Bank Account (Finance) 

Without a local bank account, paying rent to major suppliers and receiving scholarships becomes difficult. International fintechs (Revolut, Wise) have limitations in interacting with Portuguese government administrative platforms.

Ideal Solution:

- ActivoBank: The digital division of Millennium BCP. They offer a 100% free student account (no management fees). Their application is modern and completely in English.

- Traditional Alternatives: Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) (the state bank, present on all campuses) and Millennium BCP.

- Mandatory structural rule: No bank in Portugal opens an account without prior validation of the NIF.

- Documents required at the counter: Passport/ID Card, NIF, Letter of Registration (Matrícula) and proof of home address.