Opening a student bank account in the Netherlands

Opening a student bank account in the Netherlands 

The Netherlands has some of the largest banks in the world, and therefore mainly international banks. You will therefore have no difficulty in withdrawing money on the spot with your French bank account.

Nevertheless, a local bank account is necessary for students staying for at least one semester, as it offers other benefits and can sometimes be essential.

A private bank account is called a "privaterekening" whereas a standard withdrawal card is called "bankpas". Bank accounts for students are usually open very quickly, and fees over the year are almost zero.

Why open a bank account in Holland?

As a user of the euro, you will have no charge when you withdraw money through your bank account in France. The interest of opening an on-site bank account is not there. It is rather on the side of the monthly expenses that you will have to carry out.

You will need a Dutch bank account if:

You rent a private accommodation

You want to work on site

If you rent accommodation on-site, most private homeowners will require a national account to facilitate transactions, although this is not required. To this is added the different charges that can be taken (water, electricity, internet) and which require a local account.

In the case of a French account, charges are often made systematically as an international transfer for each payment.

At the level of the student job on the spot, the employers ask to pay the salary on a national account in order to avoid the additional expenses which can generate a payment on a foreign account. It is always possible to negotiate with your employer, but it may be easier to open an account on the spot.

Where and how to open a bank account?

Bank account in Holland

The main banks in the Netherlands are:

ABN-AMRO (www.abnamro.nl)

ING Bank (www.ingbank.nl)

Rabobank (www.rabobank.nl)

SNS (www.snsbank.nl)

There are no significant differences between these banks, check out the current offers and ask for advice from university members to find out more.

Sometimes institutions have a partnership with one of the banks which facilitates the process and grants some exclusive benefits to students. It's always good to take!

At the level of the required documents, one finds:

French passport or identity card

Burgerservicenummer (BSN) after registering with the tax office

Proof of your address on the spot

A minimum amount has been deposited (1 euro to 10 euros minimum)

Once all the documents are collected, all you have to do is make an appointment and open your account! The vast majority of counselors will speak English like the rest of the population, so you do not have to worry about communication.