ou can apply for a basic payments account in the EU if you are unable to obtain a standard payments account and have not yet been assigned a ‘basic banking account’. A basic payments account is a stripped-down regular payments account that usually does not include a credit card, savings, loans, or overdraft facilities. You will receive a standard debit card that you can use to pay at point-of-sale and online and to withdraw cash. You can also send and receive account-to-account transfers and pay by direct debit.
Someone with a passport from an EU country who lives outside the EU is not entitled to a basic payments account. Nevertheless, an individual bank in the EU may decide to approve an application for a payments account from a non-resident.
Please note: A so-called ‘basic bank account’ is not the same as a basic payments account! A ‘basic bank account’ is for people who cannot even get a basic payments account, for example because they have previously misused a payments account for fraud or scams.
Selection tool
Are you unable to open a regular payments account? The Dutch Payments Association offers an online selection tool that you can use to find out whether you are eligible for a basic payments account or a basic bank account.
