Opening a Dutch business bank account
5 min read
An eenmanszaak is not legally required to have a business account — a BV is. In practice you want one anyway: separating private and business money is the difference between an hour of bookkeeping a month and a weekend of forensic work in April.
What banks ask for
Expect a know-your-customer check. Have ready:
- A valid passport or ID card.
- Your KVK extract (uittreksel), usually pulled automatically.
- Your BSN and your VAT number.
- A Dutch residential address registered in the BRP.
- A short, concrete description of what your business does and who pays you.
Traditional bank or fintech?
The large Dutch banks give you a genuine Dutch IBAN, iDEAL acceptance and physical branches, at a monthly fee and with slower onboarding. Fintech alternatives open in days, cost less and handle multi-currency well, but some issue a foreign IBAN, which occasionally trips up Dutch clients and direct debits. If you invoice Dutch companies or consumers, a Dutch IBAN removes friction.
How long it takes
Anywhere from one day to several weeks, depending on the bank and on whether your profile triggers extra compliance questions. Non-EU nationals and newly registered businesses are asked more. Applying the same week you register at the KVK is the simplest way to avoid a gap.
While you wait
You may invoice and receive payment on a private account in the meantime, but use a second private account used for nothing else, and transfer the balance across once the business account opens. Label those transactions clearly so the audit trail stays intact.
Once the account is live: set up two savings pots, one for VAT and one for income tax, and move money into them on the day a client pays. That single habit prevents most cash-flow emergencies freelancers run into.