have been blocked without prior warning and unilaterally by the bank.
Additionally, about 90% of Ukrainians applying for a basic bank account in Romanian banks to receive salaries and benefits have been rejected.
Examples: The standard document package requested by most banks in Romania: international passport, temporary protection status, rental agreement in Romania.
BRD Bank requires a work permit for Ukrainians to open an account. The bank does not accept temporary protection status as a valid document confirming the Ukrainian’s right to work in Romania.
There are rejections for opening bank accounts because the individual holds Ukrainian citizenship. Bank staff consider Ukrainians to be potentially risky clients (OTP Bank, Alfa Bank, Raiffeisen Bank).
Frequent rejections from BCR and Banca Transilvania, which do not want to cooperate with Ukrainians, especially those from occupied territories or who were from occupied territories in the past. There are many rejections for people living in Donetsk, Crimea, and Kherson.
ING Bank refuses to unblock accounts or open new accounts for Ukrainians (many cases in Constanța, Romania). People also cannot withdraw money from their ING cards, even though the funds are present.
UniCredit Bank blocked Ukrainian accounts without notice. People still have funds in their accounts, and their right to access those funds is being violated. The reason given by the bank was that the temporary protection document in the EU had expired. However, the temporary protection for Ukrainians has officially been extended until 04.03.2025.
As a result, thousands of people have lost their right to access their salaries and social benefits. This right is provided for by the EU Temporary Protection Directive.”
If you are unsure about opening an account in Romania, read our article on opening accounts in Moldovan banks.