Opening a bank account in Belgium as an expat: documents, the basic banking service and BE IBANs

To open a bank account in Belgium you usually need a passport or ID card, proof of a Belgian address and, at some banks, proof that you have registered with your municipality. If a bank turns you down, Belgian law gives anyone legally resident in the EU the right to a low-cost basic banking service account.

What Belgian banks ask for

Universities that welcome international staff and students give a useful checklist. VUB and UCLouvain both list:

VUB warns that where a bank wants proof of registration, an initial notification of arrival is not accepted. Check with your chosen bank before your appointment.

A guide by Myria, the Belgian Federal Migration Centre, published on the European Commission's migrant integration site, adds that banks must identify you by name, date of birth and address with an official document. Besides passports and ID cards, they can accept foreigner registration documents such as the electronic residence cards (A, B, C, D, E, E+, F, F+), the "orange card" (Annex 4) and several other annexes issued by the immigration services.

While you wait for an account

VUB notes that until you have a Belgian account, your salary can be paid into an account elsewhere in the SEPA zone. In practice, a non-Belgian IBAN can still cause friction: the same Myria page mentions a 2023 study that found immigrants without a Belgian IBAN ran into problems with rental deposits and salary payments. If that happens, ask for the refusal in writing.

Your right to the basic banking service

The service bancaire de base (in Dutch, basisbankdienst) is set out in the Belgian Code of Economic Law. According to the banks' own pages and the Myria guide:

• Who is entitled: any consumer legally resident in the European Union, and Belgian citizens living outside the EU who were removed from the Belgian population register less than 10 years ago.
• Main conditions: you must not already hold a payment account at a bank in Belgium (savings accounts are allowed). Banks can also refuse if your money is above a ceiling: Belfius gives €10,239.43 (indexed on 1 January 2026), while Revolut's terms say €10,000 in accumulated annual credit balance.
• What you get: a euro payment account, a debit card, online and app banking, transfers, standing orders and direct debits. BNP Paribas Fortis and Belfius include 36 manual operations a year, such as paper transfers or counter withdrawals.
• What you do not get: overdrafts, credit cards or cheques.
• Timing: the Myria guide says the account must be opened within ten days if you meet the conditions, and a refusal must be confirmed in writing within ten days.

The maximum price is fixed by law and adjusted every year to consumer prices. What banks actually charge varies:

Belfius and BNP Paribas Fortis say you must request the basic banking service in person (BNP Paribas Fortis also accepts requests at a post office), whereas Keytrade Bank accepts requests online or by email.

If you are refused

Start with the bank's complaints service. If that does not help, you can contact Ombudsfin, the financial ombudsman, or the FPS Economy (SPF Economie / FOD Economie). The Myria guide also mentions Unia, the equality body, for cases of possible discrimination. If an account you already have is closed, see what to do if a neo bank freezes or closes your account.

Revolut in Belgium

Revolut serves Belgian residents through Revolut Bank UAB – Belgian Branch, Silver Square, Square de Meeûs 35, 1000 Brussels, registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0784.549.658. Revolut Bank UAB is a Lithuanian bank authorised by the European Central Bank and supervised by the Bank of Lithuania.

What this means in practice:

• BE IBAN: Revolut's help centre says existing customers resident in Belgium are moved to the Belgian branch in phases and receive a Belgian IBAN, including for joint and Revolut Pro accounts. Revolut presents this as a way to avoid the extra paperwork some payers ask for with non-Belgian IBANs.
• Sign-up with itsme: since April 2026, new users can share verified identity data through itsme, the Belgian digital ID app, during registration. Revolut says this is optional and its standard registration remains available.
• Basic banking service: Revolut offers its own basic banking service account, free of maintenance and transaction fees, with a debit card; it must stay in credit.
• Deposit protection: Revolut's Belgian terms say deposits are protected by the Lithuanian deposit insurance scheme, not the Belgian one.

For plans and fees see the Revolut listing, and for licences is Revolut safe?

How your deposits are protected

Deposits at banks in Belgium are covered by the Guarantee Fund (Fonds de garantie) up to €100,000 per person, per institution, with all your accounts at the same bank added together. Since 1 January 2024 the Fund aims to repay within 7 working days. It pays out to an account number you communicate through MyMinfin, so keep your details up to date. Banks licensed in another EU country, like Revolut, are covered by their home scheme instead, also up to €100,000. Our guide is my money safe in a neo bank? explains the difference between banks and e-money providers.

Compare the providers available in Belgium in the comparison table. Moving to the Netherlands instead? Read opening a bank account in the Netherlands as an expat.

Sources

• VUB: Opening a bank account in Belgium
• UCLouvain: Open a bank account
• European Commission, Migrant Integration: Belgium – guide on opening a bank account (Myria)
• BNP Paribas Fortis: Basic banking service
• Belfius: Service bancaire de base
• Keytrade Bank: Basic banking service
• Guarantee Fund: Protection system
• Revolut Help: Switching to a Belgian IBAN
• Revolut: Basic Banking Service Account terms (Belgium)
• Revolut: Terms and policies (Belgium)
• itsme: Revolut streamlines registration with itsme integration for the Belgian market

Prices and features checked on 5 November 2026.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Fees, features and availability change, so check the provider's own website before you apply. Read how we compare providers and our affiliate disclosure.