Bank accounts in Belgium

Updated on August 3, 202622 plans compared14 providers

In short

A Belgian current account — compte à vue in French, zichtrekening in Dutch — costs between nothing and just under a hundred euros a year on the accounts listed here. Traditional banks charge a package fee that bundles cards and everyday transactions; online banks and European neobanks often waive it under conditions. The annual fee is rarely what decides the matter.

Our verdict

For ordinary domestic use, the gap between Belgian packages amounts to tens of euros a year. The decision is made elsewhere: on currency conversion charges outside the euro area, and on whether you need a Belgian IBAN for your salary, your mutuality reimbursements and a future mortgage relationship. On that reading, in July 2026, a Belgian account and a European card app are complements rather than rivals.

Current accounts offered by banks active on the Belgian market.
Provider	Plan	Price	Key points	View plan
KBCCheapestPartner	KBC Base	€0/year	Two debit cards included No account maintenance fee €0.50 from the 24th transaction of the month	View plan
KBCPartner	KBC Plus Jeunes	€0/year	For 10 to 24-year-olds Three cards included Free withdrawals at other banks’ ATMs	View plan
KBCPartner	Compte Plus	€45/year	Complete package Credit cards included Insurance included	View plan
Revolut	Standard	€0/year	Free personalised card Low-cost payments abroad Cashback and discounts	View plan
N26	Standard	€0/year	Free virtual Mastercard Free transfers in 20 currencies 100% mobile	View plan
Belfius	Beats Pulse	€0/year	Full online account Debit card included High-performance app	View plan
Beobank	Compte Go	€0/year	100% free and mobile Unlimited transactions in the SEPA area Well-rated app	View plan
Keytrade Bank	Keypack	€0/year	€0.05 received per transaction Free credit card Maestro included	View plan
Hello bank! BNP Paribas Fortis	Hello4You	€0/year	Free for young people 3 free cards 100% online management	View plan
CBC Banque KBC	CBC Pure Online	€0/year	Four debit cards included No charge at other banks’ ATMs Credit card optional at €84 a year	View plan
BNP Paribas Fortis	Compte Hello	€0/year	Bancontact Visa Debit card included Free SEPA transfers Fully online account opening	View plan
AXA	Start2bank	€0/year	One free debit card, second at €15 a year No account maintenance fee €0.50 per withdrawal beyond 24 outside the AXA network	View plan
ING	Do More	€22.80/year	2 debit cards 1 credit card Free withdrawals in the euro area	View plan
Argenta	Formule Green	€24/year	Second most sustainable bank 2 free cards Integrated savings platform	View plan
Hello bank! BNP Paribas Fortis	Compte à vue	€27/year	Free withdrawals everywhere 3 free cards Instant transfers €0.60	View plan
Argenta	Formule Silver	€42/year	Full banking services Multiple cards Branch network	View plan
BNP Paribas Fortis	Easy Go Pack	€51/year	2 cards included Unlimited withdrawals in the Benelux Apple/Google Pay	View plan
BNP Paribas Fortis	Easy Guide Pack	€66/year	Personalised support In-branch services Dedicated advisers	View plan
Belfius	Beats New	€66/year	First Belgian banking app Purchase insurance included Selected cashback	View plan
Argenta	Formule Gold	€71.40/year	Complete package Premium cards Wealth management	View plan
Fintro BNP Paribas Fortis	Blue Sky	€84/year	Premium branch service Premium cards Dedicated personal adviser	View plan
Crelan	Excellence Pack	€96/year	Dedicated branch service Prestige cards Premium banking services	View plan

Prices and features surveyed on July 31, 2026. They may have changed since. Always check the offer on the provider’s website before signing up.

What a Belgian account actually charges you for

The package fee is the visible line. It covers one or more debit cards and everyday transactions, and on the accounts compared here it ranges from zero to just under a hundred euros a year. It is the easiest figure to compare and the least likely to decide your total cost.

Cards are frequently billed on top. The debit card is normally included; the credit card usually is not. An account advertised as free stops being free the moment you add a credit card or a second debit card for a partner.

Cash withdrawals come next. Belgian banks have pooled much of their cash machine network, so what matters is not whose logo is on the machine but how many free withdrawals your tariff allows inside and outside your own bank's arrangement.

Transactions outside the euro area produce the widest gaps of all. A currency conversion commission expressed as a percentage, a fixed charge per operation, a surcharge on non-euro cash withdrawals: none of this appears when you compare annual package fees side by side.

Belgian banks, Belgian online banks and European neobanks

Belgian retail banks give you branches, a full product range — mortgage, savings, insurance — and a named contact. They price by package, and the package usually includes services you may never use.

Belgian online banks charge less in exchange for a relationship conducted entirely at a distance. They remain Belgian credit institutions under the same prudential supervision and the same Belgian deposit guarantee scheme.

European neobanks operate in Belgium from another member state under the EU passport. They are strong on international payments and on the app experience, but the IBAN is not Belgian, the deposit guarantee is the one of their home country, and they do not lend against Belgian property.

Many households in Belgium run both: a local account for salary, direct debits and credit, and a European card account for travel and purchases in other currencies.

Changing bank: the mobility service

Belgium operates a bank mobility service that transfers your direct debits and standing orders to a new bank for you. You start the procedure at the bank you are joining, not the one you are leaving, and it handles the rest.

The service is free and runs to fixed deadlines. Your creditors are notified of the new account number, which is what prevents direct debits from bouncing during the changeover.

Keep the old account open for a few weeks after the transfer, until the last recurring payments have moved across. Closing too early is the single most common cause of trouble when switching bank in Belgium.

Frequently asked questions

Which bank is cheapest in Belgium?

It depends entirely on how you use the account. For simple domestic use, several Belgian banks list a current account with no maintenance fee under conditions. For someone paying and withdrawing outside the euro area every month, a European card account will cost far less overall even when its own subscription is higher.

Is a free account really free?

Usually free under conditions: online-only management, salary paid into the account, a minimum number of transactions, or an age limit. The credit card and non-euro transactions are normally charged regardless. The conditions are set out in the standardised fee document that every bank has to publish.

Where can I compare Belgian bank charges officially?

Wikifin, the public financial education platform run by the FSMA, the Belgian financial regulator, publishes a comparison tool for current accounts. Each bank must also publish a fee information document in a standardised European layout, which lets you compare the same service lines from one bank to the next.

Can I open a Belgian account before I am registered at my commune?

Some banks allow it with a residence permit, a work contract or a registration appointment; many ask for a proof of Belgian address first. Opening a European account remotely is the usual way to bridge the gap, then moving to a Belgian bank once your commune registration is through.

What happens to my money if the bank fails?

Deposits held at a Belgian credit institution are covered by the Belgian deposit guarantee scheme, up to the ceiling harmonised across the European Union, per depositor and per institution. For a neobank operating from another member state, the scheme of that country applies instead, with the same ceiling but a different body and procedure.