Bank account in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the most prosperous countries in the world: a reliable banking system, a stable economy, and a stable legislative framework. In order to live in the Netherlands, run a business or start working, you need to open a bank account. As a rule, accounts in local banks are opened after receiving income.

Opening an account, even in your home country, is accompanied by many nuances, compliance with which affects the success of the procedure, and the terms of cooperation with the bank. This also applies to opening an account in the Netherlands. In order to carry out the procedure quickly and effectively, it is worth following some rules that depend on your status in the country.

1. Opening an account by a resident of the country.

You can open an account as a resident of the country. To do this, you need to prepare the main documents – BSN (BurgerServiceNummer) and a housing lease agreement (or a work contract). If you have these documents, you just need to contact the selected bank and go through a quick account opening procedure. Some banks provide these services online.

Basically, there are no problems with opening an account by residents of the country. The bank will welcome you, especially if your financial history is in order, you are an honest citizen and fulfill all the obligations imposed on you by law.

2. How to open an account without being a resident of the country.

It is more difficult for non-residents to open an account. The bank may refuse even due to the lack of weighty justifications for opening a personal account. First of all, you should think about the evidence that you need to conduct banking operations in the country.

It is also worth carefully choosing the bank with which you plan to cooperate. It is important that the bank is reliable and has a long history. Contact the selected banks with a request to open an account, and find out from each of them about the individual features of the process. Don’t forget to clarify that you don’t have a BSN. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that you may be opened an account, but later you will still have to provide BSN, otherwise the account will simply be closed.

To open the necessary account, you should use a special service — opening an RNI (registration account for non-residents of the country). It is linked to your actual address of residence in your home country. This is the first step towards obtaining a BSN. This method is suitable for those who are present in the Netherlands for less than 4 months a year. You can find out about other methods from the partners of the site.

The account that a foreign citizen has opened in the Bank of the Netherlands has a Dutch international account number (IBAN). The owner of a bank card linked to the account can make online purchases, transfers, pay for services, pay for goods in stores not only in Holland, but also in other European countries (whose currency is the euro). In case of payment of purchases in dollars or other currency, the bank automatically converts the money at the current exchange rate. The validity period of the Dutch account corresponds to the period of the permit issued to a foreigner to stay in the country.

Procedure for Opening a Bank Account

The procedure for opening an account in the bank of the Netherlands is essentially no different from the procedure for issuing an account in your home country. It involves three simple steps:

1. Contacting the selected bank. It is necessary to choose the bank very carefully. This affects not only the safety of your savings, but also the terms of cooperation, the availability of personalized support in solving various issues and other nuances. Given the high volume of money turnover, it is necessary to get a reliable financial partner.
2. Provision of a full package of documents. Each bank has its own list of documents required to open an account. Of course, there is a certain “backbone”, and we will discuss its content further.
3. Making an invoice on the agreed terms of service. Before you sign a contract with the bank, carefully study the conditions that are offered to you. Compare them with the terms of other banks and choose the best offer.
4. When contacting banks in the Netherlands, you can sign the necessary documents in English or Dutch. You will also need to fill out a form by answering a number of questions:

• Do you have commercial partners in the Netherlands with whom you have previously done business and will they be able to provide guarantees?
• How much do you plan to invest in your company at the first stage of its formation?
• What is the approximate monthly/annual turnover the company plans to make from import and export operations.
• Do you have a business today, and if “yes”, in what directions does it work and develop?
• How many jobs are you planning to create in the Netherlands?

The form is provided in Dutch or English. You should prepare in advance to fill it out, or invite an interpreter with you if your knowledge of the language is not enough.

After opening an account, it is necessary to deposit the amount of authorized capital determined by the bank. At first glance, the procedure is quite simple, but all the difficulties are hidden in collecting the necessary set of documents.

Required Documents for Opening a Bank Account in the Netherlands

The most difficult stage is the collection of documents. The main difficulty, of course, is obtaining a BSN by non-residents of the country. Otherwise, the process is available to everyone and takes several days.

To open an account in a Dutch bank, you must provide a set of up-to-date documents of the established format. It includes:

• Passport, with a certified translation of all pages into English. It is important that the document is valid.
• Personal BSN number. We have already mentioned above about Burger Service and the subtleties of its design. You can learn more from the specialists of the site. It is almost impossible to open and maintain a personal bank account without it.
• Documents of actual rental housing.
• Passport and copies of all pages.
• Certified translation of the statement of residence in your country, if you open an account as a non-resident of the country.
• A letter from the bank of your home country confirming the existence of a personal account and an active turnover of several tens of thousands of euros.
• A translated and notarized autobiography.
• The original affidavit.

The bank may also request additional documents depending on the personal policy. It is better to check the entire list with the representative of the bank you are applying to. You can request a number of documents online, for example, certificates from a bank, if you are already in the Netherlands. It is important that all of them have relevant content and meet the established format.

Why do Dutch banks attract entrepreneurs all over the world?

If an entrepreneur decides to entrust his capital to a foreign bank, by default this means his need for reliability and profitability of offers. The Dutch banking system is ready to provide both. In addition, the country itself is in a stable economic and political situation, which contributes to the development of each sector of the country economically.

