bunq vs ING vs Revolut vs Wise: best bank for expats

Which one should I choose?

It depends on what you need the account for:

You want…	Best fit	Why
One account everyone accepts, with branches	ING	One of the three big Dutch banks; employers, landlords and the tax office all know it
A Dutch bank in an app, with several IBANs	bunq	Dutch deposit guarantee, up to 25 accounts each with its own IBAN, savings interest
A free account for spending and travel	Revolut	Free plan with a Dutch IBAN; cheap in other currencies on weekdays
Money in other currencies, or sending money home	Wise	Mid-market rate, fees from 0.2%, no monthly cost

Just arrived and no BSN yet? ING and bunq both let you open an account first and give your BSN within 90 days.

How do they compare on cost?

Keeping the account

	Monthly cost	Card
bunq	Free plan, or €3.99 to €18.99	Free plan: digital card only
ING	From €4	Debit card included
Revolut	Free plan, or €3.99 to €65	Included
Wise	Free	€7 once

Cash and other currencies

	Free cash a month	Paying in other currencies
bunq	Free plan: none (€2.99 each)	Free plan: free up to €1,000 a year, then 1.5%
ING	Free in the euro area	About 1.4% (debit card)
Revolut	5 withdrawals or €200	Free up to €1,000 a month on weekdays, then 1%
Wise	Up to €250	From 0.2%

Prices from each company’s own price list in October 2026; ING’s currency fee as listed by Bank.nl in January 2026.

Is my money safe?

	Type	If it fails
ING	Dutch bank	Dutch deposit guarantee, up to €100,000
bunq	Dutch bank	Dutch deposit guarantee, up to €100,000
Revolut	Lithuanian bank with a Dutch branch	Lithuanian deposit guarantee, up to €100,000
Wise	Payment company, not a bank	No deposit guarantee; your money is kept separate from Wise’s own

That’s why many people keep their salary and savings at a bank, and use Wise only for what it’s best at.

Which pays interest on savings?

• bunq: 1.51% to 1.61% a year, or 3.11% on new savings above your highest balance of the past 6 months.
• ING: 1.25% on up to €10,000, 1.00% above that. The Extra and Max packages add a little.
• Wise: “Wise Interest” (2.25% for euros in September 2026) is an investment fund, not a savings account. It can go down.
• Revolut: see the app; we haven’t compared Revolut’s savings yet.

All rates are variable and change often.

Which has a welcome bonus?

	What you can get
ING	Up to €150 until 31 December 2026: €100 for switching your bank, €25 for saving €100, €25 for an insurance. €50 more if an ING customer invites you
bunq	Through a friend’s invite: extras such as 12 months of Core free after one €50 card payment
Wise	Through a friend’s invite: your first transfer to another currency free of Wise’s fee
Revolut	Nothing for you; an invite rewards only the person who invites

Read the full guides

• bunq: plans, interest, pros and cons
• ING: packages, costs and the welcome offer
• Revolut: plans, costs, pros and cons
• Wise: what it is, costs, pros and cons

Which bank can I open without a BSN?

ING and bunq both let you open an account before you have a BSN. You then give it within 90 days, or the account can be blocked. Register at your town hall as soon as you can: see what to set up first.

Can my salary go into Revolut or Wise?

Revolut gives Dutch residents a Dutch IBAN (NL…), so yes. Wise gives you a Belgian IBAN (BE…); it doesn’t issue Dutch ones. EU rules say employers must accept any EU IBAN, but some payroll systems still insist on a Dutch one.

Do I need more than one account?

No, but many expats end up with two: a Dutch bank (ING or bunq) for salary, rent and direct debits, and Wise or Revolut for travel and money in other currencies. Revolut and Wise cost nothing to keep.