Banking in Ireland as an American: FATCA and IBANs

Short answer: yes, you can bank in Dublin on a US passport. Your citizenship mostly means an extra form. The real hurdle is proving an Irish address before you have anything with your new address on it.

The short version

Ireland has a Model 1 FATCA agreement with the US, in force since April 2014. Irish banks report accounts held by US persons to Revenue, Ireland's tax authority, which passes the data to the IRS [1][2].
The big Irish retail banks are AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB. Credit unions and An Post also offer current accounts [3].
Bank of Ireland lets you apply for a "Coming to Ireland" account up to 45 days before you move, then update to an Irish address within 60 days [4].
Revolut offers Irish IBANs and is widely used for a first account while the paperwork catches up [5].
Uncle Sam still wants an FBAR once your foreign accounts top USD 10,000 combined at any point in the year, and possibly Form 8938 [6].

USD conversions in this guide use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1163) [7].

FATCA in Ireland: what the bank asks and why

FATCA is the US law that makes foreign banks report accounts held by Americans. Ireland signed an intergovernmental agreement with the US, and the Treasury lists it as a Model 1 agreement, in force since April 2014 [2]. Under that setup, Irish financial institutions don't deal with the IRS directly. They report to Revenue, which shares the information with the US under the agreement [1].

What that looks like at the branch or in the app:

A tax residency self-certification. You'll be asked where you're tax resident and if you're a US citizen or US tax resident.
Your US taxpayer number. For most people, that's your Social Security number. Have it handy before you start an application.
No fudging. A US birthplace in your passport or a US phone number will flag the account anyway. A mismatch between what you said and what the bank sees is a good way to get an account frozen while compliance sorts it out.
Irish-Americans are in the same boat. Got your Irish passport through a grandparent? Great, but a second passport doesn't take you off the list. You're still a US person for FATCA.

The upside of Ireland's long history with American multinationals and returning emigrants: banks here see US customers all the time. The FATCA form is routine, not a reason to turn you away.

The proof-of-address loop

Back home, you'd walk into a branch with a driver's license and an SSN and walk out with a checking account. In Dublin, banks have to verify both your identity and your address [3]. New arrivals often have neither a lease in their own name nor a utility bill. Meanwhile, your employer wants an Irish IBAN to pay you, and a landlord wants a deposit. Welcome to the loop.

Bank of Ireland's newcomer route is a good example of what counts. For its Coming to Ireland account, it asks for photo ID (a passport works), proof of address and a selfie during the application. Acceptable proof of address includes a utility bill, a financial statement, or a letter from Revenue, an approved university, the social welfare department or the immigration service. The document must be in English or come with a certified translation [4].

Ways Americans usually break the loop:

Apply before you fly. Bank of Ireland's Coming to Ireland account takes applications up to 45 days before you move, using your current (US) address. You then have 60 days after opening to switch it to an Irish address. If you miss that, the account is blocked, and closed if it still isn't updated 30 days later [4].
Open a fintech account first. App-based providers verify you with your passport and a selfie, and Revolut advertises Irish IBANs, so you can share bank details with an employer in week one [5].
Ask your employer or college for a letter. A letter on letterhead confirming your Dublin address is a common workaround. Ask HR before you land.
Get a bill in your name fast. Once you're in your apartment, an electricity bill or a letter from Revenue is gold.
Ask about a basic bank account. It's a type of current account for people without one, with no fees for everyday banking in its first year [3].

Document	Why you need it
US passport	Primary photo ID [4]
Proof of address	Utility bill, financial statement, or an official letter (Revenue, university, government department) [4]
Social Security number	For the FATCA self-certification [1]
Immigration permission (IRP card)	Shows your right to live in Ireland; some banks ask for it
Bank statements from home	Useful later: AIB says a foreign credit check is needed when you apply for credit if you've banked outside Ireland [8]

The main banks, and the fintech option

An Irish "current account" is what we'd call a checking account. You'll get a debit card, online banking and an IBAN, which is how all euro transfers work. Paper checks barely exist; don't expect a landlord to want one.

AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB

These are the household names with branches across Dublin. Banks, credit unions and An Post all offer current accounts [3].

