Bunq vs N26 for Expats in the Netherlands: 2026 Guide

If you want a broader look at all your banking options, start with our guide to the best bank accounts for expats, or use the Bank Account Chooser tool to get a personalised recommendation.

💡 Looking for a complete banking comparison? Read Best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026 — covers ABN, ING, Bunq, Wise, Revolut & 5 others by expat use case.

Quick Verdict

Both work for daily life in the Netherlands. bunq and N26 are both on iDEAL’s list of issuers, so you can pay Dutch webshops with iDEAL from either app. The real differences are the IBAN (NL at bunq, DE at N26), the plans, and what the free plan includes.

Choose bunq if you want an NL IBAN and several accounts with their own IBAN: bunq Free gives you up to 3 Money Pockets, each with a unique IBAN, but no physical card.

Choose N26 if you want a free plan with a virtual card and a German IBAN is fine for you, or if the travel insurance on N26 Go (EUR 9.90 a month) is useful to you.

For transfers outside the euro area, compare either bank with Wise, which converts at the mid-market rate with a stated fee.

Comparison Table

bunq plans: bunq Help: What plans are available, checked 14 September 2026. N26 plans: n26.com plan comparison, checked 29 September 2026. iDEAL: iDEAL | Wero issuer list, checked 29 September 2026.

IBAN: NL at bunq, DE at N26

N26 says an account opened in the Netherlands gets an official German IBAN. Under the SEPA Regulation (EU 260/2012), a payer or payee must accept euro IBANs from all EU/EEA countries, not only Dutch ones. De Nederlandsche Bank gives an employer that only pays salaries to NL IBANs as an example of IBAN discrimination. If a Dutch company still refuses your DE IBAN, complain to the company first and then report it to De Nederlandsche Bank.

Bunq’s standard IBAN is Dutch, because bunq is a bank licensed by De Nederlandsche Bank. That avoids the discussion altogether, which is bunq’s practical advantage for salary, rent and direct debits if you are moving to the Netherlands.

iDEAL: Both Work

iDEAL payments run through the consumer’s own bank or payment firm, the “issuer”. bunq B.V. and N26 Bank SE are both on iDEAL’s list of issuers. N26 says any N26 user whose IBAN starts with DE can pay with iDEAL | Wero where the merchant offers it, and that iDEAL | Wero is free to use (a merchant may add a surcharge, which it must disclose). Wise is not on the issuer list. For the traditional banks, see the ING vs ABN AMRO guide.

Plans and Pricing Compared

Bunq Plans (checked 14 September 2026)

bunq retired the Easy Bank / Easy Money / Easy Green names. The current personal plans, per bunq Help: What plans are available:

bunq Free — EUR 0.00/month

• Dutch IBAN
• Up to 3 bank accounts (Money Pockets), each with a unique IBAN
• 1 digital card, no physical card
• Foreign-currency spending at bunq’s rate up to EUR 1,000 per year, after which bunq states “a fee of 3% of each further transaction amount applies”

bunq Core — EUR 3.99/month

• “5 Pockets with unique IBAN”
• “1 Digital Card and 1 Physical Card”
• Spending abroad “with a 0.5% markup on the latest rate”

bunq Pro — EUR 9.99/month

• “Up to 25 money Pockets with IBANs”
• “25 Digital Debit or Credit Cards and 3 Physical Cards”
• “5 Foreign Currency Transfers free every month”

bunq Elite — EUR 18.99/month

• Top personal plan — check the current plan page for what it adds over Pro

bunq Pack — EUR 28.99/month

• Group plan: 4x Pro Personal, or 3x Pro Personal plus 1 Pro Business

Business plans run alongside: bunq Free EUR 0.00, Core EUR 7.99, Pro EUR 13.99, Elite EUR 23.99 per month.

N26 Plans (checked 29 September 2026)

• Standard — EUR 0/month: free virtual debit card; a physical card costs EUR 10; 2 free ATM withdrawals in euros a month
• Smart — EUR 4.90/month: physical card included
• Go — EUR 9.90/month: physical card and travel insurance (Allianz Assistance) included
• Metal — EUR 16.90/month: metal card included

Which Plan Offers Better Value?

Both free plans cost nothing, and neither includes a free physical card: bunq Free has none, and N26 Standard charges EUR 10 for one. If you want a physical card included in the plan, compare bunq Core at EUR 3.99 with N26 Smart at EUR 4.90. Around EUR 10 a month the two aim at different needs: bunq Pro (EUR 9.99) gives up to 25 Money Pockets, 3 physical cards and 5 free foreign-currency transfers a month; N26 Go (EUR 9.90) includes travel insurance.

Savings and Interest

Both banks offer savings features. Rates move with ECB policy and come with conditions, so compare the live rates on bunq’s and N26’s own pages before you open an account.

International Transfers

For transfers outside the euro area, compare the bank’s own offer with a transfer service such as Wise, which converts at the mid-market rate with a stated fee. More in the Wise vs Revolut comparison and the guide to international money transfers from the Netherlands.

Compare a Wise transfer →

Pros and Cons

Bunq

Pros:

• Dutch IBAN as standard
• iDEAL (on the issuer list)
• Money Pockets with their own IBAN: 3 on Free, 5 on Core, up to 25 on Pro
• Tax ID (BSN) can follow within 90 days of signup
• Licensed by De Nederlandsche Bank
• Business plans too: bunq Free EUR 0.00, Core EUR 7.99, Pro EUR 13.99, Elite EUR 23.99 a month

Cons:

• No physical card on bunq Free — a card in your wallet starts at bunq Core, EUR 3.99/month
• Foreign-currency spending on bunq Free is at bunq’s rate up to EUR 1,000 per year, then 3%

N26

Pros:

• Free Standard plan with a virtual card
• iDEAL | Wero for accounts with a DE IBAN
• BSN not required to open the account, according to N26
• Travel insurance included on N26 Go

Cons:

• German IBAN: Dutch companies must accept it, but you may have to point that out
• A physical card on Standard costs EUR 10

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose bunq if:

• You want an NL IBAN for salary, rent and direct debits without any discussion
• You budget with several accounts that each have their own IBAN
• You are self-employed and want a business plan from the same bank

Choose N26 if:

• You want a free plan with a virtual card and a German IBAN is fine for you
• You want travel insurance bundled with your account (N26 Go)

Consider both if:

• You want one account for Dutch daily life and a second one for travel: bunq Free plus N26 Standard costs EUR 0.00 a month, before any card fees

If you are in the early stages of your move and still sorting your BSN, read the BSN registration guide first. bunq lets you add your tax ID within 90 days of signup. In the meantime, Wise gives verified customers EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address). N26 says a BSN is not required to open an N26 account.

Bottom Line

Both are banks you can use for daily life in the Netherlands, including iDEAL. bunq gives you an NL IBAN and multiple IBAN-linked Money Pockets, starting at EUR 0.00 a month (EUR 3.99 with a physical card). N26 gives you a German IBAN and a free Standard plan with a virtual card, with travel insurance from N26 Go at EUR 9.90.

Open a bunq account

Related Guides

• Best bank accounts for expats in the Netherlands (2026)
• ING vs ABN AMRO for expats
• Wise vs Revolut in the Netherlands
• Best international money transfers from the Netherlands
• Complete guide to moving to the Netherlands
• BSN registration guide
• Bank Account Chooser tool