Some banks charge "maintenance" fees monthly, usually some cents, afaik. But there are also banks that don't charge anything at all. Fact of the matter is that

Some banks charge "maintenance" fees monthly, usually some cents, afaik. But there are also banks that don't charge anything at all. Fact of the matter is that banks don't make their money on your account maintenance fees or sign-up fees, they make their money by investing YOUR money, so effectively the balance you see on your account might not actually be there, and is allocated for you only when you withdraw. That's how banks work, afaik. That being said, money transfer as such from one EU bank to another doesn't cost anything at all. Also, opening bank accounts these days is done entirely online and usually you get approved within an hour or so. Apart from having to scan my ID with my phone's camera, I don't remember any bureaucracy.