Best Dutch Credit Cards for Expats 2026

Which Is the Best Credit Card in the Netherlands for Expats?

The best credit card in the Netherlands for most expats is the one they can actually get approved for, and that usually means an ICS card or the card of their own bank. ICS charges EUR 42.95 a year for the Visa World Card and asks for a net income of EUR 1,500 a month; the World Card Platinum costs EUR 175 a year and adds continuous travel insurance (icscards.nl, checked 5 October 2026). ABN AMRO customers can apply for the ABN AMRO Credit Card at EUR 2.55 a month with a net income of at least EUR 1,500, but not on a residence permit for a fixed period (abnamro.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

Dutch credit-card acceptance criteria and application processes vary by issuer. Check current income, account and identification requirements before applying.

💡 Setting up your finances? Read best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026 — covers debit accounts, salary banking, and the fastest setup options.

A Dutch current account comes with a debit card (betaalpas); a credit card is an extra. Issuers test your income and check BKR before issuing one: ICS asks for a net income of EUR 1,500 a month and a Dutch address, ABN AMRO the same income (or box 3 capital) and no residence permit for a fixed period.

How credit cards fit into Dutch banking

In the US, a credit card is often your main payment method and the way you build a credit score. In the Netherlands, your current account comes with a debit card (ABN AMRO, for example, includes a betaalpas in its account), and a credit card is something you apply for separately.

Two consequences for expats:

Issuance is income-tested. ICS and ABN AMRO both test income (EUR 1,500 net a month) and BKR on every application (icscards.nl and abnamro.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

Limits are modest. ICS lets you choose a monthly spending limit between €1,000 and €5,000 on its Visa cards and lowers it if it does not fit your finances (icscards.nl, checked 5 October 2026). ABN AMRO’s standard limit is also €1,000 to €5,000, with a maximum of €10,000 across all your ICS cards.

Treat a Dutch credit card as a tool for travel, hotel and car-rental deposits and online shopping, and use your debit card for everyday spending.

What to use before you can get a credit card

Until you meet the income and address requirements, here is what to do instead.

Keep your home country credit card active, if your bank lets you, and pay it off monthly in full from a Wise account or another account. Check your home bank’s foreign transaction fee before you use it in euros.

That covers the main situations where you need a credit card early on, such as hotel pre-authorisations and online shopping in other currencies.

What it does not do is put a Dutch credit on your BKR record. For that you eventually need Dutch credit, such as a Dutch credit card.

Dutch credit cards for expats in 2026, ranked

Prices and conditions for the ICS, ABN AMRO, bunq and American Express cards below were checked on the issuers’ own sites on 5 October 2026. ING’s credit card page could not be opened on that date.

1. ICS Visa World Card Platinum — best for travel

What ICS lists:

• Annual fee €175 (Extra Card €25 a year)
• Continuous travel insurance (Doorlopende Reisverzekering), also for trips not paid with the card, and a medical and legal referral service
• Purchases insured for 365 days against loss, theft and damage
• Emergency cash of up to €2,000 on the spending limit
• Spending limit up to €5,000 a month

Catch: ICS lists a 2 percent exchange-rate markup for non-euro EU countries and countries outside the EU, and a net income requirement of €1,500 a month.

2. ICS Visa World Card — entry-level card, whatever your bank

What ICS lists:

• Annual fee €42.95 (Extra Card €21.95 a year)
• Purchases insured for 180 days, plus a delivery guarantee (Aflevergarantie) on online purchases
• Spending limit from €1,000 to €5,000 a month
• Monthly direct debit from any European IBAN, so you do not need to bank with a specific Dutch bank

Catch: the same 2 percent exchange-rate markup outside the euro, 4 percent on cash withdrawals on a debit balance, and the €1,500 net monthly income requirement.

3. ABN AMRO Credit Card — best if you already bank with ABN

ABN AMRO offers Mastercard credit cards, issued through its partner ICS, to its account holders: you apply by logging in with your ABN AMRO details, and the bill is debited from your ABN AMRO current account.

What ABN AMRO lists:

• ABN AMRO Credit Card €2.55 a month, Gold Card €4.45 a month, Student Credit Card €1.31 a month
• Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Purchases protected for 180 days (Gold Card: 365 days); Gold Card also insures the rental-car excess up to €500
• Card delivered within 5 to 10 working days after approval

Catch: you must be 18 or older and live in the Netherlands, with a net income of at least €1,500 a month or at least €27,500 in box 3 capital over the last two years. ABN AMRO states that applicants with a residence permit for a fixed period cannot apply.

4. ING Credit Card — if you bank with ING

ING offers credit cards to its customers. We could not open ING’s credit card page on 5 October 2026, so check the current fee, exchange-rate markup and income requirement on ing.nl before applying.

