International protection applicants

At the heart of financial wellbeing is financial inclusion and that means access to basic banking products for all

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Help and support: International Protection

There are two forms of international protection, having status in Ireland as a refugee or as a person eligible for subsidiary protection. To find out more please visit www.ipo.gov.ie or search for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme.

Bank of Ireland takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information from third party websites.



Bank accounts for your day-to-day needs

With a Personal Current Account, you can:

  • view your account online;
  • check transactions;
  • receive payments into the account;
  • organise to pay bills;
  • transfer money from the account.

There is a monthly fee for maintaining a Personal Current Account.

A Basic Bank Account offers many of the same features of the Personal Current Account. There are no fees for maintaining a Basic Bank Account for the first 12 months. Fees for maintaining the account may be charged after 12 months depending on account turnover. There are also no individual charges for a range of current account transactions and services. There are a small number of services you may be charged for, such as using your debit card for transactions in a foreign currency – learn more about our Basic Bank Account.

  • Customers must be over the age of 18 or over the age of 16 if not in full-time education
  • Customers must be legally resident in the European Union (EU)
  • Customers must not already hold a personal payment account or current account with any bank in the Republic of Ireland (you will be asked to sign a declaration provided by us to confirm this)



What do I need to open an account?

To open an account, you will need to provide:

  • Photo id (passport or driving licence);
  • Proof of address (a household bill showing your name and address);
  • Information about your source of income.

If you do not have a passport/household bill, we can accept alternative documents.


  • Alternative documents

    Alternative documents
    Proof of identity
    • An Irish Government issued Refugee Travel Document

    The following documents can be accepted alongside a suitable additional document proving your date of birth, for example a letter from the Department of Justice and Equality which details your date of birth. Photographic ID is also required if your image is not included on the document you are providing.

    • Confirmation of your refugee status, subsidiary protection or permission to remain (e.g. the Ministerial declaration from the Department of Justice).
    • An in date Temporary Residence Certificate issued by the International Protection Office
    • A Stamp 4 Irish Residency Permit
    • A Letter from International Protection Office showing your photo and date of birth
    Proof of address
    		One of the following address verification documents can be accepted, it must be in date within the last 6 months:

    • A letter from the Department of Justice (this may include a letter from the International Protection Office or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal).
    • A letter from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth that is addressed to you by name and address (the letter must relate to your asylum application).
    • A letter of Introduction from an approved Emergency Reception and Orientation Centre (EROC) accommodation provider or from a Direct Provision Centre.
    • A letter from Revenue confirming you have registered for Revenue Online if you are in Direct Provision and have permission to work. This letter will contain your residential address.
    • A letter from a recognised school/college/institute of further or higher education confirming acceptance onto a course or programme.
    • A letter from the Department of Social Protection about your benefits is acceptable as a proof of address document.
    • A letter from a host family/landlord verifying that the applicant is living with them/or at a property owned by them. The host family principal/landlord will be required to attend the branch with the applicant and provide identity and verification during the visit. For hosts/landlords who are non-BOI Customers proof of identity (Photo/DOB) and proof of address will be required. BOI Customers can use their Visa Debit Card or Photo ID as a means of identification.
    Source of income
    		One of the following income verification documents can be accepted:

    • A letter from the Department of Social Protection if you are receiving welfare payments will meet the criteria. Alternatively, you can provide receipts showing previous payments.
    • Receipt of payment of the Daily Expenses Allowance (e.g. post office receipt)
    • Two payslips or a copy of your employment contract if you have a job.
    • A job offer on headed paper from a prospective employer.




International Languages

We have provided an overview in several languages, please select your preferred language:







Frequently asked questions


  • Explaining banking terms

    View our Glossary of Terms – this explains, in plain English, the terms that we and all EU financial service providers commonly use for payment services and customer accounts1.

  • Setting up an account

    You can come into any Bank of Ireland branch and we can start the process to get your new account set up.

    You can open a personal current account online, without coming into branch. Please note the documents required to open the account and follow the process. The Basic Bank account cannot be opened online.

  • Bringing an interpreter

    We are happy for you to bring a friend, colleague or translator with you who can interpret for you, if this is something that you need.

    Bank of Ireland colleagues speak a number of languages and we would be happy to try to help, if you do not have someone who can interpret. Ask your welcome advisor in the branch if they can assist or try and organise someone to interpret for you.


Bank of Ireland takes no responsibility for the accuracy of information from third party websites

Contact us

Log in to 365 online, select Services and Send us a message.

Call us on 0818 365 365, 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Saturday 10am-2pm.

Tweet us @talktoBOI 8am–8pm. Response within 15 minutes.

1 Fees for maintaining the account may be charged after 12 months depending on turnover if the value of lodgements to your account exceeds a certain threshold. This threshold is equivalent to the national minimum hourly rate of pay (as declared from time to time in accordance with Section 11 of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000) multiplied by 2,080 (i.e. 40 hour week x 52 weeks of the year). If this is applicable to your account you will be notified 2 months in advance of this change.