Best Banks for Students in the Netherlands 2026

Looking for a complete banking comparison? Read Best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026.

Quick comparison: student and youth bank accounts in the Netherlands

Fees checked October 2026: ABN AMRO and bunq on their own sites (bunq Help: What plans are available), N26 on n26.com/en-eu/pricing, ING via ing.nl. Student rates require proof that you are studying.

1. ING Studentenrekening

ING’s Studentenrekening is a free student account for students at an mbo, hbo or university; check ING’s conditions and age limit (ING). It is available for international students. You open it in the ING app with an ID document.

What to know

• You keep the account free by having your DUO study finance paid into it, or by declaring once a year that you are studying (ING).
• ING sets conditions on how long the account stays a student account; check them on ing.nl.
• You can start without a BSN; with a non-EEA passport you have 90 days to provide it (ING).
• ING offers a student overdraft linked to the Student Account; check the costs and interest rate on ING’s overdraft page (ING).

For most students, ING is the default choice. If you want the path of least resistance, start here.

2. ABN AMRO Student Package

ABN AMRO’s Student Package is free of charge: the monthly fee is EUR 0, including the student account, one debit card and online banking (ABN AMRO). Since 1 January 2026 you are eligible if you are actively studying and between 18 and 25. If you are 25 or older you have the Basic Payment Package, which costs €4.30 per month (ABN AMRO, new fees and terms 2026).

What to know

• You can open the account on your phone via the ABN AMRO app, with a Dutch ID or an international passport.
• You can open an account without a BSN if you are registered at a Dutch address, and must provide the BSN within 120 days.
• A Student Credit Card costs EUR 1.31 per month (ABN AMRO).

For students over 25, the free Student Package no longer applies, so compare ABN AMRO’s €4.30 with what ING and others charge.

3. bunq

bunq Free costs EUR 0.00 per month and gives you up to 3 bank accounts, each with its own IBAN, and one digital card, but no physical card. bunq Core at €3.99 adds a physical card and up to 5 bank accounts; bunq Pro at €9.99 takes you up to 25 bank accounts (bunq Help, checked October 2026). If you want to split your money over many accounts, for example rent, groceries and savings, that is where Pro comes in, and it costs more than the free student accounts at ING and ABN AMRO.

Over a three-year degree, Core at EUR 3.99 per month is EUR 143.64 and Pro at EUR 9.99 per month is EUR 359.64. If you are on a tight budget, stay on bunq Free or use a free student account.

Signing up from outside the EEA is possible: you choose the country you are moving to and your moving date, and finish the sign-up once you have moved (bunq Help). bunq does not need a BSN at signup; you have 90 days to add your tax ID.

Try bunq

For a detailed comparison, see our bunq vs N26 review.

4. N26

N26 Standard is free, and the plans above it start at EUR 4.90 per month (Smart), EUR 9.90 (Go) and EUR 16.90 (Metal) (n26.com). N26 Bank SE is a German bank, so check which IBAN you get and which Dutch services accept it:

1. Salary and direct debits: a Dutch employer or company may not refuse a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country (SEPA Regulation, De Nederlandsche Bank).
2. iDEAL and other Dutch payments: check with N26 whether they work for your account.
3. DUO: check the account requirements in Mijn DUO before you give DUO a non-Dutch IBAN.

If you already have a Dutch IBAN, N26 can work as a secondary account. For a comparison of digital banking options, see bunq vs N26 for expats.

5. Wise

Wise is not a Dutch bank account, but you can open it before you travel. Wise sign-up and verification run online. Once you are verified, you can get EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address), which you can use for a first salary payment while your Dutch account is not yet open.

What to know

• Wise shows the fee before you send a transfer, so compare it with your bank’s fee for the same transfer.
• A Dutch employer or landlord may ask for an NL IBAN, but under the SEPA Regulation they may not refuse a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country; De Nederlandsche Bank calls this IBAN discrimination.
• DUO: check the account requirements in Mijn DUO before you give DUO a non-Dutch IBAN.