5. bunq — good for digital-first expats

bunq is a Dutch neobank with a fully online application — no branch visit needed. bunq issues its cards inside the app, and its plans include credit or debit cards: bunq Free 1 digital card, bunq Core “1 Digital Card and 1 Physical Card”, bunq Pro “25 Digital Debit or Credit Cards and 3 Physical Cards” (bunq, checked 5 October 2026).

What you get:

• Cards issued in the app, with the number of cards depending on the plan
• On bunq Pro, 5 free foreign currency transfers a month in 47 currencies, with the fee and exchange rate shown up front
• Support via in-app chat, which bunq says is available in your language at any hour

Catch: the card options widen as you move up the plans. bunq plans run bunq Free €0.00, Core €3.99, Pro €9.99 and Elite €18.99 per month, plus a bunq Pack at €28.99 a month that includes 4 x bunq Pro Personal or 3 x bunq Pro Personal and 1 x bunq Pro Business (bunq Help: What plans are available, checked 5 October 2026).

6. American Express Gold / Platinum — niche but worth knowing

American Express issues its own cards in the Netherlands. The Gold Card costs €20 a month and the Platinum Card €75 a month, and both require a minimum gross annual income of €30,000. With Membership Rewards you earn 1 point per euro spent, which you can transfer to 9 airline programmes such as Flying Blue; the Platinum Card adds worldwide lounge access and Privium at Schiphol (americanexpress.com/nl-nl, checked 5 October 2026).

Catch: the income requirement and the monthly fee; check whether the shops you use accept American Express, and keep a Visa or Mastercard as backup.

Application process: what actually works

Step 1: Check the income requirement first: €1,500 net a month at both ICS and ABN AMRO (checked 5 October 2026). Issuers assess income and BKR on every application.

Step 2: Have your basics in order: a Dutch address, your identity document, your net monthly income and a phone number (ICS), and for ABN AMRO an ABN AMRO current account. ICS collects the monthly bill from any European IBAN.

Step 3: Apply at your own bank or directly at ICS, whichever card suits you.

Step 4: For ICS, apply directly through icscards.nl. ICS says the application takes about 10 minutes, that you identify yourself via the ICS Creditcard app, and that an approved card arrives within 10 working days.

Step 5: If you are rejected, ask the issuer why before applying elsewhere: the reason (income, address, BKR) decides what you need to change.

For expats who do not yet qualify, the alternative is straightforward: use a Wise card or a bunq card until you meet the income requirement.

Foreign transaction fees and why they matter

This is where Dutch credit cards cost more than some alternatives.

ICS lists:

• A 2 percent exchange-rate markup (koersopslag) for non-euro EU countries and countries outside the EU
• 4 percent on cash withdrawals on a debit balance (icscards.nl, checked 5 October 2026)

A Wise debit card, according to Wise:

• Spends at the mid-market rate, with “no markups or margins”
• Charges low conversion fees
• Has free ATM withdrawals up to €250 a month, then 2.69% of the amount above that (wise.com, checked 5 October 2026)

Travel insurance: read the policy carefully

Some cards include travel cover, and the conditions differ:

• ICS Visa World Card Platinum: continuous travel insurance that ICS says also applies to trips not paid with the card.
• ABN AMRO credit cards: an additional travel insurance (Aanvullende Reisverzekering) that applies if you paid the trip in full with the card; the cards also compensate extra costs for flight delays of more than 8 hours and necessary purchases for baggage delays of 8 hours or longer (abnamro.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

Read the policy conditions of your card for exclusions, excesses and maximum amounts before you rely on it instead of a separate travel policy.

Building Dutch credit history

The Netherlands has no credit score to optimise. BKR registers credit of more than €250 that runs longer than a month, and when you apply for a mortgage, the bank looks at your registrations (bkr.nl, checked 5 October 2026). What matters to lenders:

• No payment arrears registered at BKR
• Your open credit (a credit card limit above €250, an overdraft and a phone contract with a device above €250 all count)
• Stable income in the Netherlands

For expats planning to apply for a Dutch mortgage, the bank looks at your BKR registrations, so keep the number of cards and limits to what you use.

A sensible rule: one Dutch credit card, paid in full each month, no overdraft, no consumer financing.

For more on the mortgage process see expat mortgage broker Netherlands 2026.

Recommendation

For most expats arriving in the Netherlands in 2026:

Until you meet the income requirement: a Wise or bunq card. Use your home country credit card sparingly and pay it off monthly.

Once you meet the income requirement: Apply for the ICS Visa World Card (€42.95 a year) or your bank’s standard credit card. Use it for hotel deposits, online shopping and travel.

Later: If you travel a lot, the ICS Visa World Card Platinum (€175 a year) adds continuous travel insurance. Otherwise stick with the basic card and continue using Wise for spending in other currencies.

The mistake to avoid is applying for several cards at once before you meet the income requirement.

ICS, ABN AMRO, bunq, Wise, American Express and BKR information checked on their own sites on 5 October 2026.

External source: BKR — Which credits are registered — the Dutch credit register.