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Opening a Dutch bank account – BSN, DigiD, the basic account and BKR explained for newcomers

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

Your employer, your health insurer and your phone provider all want a Dutch bank account, and the bank wants your BSN first. Here is how the citizen service number, the basic payment account, DigiD and the BKR credit register fit together – and what changed in 2026.

Smiling woman paying contactless with her phone at a cafe card terminal
Photo: Dexon Dee/Adobe Stock

Three things changed around newcomers' money in 2026. Since 1 January 2026, traders in goods may no longer accept cash payments of €3,000 or more, according to the Belastingdienst (the Tax Administration). iDEAL, the online payment method through which Dutch customers pay from their own bank, is gradually being replaced by Wero during 2026, according to the government's business portal (RVO). And since January 2026, nationals from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland who stay under four months can only get a BSN (burgerservicenummer – citizen service number) in Breda or Venlo. The order has not changed: BSN first, then the bank account, then DigiD.

Why does a Dutch bank ask for your BSN?

The BSN is the personal number you get automatically when your municipality (gemeente) registers you in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen – the population register). You get it once and it never changes. For banks the rule is national, set by the Rijksoverheid (central government): if you pay tax in the Netherlands, you need a BSN to open a bank account, because the bank must report your account to the Belastingdienst under that number. The bank therefore asks for an identity document showing your BSN. A foreign passport does not, so ask your municipality for an uittreksel (extract) with the BSN on it and show that instead.

The dependency runs both ways: Amsterdam and The Hague both state that you need a BSN to work and be paid, to open a bank account and to take out health insurance, and the statutory minimum wage must be paid by bank transfer.

How do you get a BSN – and how fast?

Staying longer than four months, you register in person at the municipality where you live within five days of arrival, and the BSN follows. Whether you book or walk in, and how long it takes, is decided by each municipality.

CityFirst registration from abroadTiming, as stated by the city
AmsterdamWalk in at a City Office, no appointment (Weesp excepted); Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri 09:00–16:00, Thu 09:00–18:00No waiting time published
RotterdamAppointment, in person, free; non-EU nationals need a residence permit or a pending application firstUsually within 4 weeks after all documents are in
The HagueStaff of IND-recognised sponsors and international organisations book online at The Hague International Centre; freeNot stated
UtrechtAppointment; the city warns that high demand and staff shortages lengthen the wait for oneUp to 4 weeks for the BRP entry and the BSN
EindhovenAppointment at the Inwonersplein; limited slots, new ones added daily for about 4 weeks aheadConfirmation letter within 4 weeks
Under 4 months, anywhereNon-resident (RNI) desk in one of 19 municipalities – since January 2026 only Breda or Venlo for non-EU nationals; freeBSN on the spot

Source: the municipalities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Eindhoven and NetherlandsWorldwide (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), read 24 September 2026.

The expat centres in the five cities combine registration with IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) formalities for highly skilled migrants (kennismigranten), and each decides whether to charge: IN Amsterdam's 2026 fee for a registration and BSN procedure is €76 excluding VAT (€91.96 including 21 per cent VAT), while The Hague International Centre charges nothing. The Rotterdam International Center lets you open a Dutch bank account at the same appointment.

Opening the account: what a bank can and cannot refuse

Banks decide for themselves who may open an ordinary current account, and they are legally obliged to prevent money laundering, so expect questions about your identity and where your money comes from. If a bank says no, complain to the bank first and then, usually free of charge, to Kifid, the financial complaints institute, or go to court. What you cannot be left without is a basisbetaalrekening (basic payment account).

Ordinary current accountBasic payment account
Who decidesThe bank, on its own termsYou are entitled to it if you cannot open a normal account
Overdraft, credit card, savings accountDepends on the bankNo
WhereAny bankABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank or SNS
Grounds for refusalThe bank's own assessmentOnly these: a Dutch current account or a basic account elsewhere; no genuine link with the Netherlands (living, studying or working here); a basic account closed in the last 2 years; a criminal conviction in the last 8 years
Negative BKR registrationMay count against youStill possible: an account under the Convenant Basisbankrekening, without overdraft, via a recognised debt-counselling organisation or Betaalvereniging Nederland

Source: Rijksoverheid, read 24 September 2026.

Once the account exists, banking is quick. According to De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the central bank, an app transfer normally arrives within five seconds and euro transfers within the SEPA area cost the payer nothing extra. Expect to pay by card: DNB found that only 17 per cent of checkout payments in 2025 were cash. Give the Belastingdienst your account number on the form 'Opgaaf rekeningnummer particulieren' so that refunds can be paid.

What is BKR – and why a phone contract can matter for a mortgage

Stichting BKR (Bureau Krediet Registratie) is the national credit register. Every credit above €250 that runs for longer than one month is recorded; arrears, or a loan being called in, become a negative registration, and the record stays visible for five years after the credit is repaid. Lenders must consult BKR before granting new credit, including a mortgage, but BKR itself decides nothing. The trap for newcomers is the phone: a subscription with a handset worth more than €250 paid in instalments counts as a loan, is registered at BKR and can affect a later mortgage application. And BKR never sends e-mails about arrears or asking you to share data through a link; such messages are phishing.

DigiD – how to apply, activate and log in

DigiD is your login for MijnOverheid, the Belastingdienst, the benefits office, health insurers and municipalities. You are not legally obliged to have one, but without it many online government services are closed to you, and you need a BSN to get one.

StepWhatWhen
1Register in the BRP and get your BSNWithin 5 days of arrival
2Apply online with your BSN, your registration address and a mobile phone; a postal address (not a PO box) registered with the municipality also worksAs soon as you have the BSN
3Receive the activation code by post at your BRP addressWithin 3 business days, at most 5 working days
4Activate in the DigiD app or on the websiteWithin 21 days of the letter, or apply again
5Children apply themselvesFrom age 14
6Use it, or lose itIt expires after 3 years without use

Source: DigiD (Logius) and NetherlandsWorldwide, read 24 September 2026.

Anna Andersson, our illustrative newcomer, hits the snag that catches most foreigners. The app's ID check, which unlocks the higher 'substantieel' level, only works with a Dutch passport, ID card or driving licence; foreign identity documents and Dutch residence documents cannot be used. So Anna activates the app with an SMS code or the letter and gets the 'midden' level, enough for most services, although Logius, which runs DigiD, notes that more and more organisations ask for an annual ID check.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Register in the BRP (part 3) and ask for an uittreksel with your BSN if your passport does not show itWithin 5 days of arrival; book before you travel where an appointment is required
2Open a current account; if refused, ask for a basisbetaalrekeningAs soon as you have the BSN
3Apply for DigiD and activate itWithin 21 days of the activation letter
4Give the Belastingdienst your account numberBefore your first tax return
5Keep handset instalments at €250 or under if you plan to get a mortgageBefore signing a phone contract

Source: Rijksoverheid, DigiD (Logius) and Stichting BKR, read 24 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 24 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.