Money

Best Dutch banks for expats

What you actually need from a Dutch bank as an expat: an iDEAL-compatible Dutch IBAN, decent English service, and an app that does not fight you. Here is how the main options stack up.

By NL Tax Guide editorial·Last reviewed

Person reviewing bank account on a smartphone

What "the right bank" means in the Netherlands

For most expats the choice is less about interest rates (Dutch current accounts pay close to nothing on balance) and more about three things: can I get an account quickly, does it issue a Dutch IBAN, and does the app speak English. Lower-priority but still relevant: ATM density, mortgage availability, business accounts if you have a side gig, and how painful customer service is when something breaks.

Three groups of banks serve expats. The Big Three high-street banks (ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank) are the default choice for salary, mortgage, and tax. Dutch online challengers (bunq) are faster to set up and have better apps. Pan-European e-money institutions (Revolut, N26, Wise) are best as secondary accounts for travel and FX.

Dutch IBAN matters more than you'd expect

Some employers, landlords, and the Belastingdienst still occasionally bounce non-Dutch IBANs even though SEPA technically requires acceptance. For your primary salary and tax payments, an NL IBAN saves you arguments. The Big Three, bunq, and Revolut (new Dutch customers) all issue NL IBANs; Wise (BE…) and N26 (DE…) are best kept as secondary accounts.

The options compared

ING

The default option for most expats. Largest ATM network, fully English app, branches everywhere. Oranjepakket is €4.00/month from January 2026 (raised from €3.90); discounted variants and pricier Extra/Compleet packages are also available.

Pros

  • Most expat-friendly app and English service
  • Largest ATM network in the country
  • Strong iDEAL integration; works everywhere
  • Mortgages, savings, brokerage all under one app

Cons

  • Monthly fee on private accounts
  • Slow appointment-based onboarding (3–10 days)
  • Limited multi-currency support

Best for: Mainstream expats who want a one-app setup that just works.

ABN AMRO

The other big high-street bank. Strong English support in branches, particularly good for mortgage advisory and business accounts. BasisPakket Betalen is €4.30/month from January 2026 (up sharply from €3.70). Extra debit cards are charged separately.

Pros

  • Strong English in branches and call centre
  • Good mortgage advisory desks
  • Premium private banking tier for high earners

Cons

  • Higher monthly fees than ING
  • App less polished than ING
  • Pricing for international transfers

Best for: Expats planning to take a Dutch mortgage who want the same bank to handle everything.

Rabobank

Cooperative model with strong regional presence outside the Randstad. Particularly common with self-employed (ZZP) workers, farmers, and rural expats. Basic package around €3.50/month, Comfort €6.95/month — pricing was being restructured for mid-2026, so check the current tariff. English support is patchy in smaller branches.

Pros

  • Local cooperative model — different from PLC banks
  • Strong business banking and ZZP support
  • Good for sustainability-focused customers

Cons

  • English support patchy outside major cities
  • App less English-friendly than ING/ABN

Best for: Self-employed expats and people living outside the major cities.

bunq

Dutch online-only bank. IBAN issued in minutes from the app, no branch visits, strong sub-account and savings features. The old free banking tier is gone — current paid plans are Core €3.99/month and Elite €18.99/month (personal). The 'Free' plan is now a rewards-only entry point, not a full banking tier.

Pros

  • Fully online onboarding, IBAN in minutes
  • Strong app with sub-accounts, group accounts, joint cards
  • Multi-currency wallets
  • Solid English support

Cons

  • All real banking is on paid tiers
  • No physical branches if you need in-person help
  • Less mortgage / loan product breadth

Best for: Mobile-first expats who want a Dutch IBAN without bureaucracy.

Revolut

Now operates a Dutch branch (Revolut Bank UAB Netherlands). New Dutch customers get a Dutch (NL…) IBAN automatically; existing Lithuanian (LT…) IBAN customers are being migrated, with the old IBAN active for 12 months after the switch. Multi-currency and travel features remain best-in-class.

Pros

  • Fast onboarding (minutes)
  • Dutch IBAN now issued for new customers
  • Excellent multi-currency and FX
  • Best-in-class travel features

Cons

  • Existing customers may still have an LT IBAN until migrated
  • iDEAL outbound checkout not natively supported
  • Different deposit protection setup vs Dutch banks

Best for: Travel-heavy expats; with the NL IBAN now usable as a primary account too.

N26

German online bank. IBAN is German (DE…), broadly accepted by Dutch employers and landlords. Now supports iDEAL via the iDEAL | Wero integration, which closes a long-standing gap with Dutch banks. Still occasionally rejected by older Dutch systems for direct debits.

Pros

  • Quick app-only onboarding
  • German IBAN — broadly accepted
  • iDEAL now supported via Wero
  • Good user experience

Cons

  • Some legacy Dutch direct-debit setups still require an NL IBAN
  • Customer service has been a sore spot historically

Best for: Cross-border expats already in the German banking ecosystem.

