As an expat first arriving in the Netherlands, registering for a new account or service can sometimes be a difficult and lengthy process. Luckily, bunq makes sure that opening a bank account is as easy and seamless as possible!
bunq, bank of The Free, is a fully mobile bank tailored to expats. Check out how they help make life easy for expats below:
It can take some time to get a BSN, a.k.a Dutch Tax Information Number, when you first arrive in the Netherlands. Most banks require one before you can open an account with them, which is inconvenient if you want a bank account right away. With bunq, you can immediately sign up for a bank without providing a BSN.
Just using your phone and ID, you can sign up for an account and supply your BSN up to 90 days later. Pro tip: if you already know your Dutch address in advance of your move, you can even sign up and have access to your bank account before you arrive.
In the Netherlands, it is quite common for shops to only accept Maestro cards (a specific type of debit card widely popular in the Netherlands and Germany). With bunq, you get a selection of worldwide cards to make sure you can always pay everywhere you go. This includes Maestro and Mastercards, and cards unique to bunq - such as the Metal Card.
Traditional Dutch banks charge up to 3% when using a card to pay in other currencies. bunq doesn’t charge any foreign exchange fees, so you can always get the best rate whenever you go abroad. This means more money saved to spend during your trip!
Sending money in other currencies can rack up extra costs pretty quickly. Luckily, bunq integrates directly with TransferWise, an affordable money transferring system so that you can send money to 39 supported countries directly from their app. With no hidden fees, you’ll always get the real exchange rate.
bunq allows you to withdraw cash from any ATM in the world - for free!
A lot of banks charge hidden and extra fees for ATM withdrawals in other currencies. bunq allows you to withdraw cash from any ATM in the world - for free! You can do this up to 10 times per month.
Dutch can be a difficult language to learn, especially right off the boat (or airplane).
bunq is available in 6 languages, and their team consists of people from more than 40 different countries. All emails, notifications and support chat messages will be available in your native language, and all default communications are always in English!
bunq offers a variety of memberships and cards so you can choose what works best for you.
Sign up for bunq and open a bank account in 5 minutes!