The first line

The banks themselves are of considerable importance. The activities of financial institutions are competitive and have the potential for unlimited development. This gives rise to the desire of each bank to make the most favorable offer for depositors, to ensure the safety of financial resources and the development of additional services. Before opening a bank account in the Netherlands, it is necessary to study the offers. Today, the top five banks include the Bank of the Netherlands Rabo bank, Bunq and other private and public banks in the Netherlands.

Banks in the Netherlands provide services for a full range of financial offers, from providing loans to lending on a large scale.

The subtleties of opening an account

Naturally, opening an account abroad is not easy and requires knowledge of individual subtleties. Often, that is why entrepreneurs turn to specialists who carry out the correct execution of all documents and achieve the successful opening of an account of the required type. Is it possible to get a waiver from the bank? – Yes. At the same time, Amsterdam banks are not required to explain what the reason for the refusal is. At the same time, each bank may have its own reasons corresponding to its regulations.

The legal framework of the EU countries, including the Netherlands, is constantly being improved, making banking systems safer and more secure. Recently, there has been one significant change in the banking sector of the Netherlands – the introduction of the compliance system. In turn, this system led to the complication of the process of opening a bank account by a foreign citizen.

Who should not open a bank account in the Netherlands?

Sometimes not opening an account in the bank of the Netherlands is more beneficial for people who need banking services in the European Union.

There are a lot of interesting offers from EU countries for non-residents to carry out banking operations. And the Netherlands is far from the most profitable and interesting option. In most countries, deposits can be opened with a minimum investment of hundreds of dollars. At the same time, the documentation is simplified as much as possible, which cannot be said about local banking institutions.

Opening an account in a Dutch bank to use it from time to time, for example, flying here on vacation, is also not the best choice. If you visit the country no more than 1-2 times a year, it is more expedient to use the services of banks in other countries. Again, it is justified by the simplicity of the procedure for opening and servicing an account.

For legal entities, it is important to open a bank account in the Netherlands if there is a need to physically locate a business in this country. But even if the lion’s share of customers, goods and services are concentrated in the Netherlands, the chances of opening accounts with local banks do not increase or simplify.

Specialists of our company will help to analyze the possibilities and the need to open accounts in Dutch banks. To do this, it is enough to contact us by phone or leave a request on the website

What is the essence of “compliance”

This system is designed to ensure the security of finances. It consists in conducting an additional check of the person opening his bank account. It consists of:

• State of emergency check to open a bank account.
• Conducting an analysis of the client’s credit history before opening a corporate account in the Netherlands.
• Verification of the presence of sanctions imposed on an individual.
• Legality and business features.
• Reasons for refusal

To open a bank account in the Netherlands and be able to use EU banking services on an equal basis with Dutch citizens, it is necessary to meet a number of requirements. The reasons for refusing to open a bank account may be different. The most popular:

The most common reason for refusing and opening the question of how a Ukrainian can open an account in a foreign bank is the lack of a residence permit. This reason also stands in the way of opening an account for citizens of other CIS countries. In order to fully open an account in a Dutch bank for individuals, it is necessary to have a residence permit for up to 3 years or more.

If your company is created by several shareholders or founders, you need to make sure that there are no legal entities in offshore jurisdictions among them. Is there? It doesn’t matter, but you will need qualified help so that the bank still opens an account.

Violation of compliance principles. Another significant reason for the refusal to open an account. It implies violation of the rules of business ethics, contrary actions of the company or its employees, violation of the law of the country. Compline control detects financial crimes and prevents their commission.

Drawing Conclusions

Anyone can open an account in a European Bank today. The main thing is to approach the issue responsibly and professionally. If the process causes you to misunderstand, the accumulated questions lead to a dead end or there is simply no time for an independent study of the whole situation, it is worth contacting professionals. The site’s partners will provide comprehensive assistance in opening an account for residents and non-residents of the country.

Frequently Asked Questions about Opening an Account in a Dutch Bank

How to open a Dutch bank account for a non-resident of the country?

To open an account for foreigners, it is necessary to provide weighty arguments confirming the need to conduct financial transactions within the country. This can be an official employment, with the payment of wages to the card or studying at the university. You can also open an account for refugees who applied to the municipality immediately after arriving in the country.

What do I need to provide to open an account?

To open an account in the bank of the Netherlands, it is mandatory to provide a BSN number, which is issued by the Dutch social service. If the bank has agreed to cooperate with the client without providing this document, it may be required later. Also, to open an account, you will need a passport, a certificate of registration or registration, a valid residence permit, and other documents at the request of the bank.

How long does it take to open a bank account?

Due to the large number of applications for opening accounts, the Dutch bank reviews the application and registers the client for an average of five days. However, if the workload is minimal, data processing is carried out from 1 to 5 hours, after which the client will receive a response to the request by sending a message.

Is it possible to open an account online?

Yes, some Dutch banks provide residents and non-residents of the country with an application to open an account online. If we are talking about foreigners, this opportunity is most often given to refugees. Online registration services are provided by the following financial organizations: ABNAMRO, Bunq, Rabobank, Bitsafe. These are large banks with a reliable protection system, which have a high rating among European financial institutions, as well as branches in many countries of the world.

If you wish to open a business bank account in the Netherlands, our team here at Regulated United Europe  will be delighted to assist you. We have eight years of experience in helping clients to open bank accounts in Europe. We tap into our vast network of trusted partners in the European financial services industry to offer the most suitable and cost-effective solutions that improve the functioning of the businesses we serve.