Bank accounts for children and babies

Opening an account for your child

You can open an account for your child either online or in branch, depending on the situation. We offer accounts for children free of charge. 

Opening an account for your child online

Apply conveniently online to open banking services, such as an account, card and online access codes, for your child. 

Start the process of opening an account online by filling in our online application form and verifying your identity with your Nordea access codes. Once you have submitted the form, the other guardian must approve it with their online banking codes, after which we will begin processing the application. Once our processing is complete, we will send text messages to both guardians.

What you should take into consideration before opening an account for your child online:

• Your child’s name and personal identity number must be recorded in the Population Information System before we can open any services for them. If you’re applying for a card or Nordea access codes for your child, they also need to have a passport or identity card with a photo issued in Finland and a Finnish phone number.
  
• The guardian filling in the application must be a Nordea customer and have Nordea access codes. The other guardian needs Nordea access codes or online banking codes from another Finnish bank. 
  
• Both guardians need a passport or identity card with a photo issued in Finland and a Finnish mobile phone number.

Read more about the application and open an account for your child online

If these conditions are not met, you can open an account for your child at one of our branches.

Opening an account for your child in branch

You can also open an account for your child at one of our branches by appointment. Please contact our Customer Service to book an appointment. 

What the guardians should take into consideration:

• You must bring with you identity documents that we accept.
• If one of the guardians is unable to come to the branch in person, they must send a digital specified power of attorney to us. 
• If you plan to open services that the child will use personally, your child must also be present at the appointment. Your child must also bring an identity document that we accept. 

Opening an account for your grandchild or godchild

A close relative or friend of the family (such as a grandparent or godparent) may also open an account for a child with the guardians’ consent.

However, we recommend that the parents first establish a customer relationship with us for the child before the relative or friend opens the account.

A relative or friend will need a physical power of attorney from the child’s guardians to open an account for the child, and they must deliver this document to a Nordea branch. If the relative or friend wants to open an account, we recommend that you contact our Customer Service, so that we can help you proceed.

Opening an account when you’re 15 or over

If you’re 15 or over, you can apply on your own for basic banking services, including a current account, a Nordea Debit card and Nordea access codes, online or in branch to manage your personal income.

Read more about banking services for teens aged 15–17 

Using an account

The guardians should agree together on who is authorised to use their child’s account. A single parent is entitled to change this authorisation independently.

The child and the guardians can be assigned the right to only view the child’s account or to make payments from it.

• A viewing authorisation means you can only check the account balance and transactions.
• A payment authorisation means you can view the account balance and transactions and make payments from the account.
  

The guardians can set the same or different authorisations for the child’s account, including giving authorisations to one of the guardians only. However, both guardians’ consent is needed for setting and changing the authorisations,

which can be done through our Customer Service. 

Funds and equity investments for your child

Your child sees any fund and equity investments made for them in Nordea Mobile and Netbank. However, a minor can’t independently submit any buy or sell orders.

You can change the settings in Nordea Mobile and Netbank so that the fund and equity investments aren’t shown on the overview tab, but instead on one of the other tabs.

On the cusp of adulthood

The guardians will lose the right to access their child’s account once the child turns 18. At the same time, the child will be automatically given full access to their accounts where they only had a viewing authorisation. 

On the cusp of adulthood

When you turn 18, you will take over responsibility for your banking. Your guardians will no longer have access to your accounts and you yourself will be responsible for your banking services. This is also the time when you often take charge of your financial planning for the first time and start earning money if you haven’t already.

Our expert advisers share practical tips for managing your money and answer any financial questions you may have on social media. Our Nordea_Aspa account is available to answer questions on Jodel from Monday to Friday. You can also find us on Instagram at @nordea_fi and on Snapchat at @nordeasuomi.

Read more about banking for when you turn 18

Preparing for your studies?

Do you know about our student customer benefits? 

Digital power of attorney

The guardians must decide together on their child’s banking.

However, one guardian may authorise the other guardian to manage their child’s banking alone using a power of attorney.

A power of attorney can be used to authorise the other guardian to do the following on behalf of the child:

• open an account
• set and change user authorisations for the child’s new and existing accounts
• close accounts.

The authorisation will enter into force once the authorising guardian has delivered the power of attorney to us either through our digital mailbox service Nordea Omaposti or as a customer message in Nordea Netbank. You don’t need to sign the power of attorney.

You will need to fill in the digital power of attorney online and you can’t deliver it on paper to one of our branches.

Read more about powers of attorney