How to open a bank account in Ghent?

This post answers questions such as “How do I open a bank account in Ghent?”, “What bank should I choose?” and “Where are the ATMs in the centre of Ghent?”. We’ve focused on current accounts for individuals.

Which bank do I choose?

In this day and age we are spoiled for choice when it comes to banking matters. Most banks offers free accounts, online service, apps and credit cards. What should influence your choice is whether you need a joint bank account with your partner, if you need a credit card or not, what the limits are, the bank branch location (especially if you do many over-the-counter transactions); think proximity to your home/work, parking opportunities etc. Consider also other services like insurance, mortgages, business banking, an extra account for your rental guarantee, car loans, savings and investments which might affect your choice.

Open a bank account in Ghent

Here is a list of the major banks where you can open an account in Ghent (in no particular order). We like good service and as a newcomer from a foreign country, we appreciate websites in English, so these are highlighted, as are other details that are particularly good for expats opening a bank account in Ghent.

Argenta
AXA Bank Belgium
BBVA Belgium – BBVA Belgium doesn’t have branches in Ghent, but has online service. The bank is specialised in cross-country accounts and you can open an account using a currency of your choice. It started out in Belgium to cater for the Spanish speaking community. They also have an English-language website.
BNP Paribas Fortis – BNP Paribas Fortis has a dedicated page for expat customers. The expat-dedicated branch of BNP Paribas Fortis in Ghent is the one by the Kouter, on Zonnestraat 2.
Hellobank! – Hellobank! is a European digital direct bank, active in France, Belgium, Italy and Germany. Apply online to open an account. Sending documents digitally is possible. They also have an English-language website.
Europabank – Europabank provides one of the most central ATMs in Ghent, by the Groentenmarkt near Korenmarkt.
B post Bank – The national post office also has banking services. Perhaps if you send a lot of mail it is handy for you to have your bank in the same premises.
Beobank Belgium
Belfius
KBC Bank – KBC Bank has an English-language website.
ING – ING has an English-language website.

How to open a bank account in Ghent as a foreigner

In general you can apply online or in person. You provide an ID and proof of residence. Sometimes it is enough to have started the registration process, meaning you do not need the Belgian residence number before you open the bank account. Then you pick up your card and card reader for online banking from your closest branch, or the bank sends it home to you.

Some banks allow you to apply for a bank account even if you haven’t moved to Belgium yet. If you do so you will need to provide a significant amount of documents.

You need to prove your identity. The best is to have an international identification document, preferably an international passport in English.
You also need a proof of residency; a document not older than 1 year, preferably 6 months, where your address is mentioned. This should be a document sent by official administrative services where you currently live, or a driver’s licence with your address on it. Tax reports are also allowed if no older than 1 year.

CRS/FACTA

Legislation enabling jurisdictions to obtain information from their financial institutions and automatically exchange that information with other jurisdictions means you will need to fill in CRS and/or FACTA (if you are from the US) documents. See more in ING’s guide FAQ-sheet here.

The procedure to open a bank account are bank and country dependent, so you should check the application procedure with each individual bank in the list above.

Cash machines in Ghent

As you might have noticed, there are many things you can’t do in Ghent without paying cash e.g pay your taxi, pay your bill in some restaurants, buying stuff at most market stalls, hence you will need to use an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) eventually to lift out some cash from your bank account.

Note that you often you get your cash before your card is returned when using a Belgian ATM, so remember to always wait for your card after the transaction!

The very centre of Ghent doesn’t have many ATM’s available. That is why you should be prepared to queue for a while if you need to take out cash, especially in the evenings and weekends.

Most machines accept all Belgian bank cards and international credit cards.

MasterCard offers a good app and website (in Dutch) called MasterCard Nearby where you can look for the nearest ATM.

Credit card

If you are interested in getting a credit card, check out the Money Saver comparison site.

No cash? No card?

Want to go shopping and leave your wallet at home? There is a Belgian startup providing the app Payconiq, enabling you to pay with your smartphone.

Note: the information on this page is based on the information found on local websites, and on the experience of the authors. We have done our best to make sure it is up to date, however information change over time. Please check the latest information from the bank in question.

About the author:

Jenny is originally from Finland and moved to Ghent in 2019. Now she works as self-employed organising events, supporting businesses with marketing and helping people starting their own businesses by being a community manager of Entrepreneurs Anonymous & co-organiser of Freelance Business Day. Find out more and connect with her on LinkedIn.