For more on Wise’s features, see the full Wise and international transfers guide and the best bank accounts for expats overview.

Check Wise →

DUO student finance and your bank account

DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs) is the Dutch government body that administers student finance. We could not establish whether DUO publishes a list of accepted banks, so check with DUO. Register the account you want the money in when you apply in Mijn DUO, and follow the instructions there before you give DUO a non-Dutch IBAN. With ING, keeping your study finance on the Studentenrekening is one way to keep the account free.

Part-time work

Non-EU students with a residence permit for study may work, but the employer needs a work permit (TWV) from UWV; the maximum is 16 hours per week, or full-time in June, July and August (IND). For EU students there is no such limit on our sources; check the IND page for your situation. Dutch employers usually pay salary by bank transfer, and some may ask for a Dutch IBAN, although they may not refuse a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country (De Nederlandsche Bank).

For allowances such as zorgtoeslag, see the guide to zorgtoeslag and huurtoeslag for expats. For 2026 the maximum zorgtoeslag without a partner is €129 per month, and the maximum income without a partner is €40,857 per year. The Belastingdienst decides whether you qualify.

Recommended setup by student type

EU student, eligible for DUO finance

1. Open an ING Studentenrekening (or the ABN AMRO Student Package if you are under 25) after you get your BSN, or start before and provide the BSN within the deadline.
2. Use that account for your DUO student finance application.
3. Consider Wise for the transition period and international transfers.

Non-EU international student, no DUO

1. Open Wise before departure, so you have a euro IBAN once Wise has verified you.
2. Open a Dutch account after you register at your municipality, for local payments.
3. Keep Wise for international transfers, comparing its fee with your bank’s.

Young expat (working, not studying)

1. Open Wise as a bridge account before arrival.
2. Open bunq or a standard ING or ABN AMRO account after you get your BSN. Student packages are for people who are studying.

Erasmus or exchange student (one semester)

1. Wise gives you EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address) for the semester, once Wise has verified you.
2. Check whether your home bank has a low-fee European account.
3. N26 Standard is free and can work as a backup account.

Common mistakes

• Relying only on a foreign card. Check which Dutch payment methods your foreign account supports.
• Waiting to open an account until everything is sorted. Open Wise before you fly, and start the Dutch account as soon as you are registered.
• Ignoring the age limits on free student accounts. ING’s student account has an age limit (check it on ing.nl) and ABN AMRO’s Student Package ends at 25; set a reminder before your birthday.

For more, see the best finance apps for expats in the Netherlands, the ING vs ABN AMRO comparison for expats and the Wise vs Revolut vs bunq comparison.

Which bank should you choose?

For most students: ING. The account is free for students (check ING’s age limit) and available for international students.

If you are under 25: ABN AMRO is the other free option; compare the apps and your needs.

If you want several accounts for budgeting: bunq. Start on bunq Free with 3 bank accounts; Core adds 5 accounts and a physical card.

In all cases, consider Wise for international transfers, and compare its fee with your bank’s.

For the complete picture of expat banking options beyond student accounts, read the best bank accounts for expats in the Netherlands. If you are just arriving as a student, the student expat guide to the Netherlands covers everything from BSN registration to housing.

Open a Wise account

Also useful: the bank account chooser tool.

Opening a Dutch bank account without a BSN

ING, ABN AMRO and bunq all let you start before the BSN arrives, but each sets a deadline: ING 90 days with a non-EEA passport, ABN AMRO 120 days (Dutch address registration required), bunq 90 days for your tax ID. For the gap period:

Wise before arrival: sign-up and verification run online, and once Wise has verified you, you get EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address). A Dutch employer may not refuse that IBAN for your salary: under the SEPA Regulation, a euro IBAN from any EU/EEA country must be accepted (De Nederlandsche Bank).

Registration and BSN: you register with your gemeente within 5 days of arrival if you come to live in the Netherlands for longer than 4 months, and you receive your BSN after you are registered (Rijksoverheid). If you are still waiting for a residence permit you do not have to register within 5 days. See the BSN registration guide.