A list of banks in Belgium

Planning on moving to Belgium? You might be going there to work,study or stay with some family members. Whatever may be the case, it could be useful to open a Belgian bank account.

As a foreigner, you might need help with choosing the right bank. We’re here to help you decide, as we’ve put together a list of banks in Belgium. Along with this, we’ve included information on the accounts they offer and how the Belgian banking system works.

So, let’s get started.

Banking in Belgium (an overview)¹

The Belgian banking system is efficient and internationally open, so the majority of banks are foreign branches. There are 85 banks operating in Belgium at the moment, so there’s lots to choose from when opening a Belgian bank account.² They offer services in retail and private banking, as well as corporate finance.

ATMs in Belgium are getting harder to find as online banking becomes more popular. However, in order to make them more appealing, Belgium started giving 24 free ATM transactions a year to every consumer.³

Like in other countries, banks in Belgium will charge you for international transfers. To avoid these expensive fees, consider using an alternative such as the Wise multi-currency account and debit card. It’s ideal for international transactions, and could save you a bundle.

Top Banks in Belgium

Let’s take a look at some of your options when it comes to choosing a bank in Belgium

Argenta Bank⁴

Argenta Bank is a Belgian bank with over 400 offices across the country. They offer a range of products, including current accounts, savings and investment programs, loans and insurance.

Their current account packages are the best choice for day-to-day banking. The Green, Silver and Gold packages all include debit and credit cards, but they each have different monthly limits. The Silver and Gold package have additional perks, such as temporary limit increase and extended warranty on your purchases.

BNP Paribas Fortis⁵

One of the top 6 banks in the entire world also operates successfully in Belgium, with an array of services. Along with mortgage and insurance options, they specialize in savings and investing as well.

Their everyday banking offer includes two completely free options - Hello payment account and Hello4You youth account. Besides this, the Universal account and Premium package are also popular.

Crelan⁶

Crelan is a local cooperative bank. They have over 500 offices in Belgium and provide many options for personal customers.

The top of their offer are the checking account packs, such as the Performance Pack, Excellence Pack and Economy Plus Pack. Some of them have discounts for those under 25 and for cooperatives.

ING Belgium⁷

ING has around 3 million customers and it mainly focuses on retail and private banking.

The everyday banking accounts you can choose from are the Lion Account and Green Account, at €1.90 and €4.50 a month. If you’re under 26, the Lion account is free.

Delen Private Bank

If you’re looking for a stable private bank, Delen Private bank is a good choice. It specializes in discretionary asset management and estate planning services. Their experts can also help you organize and improve your personal and business finances with their Delen Family Services.

KBC Bank⁸

KBC Bank was founded in Belgium, but today they have 13 million clients in 5 countries.

Depending on your needs, you can choose between the Basic Account and Plus Account. Both include online banking and a credit and debit card. There’s also the Young person’s account for under 25-s.

Belfius Bank⁹

Belfius is the second largest bank-insurer in Belgium. They gave more than 3.8 million clients, which means 1 in 3 Belgians on average have an account here.

Belfius offers two main payment accounts - Beats New and Beat Star. One of their most popular options for daily banking is Beats Pulse, a free online account with a debit card.

AXA Bank Belgium¹⁰

AXA Bank is part of the Crelan group. They work with both entrepreneurs and private individuals.

AXA Bank accounts made for everyday banking are Comfort2bank and Comfort2bank Premium. The latter also includes extended purchase protection and travel insurance.

Beobank¹¹

Beobank is a Belgian retail bank with over 740,000 private clients. They offer payment accounts, savings solutions, insurance, investments and expert advice.

The most popular accounts include the Go Checking Account, Plus Checking Account and Basic Banking Service Account. There’s also the youth account called the Jump Checking Account.

Santander¹²

Santander Bank is part of Banco Santander Group, a Spanish financial giant.

Popular accounts on offer in Belgium are the online savings accounts called Vision, Vision Plus and Vision Max.

Keytrade Bank¹³

Keytrade is a subsidiary of Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, but it started out as a fully online bank.

Their main everyday banking product is the Keypack - a free current, savings and trading account, a free debit and credit card.

Top Online bank accounts in Belgium

Besides traditional banks, there's also a number of digital banks to choose from in Belgium.

This list includes:

• Bunq - this is a fully mobile, secure online bank. They offer different accounts, including a free one.
• N26 - with over 8 million customers, N26 is one of the leaders in the online bank world. The price of their current accounts ranges from €0 to €16.90.

Manage your money internationally? Check out the Wise multi-currency account

If you want to send money internationally, or use your debit card when you travel, you could find it expensive with a traditional Belgian bank.

The good news is that there’s a money-saving alternative available. Open a Wise multi-currency account and you can send money worldwide for low fees and fair exchange rates.

You can even get an international debit card for spending in 175 countries, including Belgium. It automatically converts your money to the local currency at the mid-market exchange rate, whenever you spend.

This makes it ideal for travellers, expats, overseas students and anyone else living an international life.

Join Wise today

Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

Sources used for this article:

Sources checked on 29-Apr-2023.