Which neobank actually worked for you as a newcomer?

A multi-currency app account carried me through every newcomer gap I've had. The one thing I'll say: keep a second provider as backup, because verification hiccups or a frozen account at the wrong moment can leave you stranded if you've put all your eggs in one app.

The neobanks were brilliant for the first months but I still needed a traditional local account eventually — some employers, landlords and utilities won't deal with a non-local IBAN. Treat the app as a bridge, not the destination.

Read the small print on exchange rates and weekend/limit fees. The 'free' account nickel-and-dimed me on conversions until I understood when the good rate applied and when the markup kicked in.

OP here — the 'app is a bridge, keep a backup, watch the FX small print' theme is exactly what I was hoping to confirm. The frozen-account horror stories are what scared me into asking. Two providers it is.

Verification is the make-or-break. Have a clear photo ID, proof of address and sometimes proof of income ready before you start, or you'll get stuck in limbo like I did for a week with no working card.

For nomads especially, check which app account is actually available and legal for your residency situation — some restrict features based on where you're officially resident. What works for one person's status blocks another's.

Whatever you pick, don't keep large balances in an app account long-term with no branch to walk into if things go wrong. Great for spending and FX; I move savings to something more established.

Mine let me open an account before I even arrived, which meant I landed with a working card from minute one. If you can set it up from your home country in advance, do — it removes a huge first-week stress.