Dutch bank account

How to open a bank account

You should have no problem obtaining cash from your overseas account using an ATM or geldautomaat. All are available in the English language and accept a wide range of debit and credit cards. The amount you can withdraw and any extra service charges will depend on what kind of account you have. There should be no charge if you are using a card from one of the Eurozone countries (UK is not one of them).

Cash is still widely used, but the most common method of payment is using a debit card.

Opening a Dutch bank account

If you will be staying in the Netherlands for a number of months or years then we would recommend opening a Dutch bank account.

A Dutch bank account and debit card will make day-to-day life more convenient and it may also be necessary in the following instances:

If you transferred the proof of sufficient funds to our account and we need to refund it back to your Dutch bank account
If you want to get a mobile subscription
If you want to make use of transport subscriptions and travel products

The three well known banks where you can open a Dutch bank account are ING Bank, Rabobank and ABN Amro. You can also open a Dutch bank account at the online bank Bunq, which is more flexible but higher fees might apply. Online banks such as Revolut and N26 are also very popular with international students.

In the table below you can find the main differences between Bunq, ING Bank, Rabobank and ABN Amro.

	Bunq (online bank)	ING	Rabobank	ABN Amro	SNS Bank
Bank website	Click here.	Click here.	Click here. (only in Dutch).	Click here.	Click here.
Clients	Full degree and exchange students.	Full degree and exchange students.	Full degree students only.	Full degree students only.	Full degree students, and exchange students (must be staying here for more than 6 months).
How to open a bank account	Through the Bunq website or app. Please note that you have to open a Maestro Debit account.	Only by appointment. Schedule an appointment online here.	Schedule an appointment at the bank.	Through the ABN Amro website or app. Instructions can be found here	Only in an SNS branch. With/without an appointment. Only Dutch nationals can open an account online.
*BSN required to open an account**	No, but you have to submit it within 3 months after opening the account.	No, but you have to submit it within 30 days after opening the account and need TIN (tax number home country).	No, but you have to submit it within 6 weeks of opening the account.	Yes	Yes (not possible to submit this later on).
Documents required	- Passport/ID - Proof of enrolment - Dutch address - TIN (tax number home country) - for some nationalities they require you to show you have a Dutch residence permit	- Passport/ID - Proof of enrolment/Letter of acceptance (not conditional) - TIN (tax number home country) - Dutch address All documents must be hard copies (not digital)	- Passport - Residence permit -Proof of enrolment/Letter of acceptance (not conditional) - A valid phone number - TIN (tax number home country) if available - Dutch address	- Passport/ID - Proof of enrolment - TIN (tax number home country)	- Passport/ID - Proof of enrolment - TIN (tax number home country) if paying taxes abroad. -Residence permit for non-EU students. (hardcopy, scanned copy does not suffice) -Dutch address -BRP certificate (can be requested at the municipality)
Age < 18	Restrictions apply. Please contact CoIA Student Support for information about opening a Dutch bank account if you are below 18 years old.	Restrictions apply. Please contact CoIA Student Support for information about opening a Dutch bank account if you are below 18 years old.	Restrictions apply. Please contact CoIA Student Support for information about opening a Dutch bank account if you are below 18 years old.	Restrictions apply. Please contact CoIA Student Support for information about opening a Dutch bank account if you are below 18 years old.	Restrictions apply. Customers under the age of 18 can have their parents open an account on their behalf. These parents require a BSN for this.
Please note that the content in the table is subject to change. Please check the linked websites for updated information.

*BSN is a Citizen Service number which you receive after registering with a Dutch municipality.

Additional information about opening Dutch bank accounts:

Proof of enrolments can be requested at our Student Service Center (SSC). Please fill out the form on this page https://www.rotterdamuas.com/about/contact/enrolment-and-finance/ and select ‘Proof of enrolment’. Please take into account it can take around 5 working days to receive this document.
Make sure that when you are asked for your Dutch address when opening a Dutch bank account that you complete it correctly and in full, otherwise you will not receive your bank card by post.
If you do not submit the BSN within the given time frame, then the account will be frozen and you will not have access to the funds in the account.

Dutch bank account

How to open an account