How to withdraw money from ATMs in Italy

ATMs are easy to find in Italy, but the first machine you see in an airport, station, or historic centre isn’t necessarily the best value. You can often pay by card in Italy, but cash is still useful for small purchases, markets, and the times a foreign card doesn’t work. Below, you’ll find where to look, what to press, which fees can apply, and what to do if a machine doesn’t work.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Fees and limits vary between ATMs and card providers.

Key takeaways

• Try a bank-run ATM or a Postamat first. Machines attached to banks or Poste Italiane post offices are a clear place to start.
• Choose euros on the screen. If the ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and let your own card provider handle the conversion.
• Watch for three types of cost. You may pay a fee to the ATM operator, a fee to your card provider, and a less favourable exchange rate if you accept dynamic currency conversion.
• Expect two limits on how much you can withdraw. The machine’s limit per withdrawal and your card’s daily limit aren’t the same thing.
• Have a backup plan. Carry a second card, and know how to freeze your card in your app if a machine keeps it.

Wise as a backup card for ATM withdrawals in Italy

• Carry a backup card: Use a second card if a machine keeps or declines yours
• Still pick euros: Decline conversion on screen, whichever card you use
• Check ATM fees first: Wise's allowances vary by where your card was issued

Learn more about the Wise card

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Step 1: Find a bank-run ATM or Postamat

The machine you pick affects fees and safety. In Italy, the words bancomat and Postamat are useful terms because they help you spot safer ATM types faster.

Where to look for a safer ATM

Start with a machine that’s clearly attached to a bank or post office. Post offices have Poste Italiane’s Postamat machines, and bank machines usually show the bank’s name and logo.

• Look for an ATM built into the wall, lobby, or entrance of a bank branch.
• In airports and train stations, check whether there’s a bank branch nearby before using the first standalone machine you see.
• In city centres, look for a machine next to a bank sign rather than one next to a souvenir shop or exchange counter.
• In smaller towns, try the main square, the post office, or the local bank branch before searching side streets.
• Look for a Postamat sign at post offices, which can be a useful alternative where there are few bank branches.

Tip: In historic centres, machines inside a bank’s entrance area can feel more secure than standalone machines on the street, so it can be worth walking a little further before you withdraw money.

Which machines to skip when possible

Take extra care with standalone ATMs in tourist areas and transport hubs, and with machines that encourage you to exchange currency before you’ve even confirmed the withdrawal. These machines may still work, but some may show unclear prices, extra prompts to convert currency, or a higher fee.

Not every standalone machine is a bad choice. Judge each one by how clearly it shows the fee and the currency options on screen. If the ATM pushes you to pay in your home currency, doesn’t explain the fee clearly, or shows a fee you think is too high, cancel and find another machine.

Step 2: Check that your card and PIN will work

Wrong settings, a blocked card, or a forgotten PIN can stop you before you even start.

Which cards usually work in Italy?

Visa and Mastercard debit cards are widely accepted at Italian ATMs. Even cards issued in the EEA aren’t automatically free or problem-free in Italy, because fees and security settings depend on your provider.

• Check in your banking app that your card can be used at ATMs abroad before you travel.
• Check that cash withdrawals abroad are switched on for the card you plan to use.
• Check your daily withdrawal limit and any separate limit for withdrawals abroad.
• Make sure your bank’s fraud checks won’t block a withdrawal just because you’re in another country.

PINs, limits, and account settings to confirm first

Some ATMs may only accept a four-digit PIN. If your card has a longer PIN, check your provider’s guidance before you travel.

• Make sure you know your PIN and have used it recently.
• Check your daily withdrawal limit in your app.
• Make sure the card is active and isn’t about to expire.
• Turn on app notifications or text alerts, so you can respond quickly to fraud checks.
• Carry a backup card if you live between countries or travel often.

This matters most in smaller towns and at weekends, when there may be fewer ATMs and bank branches are closed.

Step 3: Withdraw euros the right way

These are the main steps. The wording varies between machines, but the safest choice is usually the simple option that keeps the transaction in euros.

