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Opening a business account in the Netherlands

Are you an entrepreneur from abroad, planning to start doing business in the Netherlands and becoming active here? Then you require a business (IBAN) account. Has the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA; an entity of RVO, the government agency to promote entrepreneurship in the Netherlands) been actively involved in your location decision for the Netherlands since the beginning of that process, or are you as a startup working together with a facilitator formally recognized by RVO? In that case you can do the Quick Scan ‘Dutch Business Bank Account’, at this page. The bank will let you know within 5 working days if you are eligible to apply for a business account.

Quick Scan: banks to choose from

IBAN account

You must have an IBAN account in order to do business in the Netherlands. This enables account holders in SEPA countries to make national and cross-border euro payments easily and securely. SEPA stands for: Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). SEPA consists of the EU member states, plus, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Are you an entrepreneur currently located outside SEPA? Do you plan to do business in or from the Netherlands? In that case, it is necessary to apply for a business account with a bank located in the Netherlands. Due to strict legislation and individual acceptance policies, the banks are required to scrutinise applications thoroughly. For example, they need to know where you obtained your investment capital. Or who the actual stakeholders in the company are. It can take quite some time for a bank to complete this kind of evaluation.


Quick Scan Dutch Business Bank Account

Dutch banks work together in order to quickly inform a foreign entrepreneur if they are eligible to apply for an account. For that purpose, the Dutch Banking Association (Nederlandse Vereniging van Banken) has created the Quick Scan “Dutch Business Bank Account".

The Quick Scan is intended for entrepreneurs who are already in the process of registering with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel) and obtaining a residence permit.

In the Quick Scan you have to fill in the name of your advisor from the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) or your qualified start-up facilitator, and also send a digital copy of the NFIA letter of Contact or your start-up facilitator agreement.

Complete the Quick Scan and send a scanned copy of the form, along with the requested information, to the bank of your choice. There are four Dutch banks to choose from: Rabobank, ABN AMRO and ING. The bank you select will then evaluate the responses you provided in the Quick Scan.

Did the bank receive the Quick Scan with the requested information? Then the bank will confirm the probability of a successful application to open an account within 5 business days of receipt of the Quick Scan.

Did the bank receive the Quick Scan without the requested information? Then the bank will send you an e-mail to inform you on what further information is needed or how you can start the regular application procedure.

The three banks who work with the Quick Scan – if completely filled in and sent with all the requested documents - guarantee to inform you within 5 working days if you are eligible to apply for a business account with their bank.

Please note: completing the Quick Scan is not an accelerated process for becoming a customer of a bank and obtaining an active account. Based on the information you provide, the bank determines if an application can be dealt with.

If you are eligible to apply, the bank will begin the regular application process, during which you will have a regular contact person at the bank. You will receive a status update on your application at least once a month.

Are you not receiving assistance from the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) or from another facilitator? In that case you cannot use the Quick Scan. Please turn directly to a bank of your choice to check if you are eligible to apply for a business account.


How it works

  1. Download the Quick Scan “Dutch Business Bank Account” here

  2. Answer the questions and attach the requested documents

  3. Mail the completed Quick Scan and the documents to the bank of your choice:

Do I have to open a bank account at one of these three banks?

No, you can also open a bank account at another bank within the SEPA area. But you can only complete and send in the Quick Scan if you wish to open a bank account at one of these three banks. Other banks are not collaborating in this process.

Can I apply for a business account at a bank without a Dutch Chamber of Commerce number?

No. It is not possible to apply for a business account without a Chamber of Commerce number.

Do I have to fill in all the questions of the Quick scan?

Yes. You can only fill in this form if your application is supported by the NFIA or a accredited facilitator, so you need to specify the name and contact details of your contact person with the NFIA or facilitator in the form. Only if you fill in all the questions and enclose the requested documents the bank will be able to inform you about your application within five business days.

How and when will the bank contact me after sending in the Quick scan?

If you are being assisted by the NFIA or a facilitator, you will be contacted by email within five business days. The bank will either inform you by email whether an application for a business bank account is feasible or if the bank needs additional information to determine this.

Entrepreneurs without the assistance of the NFIA or a facilitator are not eligible to use the Quick Scan and should contact a bank of their choice directly to apply for a business bank account. 

What happens in the event of a positive assessment by the bank?

Each bank will perform a customer due diligence after a first positive assessment when you wish to become a customer at the bank. This customer due diligence is partially legally required and partially based on the bank's policy. For instance, most banks do not accept companies with business activities that are harmful for people or the environment.

The processing time of this due diligence also depends on the bank of your choice, on the complexity of your organizational structure, completeness of the documentation and information, etc. 

When does the NFIA qualify as 'my advisor'?

Only if the NFIA has been actively involved in your company’s location decision for the Netherlands, it qualifies as ‘your advisor’.

In which language do I have to contact with the bank?

The personal contact with all banks is in English. The documents received from ING are in Dutch. Rabobank and ABN AMRO will send you documents in English.

I am not able to identify myself physically at a bank office in the Netherlands. How will the bank then be able to carry out the identification and verification?

At ABN AMRO and the Rabobank, it is also possible to send a copy of an identification document legalised by a notary.