Can International Students Get a Credit Card Without Local Credit History in Italy?

Can International Students Get a Credit Card Without Local Credit History in Italy?

International students arriving in Italy normally have no Italian loans, credit cards or repayment history. This does not automatically prevent them from applying for a credit card, but the bank will still need enough evidence to assess their ability to repay.

Italian banks generally focus on the applicant’s residence, identity, income, account activity and overall creditworthiness. Therefore, a student with no local credit history may still qualify when they have regular part-time income, scholarship payments, savings or another documented source of financial support.

Can You Get a Credit Card Without Italian Credit History?

Yes. A long Italian credit history is not always listed as a basic application requirement.

For example, Intesa Sanpaolo states that a credit-card applicant generally needs to:

• Be at least 18.
• Reside in Italy.
• Hold an Italian tax code.
• Have a bank or postal current account for collecting the monthly card balance.

However, meeting these basic conditions does not guarantee approval. The bank can impose additional requirements and conduct an individual creditworthiness assessment.

UniCredit asks applicants to provide identification, an Italian tax code and documents proving income. BPER similarly requires an adult applicant with an Italian domicile, a BPER current account and evidence of income before evaluating creditworthiness.

No Credit History Is Not the Same as Bad Credit

A new international student may have no record simply because they have never borrowed money in Italy. That is different from having:

• Missed loan repayments.
• Unpaid credit-card balances.
• Defaulted financial obligations.
• Serious account-management problems.
• Existing debt that exceeds repayment capacity.

The Bank of Italy’s Central Credit Register, known as the Centrale dei Rischi, provides financial institutions with information that helps them evaluate creditworthiness and understand a customer’s borrowing history. It records financial exposures reported by banks and other participating intermediaries.

A student with no recorded Italian borrowing may simply provide the bank with less historical information. The bank will then rely more heavily on current income, expenses, documents and account behaviour.

Does Foreign Credit History Transfer to Italy?

A credit score or borrowing record from another country is not normally converted automatically into an Italian credit profile.

Italian banks’ published requirements focus mainly on Italian identification, residence, current accounts, income documents and creditworthiness checks. It is therefore reasonable to infer that foreign statements may support an application but do not replace the bank’s Italian assessment.

You may still provide:

• Foreign bank statements.
• Evidence of repaid loans.
• Proof of long-term account ownership.
• Salary statements from abroad.
• Scholarship or sponsorship documents.
• Evidence of substantial savings.

The bank decides whether these documents are relevant.

What Helps When You Have No Local History?

1. Regular income

The strongest applications generally include verifiable income.

Students can provide:

• Part-time employment contract.
• Recent payslips.
• Paid internship agreement.
• Research or doctoral funding.
• Scholarship payment records.

UniCredit specifically requests income documentation, while BPER uses documents such as payslips or tax returns to evaluate the applicant’s creditworthiness.

2. An active Italian current account

A bank that already receives your income can examine your normal financial behaviour.

Positive account activity includes:

• Regular incoming payments.
• A stable average balance.
• Rent and bills paid on time.
• No frequent overdrafts.
• No repeated rejected payments.

Having a current account is also a standard requirement for several Italian credit cards because the monthly balance must be debited from it.

3. A modest requested credit limit

Requesting a smaller limit may be more realistic for a first-time applicant than requesting several thousand euros.

A limited amount can still cover:

• Online purchases.
• Hotel deposits.
• Travel reservations.
• Subscriptions.
• Small emergency expenses.

The final limit is decided by the provider after evaluating the applicant’s financial position.

4. Complete residence documents

Prepare:

• Valid passport or identity document.
• Italian residence permit when required.
• Italian tax code, or codice fiscale.
• Proof of residence or domicile.
• University enrolment certificate.
• Italian current-account details.

Incomplete or inconsistent documentation can delay the assessment even when the student has adequate financial resources.

Credit Cards New Students Can Consider

UniCreditCard Flexia Giovani

The UniCreditCard Flexia Giovani is aimed at UniCredit current-account holders under 30. It currently has a €10 issuance cost, a €27 annual fee and an available limit of up to €5,000, subject to approval.

It may suit students who:

• Are under 30.
• Receive income through UniCredit.
• Have several payslips or scholarship deposits.
• Prefer full monthly repayment with optional instalments.

The maximum advertised limit is not guaranteed.

Intesa Sanpaolo XME Credit Card

The XME Credit Card offers a limit of up to €3,000, with purchases normally charged in the following month. Existing customers can request it through internet banking, but approval remains subject to the bank’s conditions.

It may suit students who value:

• Branch access.
• Digital banking.
• A large Italian banking network.
• A card connected to an established account.

BPER Credit Cards

BPER requires applicants to be adults, have an Italian domicile, maintain a BPER account and provide proof of income. The bank issues the card only after evaluating creditworthiness.

This makes BPER more realistic for students with documented part-time employment than for newly arrived students with no financial history or income.

Step-by-Step Application Strategy

Step 1: Open an Italian current account

Choose a bank that accepts your residence documents and offers reasonable account fees.

Step 2: Use the account consistently

Receive your salary, scholarship or regular family support through the account. Pay ordinary expenses from it and maintain a stable balance.

Step 3: Collect several months of evidence

Keep:

• Payslips.
• Scholarship records.
• Account statements.
• Employment documents.
• Proof of regular support.

Step 4: Apply through your existing bank

Your current bank already has access to your account activity and can assess your financial profile more easily.

Step 5: Request a basic card

Start with a modest limit and avoid premium cards with high fees or demanding eligibility rules.

What to Do if the Application Is Rejected

A rejection does not necessarily mean that you have negative credit history. The bank may simply lack enough evidence that you can repay.

Take these steps:

1. Continue using your debit card.
2. Build more account history.
3. Wait until you have additional payslips.
4. Maintain a larger savings balance.
5. Request a lower limit next time.
6. Avoid applying to many banks simultaneously.
7. Ask whether specific documents were missing.

You can also request your personal data from the Bank of Italy’s Central Credit Register free of charge to check what information is recorded in your name.

Avoid Revolving Credit

Some Italian cards allow revolving repayment, where only part of the balance is paid each month while interest continues to accrue.

The Bank of Italy warns that revolving credit can expose consumers to borrowing beyond their repayment capacity and often carries higher interest rates than other forms of financing.

For a first card, full balance repayment is generally safer whenever you can afford it.

Final Verdict

International students can get a credit card without local credit history in Italy, but approval depends on the strength of their current financial profile.

Your chances improve when you have:

• Legal residence or domicile in Italy.
• An Italian tax code.
• An active current account.
• Regular salary or scholarship deposits.
• Complete income and identity documents.
• A realistic requested credit limit.

No Italian credit history is not automatically negative. The real obstacle is usually insufficient income, limited account activity or a lack of documents proving repayment capacity.

Official Sources

• Bank of Italy – Central Credit Register
• Bank of Italy – Access Your Central Credit Register Data
• Bank of Italy – Revolving Credit Guidance
• Intesa Sanpaolo – Credit Card Requirements
• Intesa Sanpaolo – XME Credit Card
• UniCredit – Credit Card Documents and Requirements
• UniCredit – Flexia Giovani
• BPER – Credit Cards and Requirements