Wise

Not a full bank — an e-money institution. Best-in-class for international transfers and multi-currency holdings. EUR accounts get a Belgian (BE…) IBAN issued by Wise Europe SA, accepted across SEPA but not always treated as a Dutch account by Dutch landlords or the Belastingdienst. Pair with a Dutch bank for primary use.

Pros

  • Cheapest international transfers
  • Real EUR + GBP + USD + 40+ other balances
  • Multi-currency debit card

Cons

  • Belgian IBAN, not Dutch — occasional friction
  • No iDEAL; not a full bank

Best for: Sending money home and converting between currencies cheaply.

How to choose: a quick decision tree

  1. No BSN yet? Open bunq or Revolut now, switch later.
  2. BSN in hand and want one bank for everything? ING is the lowest-friction default. ABN AMRO if you want a human in a branch.
  3. Self-employed or rural? Rabobank.
  4. Best app and sub-accounts matter to you? bunq, possibly alongside an ING account for the IBAN compatibility.
  5. Travel or send money abroad often? Add Wise (transfers) or Revolut (FX wallet).

Documents to bring (or upload)

  • BSN — required for resident accounts at the Big Three.
  • Passport or EU ID — must be valid; expired documents are rejected.
  • Proof of address — gemeente registration, rental contract, or utility bill.
  • Employer letter or contract — sometimes asked for at branch openings, especially without a long Dutch credit history.

Switching banks later (overstapservice)

Most Dutch banks participate in the Overstapservice: a 13-month forwarding service that redirects payments and direct debits from your old account to your new one. You ask the new bank to initiate it; the old account stays open as a redirect endpoint. After 13 months you close the old account manually. It's the cleanest way to switch without missing a payslip or a tax payment.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I open a Dutch bank account before getting a BSN?
With bunq, Revolut, N26, and Wise — yes, all on app-based onboarding. With ING, ABN AMRO, and Rabobank — typically no, BSN is required for resident accounts. ING does offer a 'foreign workers' product in some cases via their international branch, but the standard route requires a BSN first.
Why does the IBAN format matter?
Dutch landlords, employers, and the Belastingdienst all process IBANs by country prefix. Dutch IBANs (NL…) sail through every system. EU IBANs from other countries (DE…, LT…, BE…) are legally equivalent under SEPA but can trip up older Dutch systems and occasionally get rejected by HR or rental agents. Revolut now issues NL IBANs to new Dutch customers, but Wise and N26 are still on BE and DE IBANs respectively.
Are Dutch bank deposits insured?
Yes — Dutch banks under DNB (De Nederlandsche Bank) supervision are covered by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000 per person per bank. bunq, ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank, and Triodos are all covered. Revolut, N26, and Wise have their own (different country) protection schemes — typically also €100k per person but under their home regulator.
What's iDEAL and why does it matter?
iDEAL is the dominant Dutch online payment method — used for the majority of e-commerce, government payments, parking apps, and peer-to-peer apps like Tikkie. It's currently rebranding as iDEAL | Wero. Dutch banks all have native iDEAL support; N26 added it via the Wero integration. Revolut and Wise still don't have native outbound iDEAL checkout.
How long does it take to open an account?
Online-first banks (bunq, Revolut, N26, Wise): 5–30 minutes from start to active IBAN. Traditional Dutch banks (ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank): 3–10 working days, including a short video or in-person verification. Bring your BSN, passport, and proof of address.
What fees should I expect?
After January 2026 fee revisions, ING Oranjepakket is €4.00/month, ABN AMRO BasisPakket €4.30/month, Rabobank basic around €3.50/month. Online banks: bunq Core €3.99/month, Elite €18.99/month — the older free banking tier is gone. Revolut and N26 still have free entry-level plans with usage caps. ATM withdrawals are usually free at your own bank's ATMs and capped/charged at others. International transfers via SWIFT cost €5–€15 at traditional banks; Wise undercuts this by 5–10x.
Should I have more than one Dutch account?
Common setup: one primary Dutch bank for salary, rent, iDEAL, and tax (ING or ABN AMRO), plus an online bank for travel, multi-currency, or savings sub-accounts (bunq, Revolut, or Wise). The primary handles 'official Netherlands', the secondary handles flexibility.
Can I get a credit card?
Dutch banks typically offer Visa or Mastercard with low monthly limits (€1k–€5k). They're treated more as a payment method than a credit instrument — most balances are auto-debited monthly. Building US-style credit history doesn't really exist in NL; the BKR registry tracks debts and missed payments instead.
What about savings accounts?
Most current accounts come with a basic savings (spaarrekening) attached. Rates have varied wildly — they typically lag ECB rates. For competitive rates, look at LeasePlan Bank, NIBC Direct, Trade Republic, or Raisin (which aggregates EU savings products). Box 3 wealth tax applies above the tax-free allowance regardless of where you hold the cash.

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Last reviewed: this page reflects publicly available pricing and product details. Fees and features change — always confirm with the bank before signing up. We do not accept payment for placement; affiliate links, where present, are disclosed.