Banking in Belgium for expats
Once you have moved to Belgium, the account question stops being about opening one and becomes about sequencing. A remote European account covers the first weeks, commune registration produces the national register number, and a Belgian account then opens as an ordinary file. Once you are a Belgian tax resident, accounts held abroad have to be declared.
Run the sequence in this order and nothing blocks: European account first, commune registration second, Belgian account third, then move your direct debits with the free bank mobility service. Attempting it in reverse is what produces the classic deadlock, where the bank wants a proof of address you cannot yet obtain and your employer wants an account number today.
| Provider | Plan | Price | Key points | View plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 KBCCheapestPartner |
KBC Base | €0/year |
| View plan |
KBCPartner |
KBC Plus Jeunes | €0/year |
| View plan |
KBCPartner |
Compte Plus | €45/year |
| View plan |
 Revolut |
Standard | €0/year |
| View plan |
 N26 |
Standard | €0/year |
| View plan |
 BNP Paribas Fortis |
Compte Hello | €0/year |
| View plan |
 ING |
Do More | €22.80/year |
| View plan |
BNP Paribas Fortis |
Easy Go Pack | €51/year |
| View plan |
BNP Paribas Fortis |
Easy Guide Pack | €66/year |
| 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.
The sequence that works
Open a European account remotely before or just after arrival, with video identification. It gives you a usable IBAN within days, which unblocks the first salary payment and the rent.
Register at your commune as soon as you have an address. A local police check on the address follows, and the national register number is issued once you are entered in the register. Nearly every subsequent formality in Belgium hangs off that number.
Open the Belgian account with the residence document, the proof of address and your work contract. At that point it is an ordinary opening and takes no longer than for a Belgian national.
Finally, use the bank mobility service to move direct debits and standing orders from the interim account. It is free, you start it at the new bank, and creditors are notified for you.
What changes once you are a Belgian tax resident
Keeping your home country account is entirely normal and there is no obligation to close it. There is, however, an obligation to declare it: Belgian residents must report accounts held abroad in the annual tax return and register them with the Central Point of Contact maintained by the National Bank of Belgium.
This is a one-off registration per account rather than an annual chore, and it exists for tax transparency. The declaration is not a taxable event in itself. Omitting it is what creates problems, not the account.
A Belgian IBAN also matters for money coming to you: mutuality reimbursements for medical costs, tax refunds, child benefit paid by the regional body, and the salary itself all flow more smoothly to a national account.
One practical note on language: contracts, tariff schedules and legally binding documents are issued in French, Dutch or German. English-language support exists at several institutions, but the legally binding version is the one in the national language, and that is the version to have read before signing.
Frequently asked questions
How soon after arriving can I open a Belgian account?
In practice once your commune registration is under way and you can produce a residence document and an address. Some banks accept a work contract and a registration appointment; others wait for the completed registration. Plan on a few weeks, and bridge the gap with a European account opened remotely.
Do I have to close my account back home?
No. Holding accounts abroad is perfectly legal for a Belgian resident. What you must do is declare them in your annual tax return and register them with the Central Point of Contact held by the National Bank of Belgium. The registration is done once per account, not every year.
Which account should my Belgian salary be paid into?
The Belgian one, once you have it. European rules forbid an employer refusing an IBAN from another member state for a euro payment, but payroll systems and habits do not always follow the rule, and a rejected salary run takes weeks to correct. Use the Belgian account and avoid the argument.
Will I be served in English?
Often at the counter and in the app, at several institutions, particularly in Brussels. The contractual documents, general conditions and tariff schedules remain in French, Dutch or German, and those versions are the ones that bind you. Ask for a translation before signing rather than after a dispute.