What to press on the screen

1. Insert your card, or tap it if the machine accepts contactless withdrawals.
2. Choose English or another language you’re comfortable with, if the option appears.
3. Select cash withdrawal.
4. Enter the amount you want in euros.
5. Read any notice about the operator’s fee before you approve the transaction.
6. If you’re asked about currency, choose euros, local currency, or the option that declines conversion.
7. Confirm, then take your card, cash, and receipt before you walk away.

Don’t rush just because the first screen looks familiar. The operator’s fee and the currency choice often appear just before the final confirmation. Keep your receipt until the transaction shows up in your app.

Why you should decline dynamic currency conversion

If the ATM offers to charge you in your home currency instead of euros, that’s usually dynamic currency conversion (DCC). It means the ATM operator sets the exchange rate, and that rate may be less favourable than if your own card provider did the conversion.

Choose euros, and let your own card provider handle the conversion. For example, if a screen asks whether you want to be charged in pounds instead of euros, choose euros unless you have a specific reason not to.

Unlike a fee, the cost of DCC is included in the exchange rate, so it’s easy to miss if you tap through the screens too quickly.

Step 4: Review fees, limits, and better cross-border options

A withdrawal can cost more than the one fee you see. The total can include charges from the machine’s operator, your card provider, and any markup included in the exchange rate.

The three costs that can raise your withdrawal price

Choosing euros doesn’t remove ATM fees. A fee from the machine’s operator or your card provider can still apply.

If your account is in euros, EU rules say your bank must charge you the same for withdrawing euros from an ATM in another EU country as it would at home. If your card is in another EU currency, you may still pay a currency conversion fee, but your provider must tell you the amount before you agree. For details, see the European Commission’s page on payments, transfers, and cheques.

Machine limits and card limits vary. An ATM may only allow a smaller amount per withdrawal even if your account limit is higher, and your card provider may still block a larger amount.

When a multi-currency account can help

A multi-currency account can help if you regularly hold or spend more than one currency, or move between Italy and another country.

A Wise account may be useful if you want one card you can use in several countries, and to hold more than one currency in one place. Wise’s ATM fees, free withdrawal allowances, and card prices vary depending on where your card was issued, so check Wise’s current pricing and Help Centre before you rely on it. ATM operators’ fees may still apply. Wise Europe is not a bank. It’s an authorised payment institution.

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Best multicurrency accounts in Italy

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Step 5: Stay safe and know what to do if something goes wrong

A good ATM plan covers more than fees. You also need a fallback if the machine is empty, declines the withdrawal, or keeps your card.

How to reduce the risk of theft and card skimming

• Use ATMs during bank opening hours where possible, especially in an area you don’t know.
• Cover the keypad with your hand, and check for anything loose or unusual around the card slot.
• Don’t accept help from strangers standing close to the machine.
• Put your cash away before you step back onto the street.
• If the area feels crowded or exposed, cancel and try a quieter bank location nearby.

Tip: Don’t leave your first withdrawal until late on a Sunday in a small town or resort. Some ATMs may run low on cash after a busy weekend.

What to do if the ATM keeps your card or has no cash

1. Stay at the machine for a moment and read the screen carefully, because some machines explain what to do next.
2. If the machine keeps your card, note the bank’s name, the exact location, and the time, then contact the bank or the ATM operator.
3. Freeze the card in your banking app if you’re not sure where it is, or if your provider tells you to.
4. Use your backup card or another bank-run ATM, rather than trying the same machine again.

Final thoughts

Withdrawing cash in Italy is simple if you take a few minutes to prepare. Start with a bank-run ATM or a Postamat rather than the first standalone machine you see in an airport, station or tourist area. Before you travel, check that your card works abroad, that you know your PIN, and what your daily limit is. At the machine, always choose euros and decline dynamic currency conversion, so your own card provider handles the exchange rate.

Remember that a withdrawal can carry up to three separate costs: the ATM operator’s fee, your card provider’s fee, and any exchange-rate markup. Read the fee on screen before you confirm, and cancel if it looks too high. Keep a backup card, turn on app alerts, and know how to freeze your card if a machine keeps it. If you regularly move between currencies, a multi-currency option such as Wise can be a useful second card, though ATM operators’ fees may still apply.

Cards are accepted in most places, but a little cash is still useful for markets, small businesses and the occasional failed payment. With a safe machine, the right on-screen choice and a backup plan, you can get euros at a fair cost and without stress.