What banks ask before they open a business account
Every bank in the Netherlands must know its customers. The Dutch central bank (De Nederlandsche Bank) says a bank may refuse a customer when it sees too many risks. Before it decides, the bank therefore looks at who owns the company, what the company does and whether the facts match.
- The bank checks the identity of every director. It also checks the people who ultimately own or control the company, directly or through other companies. They are known as the ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs). The bank compares them with the Dutch public register of those owners (UBO register).
- The bank wants to know who pays you, who you pay, in which countries and currencies, and which amounts you expect per month.
- The bank also checks that your website, your contracts and your business plan contain the same facts as the company documents.
The bank also screens every owner and every country in your payments for sanctions and money laundering risks. Owners linked to a country on the EU list of high-risk third countries get extra checks. That list had 26 jurisdictions in January 2026.
Business bank account in the Netherlands for non-residents
Banks look at where the directors and owners live. The rules differ per bank, so check them before you apply.
- Owners from outside the EU may need extra documents, such as a visa or a residence permit.
- Some banks ask for a permanent home address in the Netherlands.
- Some banks accept owners abroad when at least one owner lives in the Netherlands.
- Some online banks ask that all directors and main owners live in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, which together form the European Economic Area (EEA).
Owners who live outside the EEA should compare traditional Dutch banks with licensed e-money institutions, companies licensed to hold electronic money and make payments. Both can accept a company with owners abroad after their own checks.
Checklist: documents for a Dutch business bank account
| Document | Why the bank asks | Who prepares it |
|---|---|---|
| Extract from the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK) | Proves that the company is registered, and who its directors are. Some providers ask for an extract of at most 30 days old. | We do, after the registration |
| Articles of association and register of shareholders | Shows the owners and the rules of the company. | The notary and our team |
| Identity document and proof of home address of each director and owner | The identity check the law requires. | You |
| Ownership chart on one page | Shows every owner, up to the people at the top. | We do, with you |
| Business plan with expected turnover and the countries you trade with | Shows which payments the bank can expect. | You, with us |
| Proof of the source of funds | Shows where the money in the company comes from. | You, and we check that the file is complete |
| First contracts, orders or letters of intent, and your website | Shows real activity. | You |
| Visa or residence permit, when the bank asks | Part of the residence check for owners from outside the EU. | You |
Start with the KVK number, the company’s number in the Dutch business register, because you usually need it to open a business bank account. Banks may charge a fee for extra checks (business.gov.nl, 2026).
Bank types and their usual conditions (October 2026)
Traditional banks, online banks and payment or e-money institutions can all give a Dutch company an account with an international bank account number (IBAN). Each provider sets its own conditions.
| Type | Usual conditions | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Dutch bank | Accepts a BV or a holding structure after a customer investigation. Some accounts are meant for a BV with one director who owns all shares. Some banks ask that an owner lives in the Netherlands. | Full service: lending, cash and trade finance. The investigation can take weeks, and some banks charge for it. |
| Online bank with a European banking licence | Account through an app, with a photo and video check of the director. Some ask that all directors and main owners live in the EEA. Some accept companies with their legal address in the EEA, the UK, Switzerland, Australia, Singapore or the US, which includes a Dutch BV. | Some exclude sectors such as crypto, adult content and weapons. |
| Payment or e-money institution | Licensed by De Nederlandsche Bank or another EU supervisor. Accepts a BV or a holding, subject to its acceptance rules. Owners from outside the EU may need extra documents, such as a residence permit. | Often a short review, with one institution licensed in the Netherlands stating 24 to 72 hours (2026). Balances are protected by safeguarding rules, which oblige the institution to keep client money apart from its own. This system is separate from the deposit guarantee. |
You can combine types, for example an e-money account for daily payments and a traditional bank account for lending or trade finance. Payment services for your sales, such as card payments and marketplaces, perform their own checks on the owners, the activity and the documents.
The Dutch tax office (Belastingdienst) accepts any IBAN from the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the European zone for euro transfers. Some payroll providers and suppliers prefer a Dutch IBAN (business.gov.nl, 2026).
At a bank with a Dutch banking licence, the deposit guarantee scheme covers the account of your BV up to €100,000 per bank. A BV is a legal person, so its account counts apart from your private accounts (business.gov.nl, checked November 2025).
How long does it take to open a business bank account in the Netherlands?
Approval often takes 2 to 8 weeks (business.gov.nl, 2026), and the bank starts its check when your file is complete. Online providers can be faster, and one e-money institution licensed in the Netherlands states a review of 24 to 72 hours (2026).
Follow a fixed order, with the company and the KVK registration first, then the bank file and then the application. Start the bank file during the company formation. Foreign entrepreneurs who work with the government agency for foreign investors, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), can first use the Quick Scan of the Dutch Banking Association. The same applies to start-ups with a recognised facilitator, an organisation approved to support start-ups. The Quick Scan shows whether they can open a business bank account in the Netherlands before they come.
Why a bank refuses or delays a business account
Banks respond with extra questions, a delay or a refusal in the following cases.
- An ownership chain that is hard to trace up to the people at the top.
- A business description that is too general to check.
- Money from a country on the EU list of high-risk third countries.
- Documents that contradict each other.
- A company that was registered months ago and still has to start trading.
When a company abroad owns your company, the bank also checks that parent company and may ask for its register extract and its articles of association. A complete bank file answers these points before the bank asks.
What we prepare for your bank file
- The company documents, namely the deed, the articles of association, the register of shareholders, the KVK extract and the UBO registration.
- The ownership chart on one page, up to the people at the top.
- A one-page business description with your customers, suppliers, countries and expected monthly turnover.
- A checklist for the source of funds, with the documents that prove it.
- A match check to confirm that names, numbers and owners are the same in every document and in the KVK register.
- Advice on the bank type for your owners, your sector and your payments.
- Help with the bank’s questions, until the bank decides.
The bank makes its own decision, and the bank file has its own price, which you see first. If you also need the company, you receive a proposal with the price for your Dutch BV, or for a holding with an operating company, before you decide. See company formation in the Netherlands for non-residents and how we work with partners.
Want our team to have a look? Ask for advice from our team on your bank file →
Last reviewed: October 2026.