More options for Ukrainians in the Netherlands to apply for a payment account

From Monday 3 October, Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands will have more options for applying for a payment account using documents that payment service providers could not previously accept for this purpose.

In the Netherlands, more than 87% of all adult Ukrainian refugees registered with a Dutch municipality already have a payment account. They mainly opened their accounts using various internationally recognised and valid English-language identity documents. From 3 October, additional options are available to the small remaining group of refugees in the Netherlands who have not yet been able to open a payment account. The new options are the result of close cooperation between the Ukrainian Embassy, banks and other payment account providers, the Dutch Payments Association, the Dutch Banking Association (NVB), supervisory authorities and public authorities.

Maksym Kononenko, Acting Ambassador of Ukraine to the Netherlands, said: “Financial inclusion is of great social and emotional importance. Having their own payment account enables everyone from Ukraine who is temporarily displaced and wants to work in the Netherlands to contribute towards their own living expenses. We are grateful for the productive cooperation with Dutch banks, payment institutions, supervisory authorities and public authorities.”

Options will remain available for as long as necessary

All existing and new options for Ukrainian refugees to apply for a Dutch payment account will remain available for as long as they receive special protection within the EU. Each payment service provider explains on its own website exactly how to submit an application and which specific conditions and guidelines apply. Some banks, for example, require applications to be made in person at a branch, while other payment service providers accept applications online only.

Four additional types of identification

From 3 October, adult Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands can apply for a payment account using the following additional types of identification:

• A Ukrainian passport in Cyrillic together with a ‘certificate of identity confirmation ’ issued by the Ukrainian Embassy. The Cyrillic passport must be valid or have been extended by the Ukrainian Embassy with an extension stamp that is still valid when the account application is made.
• An expired English-language Ukrainian passport that has been extended by the Ukrainian Embassy with an extension stamp that is still valid when the account application is made.
• A Ukrainian permanent residence permit that was valid on 24 February 2022, the first day of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, together with a valid passport from another country outside the EU.
• A valid O-document , which the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has been able to issue since June to Ukrainian refugees without recognised identity documents.

Almost all banks require applicants to be registered in the Dutch Personal Records Database (BRP) and to have a citizen service number (BSN). Payment service providers that do not impose this requirement, or impose it differently, will explain this in more detail on their own websites.

More details about applying for a payment account as a Ukrainian refugee are available on a special page from the NVB and the Dutch Payments Association: payment accounts for Ukrainians.
The page lists all providers and links to their own information pages.