Opening a Dutch bank account before your citizen service number (BSN) arrives

You do not always need to wait for your citizen service number (BSN). bunq and ABN AMRO both publish an open-first route, but they have different address and identity rules. A Dutch account can also make online payments easier, although an existing euro account from another European Union (EU) country already has legal protection.

Both routes use a mobile app. Their other conditions differ, so start with the one that matches the stage of your move.

bunq asks for an original physical identity document. Its published list includes a passport, national identity card or valid residence permit; a plastic driving licence from the European Union can also be accepted. Scans and photocopies are not accepted. You complete identity checks in the app and provide the BSN within 90 days.

ABN AMRO requires you to be at least 18 and have an official home address in the Netherlands. Its online route accepts a Dutch identity document or an international passport. The bank also says you must be liable for tax in the Netherlands. You apply in the app and provide the BSN within 90 days of opening the account.

For transfers and direct debits in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), your international bank account number (IBAN) does not have to start with NL. The European Commission calls it IBAN discrimination when you cannot use an account from another EU member state for a SEPA credit transfer or direct debit. It directs consumers to complain to the relevant national authority.

iDEAL is an online payment method that sends you to your own bank's app or online banking. You can use it only if your bank is a participating issuer. The current official issuer list includes banks licensed outside the Netherlands, including N26 and Revolut, so a Dutch IBAN is not the test. Both bunq and ABN AMRO are also on the list.

• Eligibility — check the address, age, identity document and tax-residency rules.
• Timing — confirm when the account becomes usable and how you must provide the BSN within 90 days.
• Everyday access — compare the monthly fee, debit card, app language and customer support.
• Payments — check iDEAL support and the country code of the IBAN that the account provides.

The ABN AMRO online route is not available until you have an official Dutch home address. bunq's page says you can sign up before moving. If the missing address is part of a registration or landlord problem, use the address registration problems guide. It explains the correspondence-address route without suggesting that a briefadres guarantees bank acceptance.

Ask the organisation to explain the rejection and point it to the European Commission's IBAN-discrimination guidance. If it still refuses a SEPA transfer or direct debit, follow the Commission page to the relevant complaint authority. This is separate from iDEAL: iDEAL access depends on whether your bank appears on the issuer list.

Do not assume that the bank will extend its deadline. Contact the bank before day 90 and ask what it needs from you. If your BSN is delayed because your registration is not complete, follow the BSN and gemeente registration guide. The first 90 days checklist puts the bank task beside registration and health insurance.