AIB lets you open a personal current account in its app if you live in Ireland, are 18 to 65 and have no existing AIB accounts. Its page says the app route also needs an EEA passport, so a US-only passport holder should plan on booking a branch appointment instead [8]. From July 1, 2026, AIB replaced its quarterly fees with a single EUR 6 (about USD 6.70) monthly fee for personal customers, charged only in months with activity. Student, graduate and basic bank accounts have no fee [9].
Bank of Ireland runs the Coming to Ireland application described above. Its standard personal current account costs EUR 6 (about USD 6.70) a month, which covers euro card payments, euro ATM withdrawals and euro transfers. Student, graduate and over-66 "Golden Years" accounts have no maintenance fee [4].
PTSB (Permanent TSB) is the third Irish-owned retail bank. Its website blocked our reader, so check its current account terms directly.

All three also charge government stamp duty on cards, and non-euro payments cost extra. Read each bank's schedule of fees before you wire dollars in.

Revolut and other fintechs

Revolut is a big deal in Ireland. Its Irish site advertises Irish IBANs and says customer money is held by Revolut Bank UAB, a bank licensed in Lithuania and supervised by the Bank of Lithuania and the European Central Bank, with its conduct of business in Ireland regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland [5]. Its homepage doesn't spell out US citizen eligibility, so check the sign-up terms. Like any European bank, it will ask the FATCA questions.

Is your money protected?

Ireland's Deposit Guarantee Scheme covers eligible deposits up to EUR 100,000 (about USD 112,000) per person, per bank. It's run by the Central Bank of Ireland and funded by the banks it covers, and payouts are automatic, without a claim [10].

That's lower than the FDIC's USD 250,000 per depositor, per bank, per ownership category. If you're parking a house deposit or the proceeds of a US home sale, spread it across banks. For a fintech, check which entity holds your money and which country's scheme covers it.

Moving money between the US and Ireland

Keep at least one US checking account open for Social Security, your 401(k), US credit cards and anything still billed in dollars. Keeping a US address on it can get tricky; see our guide to keeping a US bank account.

Method	Good for	Watch out for
Wire from your US bank	Large one-off sums, like a rental deposit	Fees at both ends plus the bank's exchange markup
Licensed online money-transfer services	Regular transfers, like rent from US income	Compare the total cost, not just the fee
Multi-currency accounts	Holding USD and EUR	Check whether the balance is a protected deposit
US debit card at Irish ATMs	Your first few weeks	Foreign transaction and ATM fees

On a big transfer, compare the rate you're offered with the mid-market rate. A 2% markup on a EUR 50,000 house deposit is EUR 1,000 (about USD 1,120) gone.

A heads-up on investing: Irish-domiciled funds and ETFs are usually PFICs under US tax rules, which can mean punishing US tax and extra paperwork. Read our PFIC guide before you buy one.

What you still owe the IRS

Your Irish bank already reports you through Revenue, but you still file your own reports:

Report	Threshold (living abroad)	Deadline
FBAR (FinCEN Form 114)	Foreign accounts over USD 10,000 combined at any time in the calendar year [6]	April 15, automatic extension to October 15; filed through FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System [6]
Form 8938	Single or married filing separately: over USD 200,000 at year end or USD 300,000 at any time. Married filing jointly: USD 400,000 or USD 600,000 [6]	With your federal return, including extensions [6]

Interest on Irish accounts is taxable on your US return, and Ireland taxes it too. A US expat tax preparer can check your situation, especially for joint accounts with a non-American spouse.

Your first-month banking checklist

Before you fly, apply for a newcomer account if your bank offers one, and ask your employer about an address letter.
Week one: open a fintech account so you have an Irish IBAN for payroll.
Once you have a lease or bill, open an account with a branch-based bank if you want one.
Answer the FATCA form honestly and give your SSN.
Keep a US checking account and a no-foreign-fee card for the transition.
Start your FBAR list with each account's highest balance in the year.

Which bank was easiest this year is one of the most common questions in our community group for Americans in Ireland.

Banking in Ireland as an American: FATCA forms, the address loop and getting paid in euros