If you’re an expat or foreigner in Europe, you’re likely familiar with the hefty fees that come with using your card in foreign countries. Fortunately, you can open an online bank account with some of the best European bank to avoid such high fees. These banks will guarantee you better exchange rates and minimal fees. Furthermore, some offer free basic accounts with features such as multicurrency accounts, crypto banking, IBAN, and SEPA transfers. In this guide, we will provide you with some of the best banks for foreigners and expats in Europe.
Banks in Europe for Foreigners and Expats
N26
N26 offers European bank account for non-residents and foreigners. It’s an excellent online bank with a free basic account that suits the needs of an expat in Europe. N26 is available in EU and EEA member countries such as Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Iceland, Germany and the Netherlands. You can open a euro account in Europe and avoid exchange fees. You can open an N26 account from anywhere. To open your account, you need a smartphone, ID, email, and delivery address and internet connection. The address is for receiving a debit card. You can open a personal or a business account with N26.
N26 Features
- A debit card
- IBAN number and SEPA transfers
- 100% mobile banking
- Deposit protection of about €100,000
- 27/7 customer support
- Medical travel insurance
- N26 Business Account
N26 Plans
- N26 Standard Plan. It is free and comes with a MasterCard debit card, contactless payments, mobile payments, 100% mobile baking and up to 3 free withdrawals and analytics on your spending.
- N26 Smart plan. It costs €4.90 per month and comes with a free debit card, contactless payments, and mobile payments, up to 5 free withdrawals, insights on your spending, up to 10 shared subaccounts and deposit protection of about €100,000.
- N26 Metal plan. The premium account costs €16.90 and includes an 18-gram metal card, contactless payments, mobile payments, and an additional card. It also provides medical travel insurance, up to 8 free withdrawals in the Eurozone, and unlimited withdrawals in any currency. Additionally, it offers €100,000 deposit protection, a travel insurance package, and 24/7 chatbot support.
- N26 You plan. It costs €9.90 per month comes with a colorful debit card, contactless payments, mobile payments and an optional extra card, up to 5 free ATM withdrawals in the Eurozone and unlimited free withdrawals in any currency. It also offers shared subaccounts, insights on your spending and travel insurance package.
Wise
Wise is a digital bank that you can use to open an account with if you are an expat in Europe. It offers real exchange rates, and you can hold over 54 currencies. It comes with a debit card which you can use to spend. You can open a multicurrency account and get 10 local accounts details that can help you transact like a local. You can get local bank details in the British pound, Euro, US dollar, Australian dollar, New Zealand dollar Hungarian Forint, Romanian Leu and Singapore Dollar.
You can use the multicurrency account to receive, hold, spend, get paid and send money between different countries. You can also open a personal or a business account with Wise.
Wise Features
- A debit card
- IBAN accounts and SEPA transfers
- Multicurrency account
- Local bank details
- Wise Business Account
Wise Fees
- It’s free to open an account and there’s no monthly fees
- First Wise Debit MasterCard: Free
- Holding more than €70, 000 in EUR balance: 0.40% annually
- Getting bank details to receive currencies: A one-time fee of £16
- Card replacement fee: £3
Revolut
Revolut is one of the best banks in Europe for foreigners, including expats, students, and digital nomads. It is a crypto-friendly bank, meaning you can hold, buy, and receive cryptocurrencies with Revolut app. It is available within European Economic Area and many other countries like Australia, Singapore, Switzerland and Japan. You can use Revolut to hold, spend, send and receive money from abroad without exorbitant fees. With Revolut, you can open a personal or a Revolut business account.
Revolut Features
- Spending analytics
- Trade-in cryptocurrencies
- £200 free monthly ATM withdrawals
- Revolut Business Account
Revolut Fees and Plans
Revolut offers multicurrency accounts and comes with a debit card for international spending. Revolut has three plans:
- Standard plan. It is free, and you can use it to spend over 140 currencies, exchange in over 28 fiat currencies, free ATM withdrawals, and get a Revolut card and 10 free international transfers per month to any bank.
- Premium plan. It costs €9.99 per month. You can spend in over 140 currencies, exchange over 28 fiat currencies with no monthly limit, overseas medical insurance, virtual cards, 10 fee-free international bank transfers.
- Metal plan. It costs €16.99 per month. You can spend over 140 currencies, exchange in over 28 fiat currencies, 100% fee-free ATM withdrawals, trade-in cryptocurrencies, overseas medical insurance and your savings can earn 0.07% APY. You also get a Revolut metal card and 10 fee-free international transfers per month.
Get 3-Month Revolut Premium Trial
Bunq
Bunq is a digital multicurrency bank that is best suited for digital nomads and expats in Europe. If you are planning to move to Europe, you can consider opening an account with Bunq. You can open an account with the European Economic Area and you can send money to SEPA countries.
Bunq Features
- Local Spanish, German, French and Dutch IBAN
- Instant SEPA and SWIFT transfers
- Credit MasterCard
- 30-day free trial
Bunq Fees and Plans
- Easy Green. It costs €17.99 per month. The plan is liked with trees getting planted and for every 100 a user spends, 1 tree is planted.
- Easy Money. It costs€8.99 a month and comes with savings, spending and general banking features.
- Easy Bank. It costs €2.99 per month. This plan gives users 100% control over how they use their money and comes with a metal card.
Monese
Monese is a digital bank that can serve your needs if you are an expat in Europe. You can open a EUR or GBP current accounts using Monese. You can open a personal, business or a joint account and can access Monese banking services through the web or app.
Monese Fees and Plans
- Starter Plan. It is free. International money transfers cost 2.5% fee and 3.5% on weekends. It costs £/€44.5 to get a card for the first time. Cash top-ups cost 3.5% while ATM withdrawals cost £/€1.5.
- Essential Plan. Available for UK customers only. It costs £/€1.95 while money transfers cost 2% and 3.5% on weekends. Cash top-ups cost 3.5%. You get £/€200 free ATM withdrawals every month.
- Classic plan. It costs £/€14.95. Local and international money transfers are free, and you get free £/€500 ATM withdrawals and cash top-ups every month.
- Premium Plan. It costs £/€14.95 and comes with free international and local money transfers. The first card delivery is usually free. You get £/€1,500 free ATM withdrawals and cash top-ups every month.
Banking in Europe with Ease as an Expat or Foreigner
Choosing European bank for foreigners requires careful consideration. For those accustomed to frequent international money transfers and currency exchanges, Wise emerges as a good choice. With a focus on facilitating fast and low-cost international transfers by leveraging local bank details to mitigate the impact of exorbitant fees.
If you are wat to open a multicurrency accounts, N26, Wise, Revolut, Bunq, and Monese all offer multicurrency banking solutions. N26 provides a free basic account with mobile banking features, while Wise allows you to hold over 40 currencies and conduct transactions with local bank details. Revolut offers multicurrency accounts alongside cryptocurrency trading options, while Bunq allows you to save and spend across up to 22 local currencies directly from the Bunq app. Additionally, through their multi-currency Savings Accounts, you can earn a substantial interest rate of 3.71% on USD and GBP balances. Monese facilitates the management of GBP/EUR currencies and extends the convenience of joint account openings, alongside perks such as free ATM withdrawals.
Should you be inclined towards cryptocurrency trading, both N26 and Revolut stand out as crypto-friendly banks. They facilitate the trading and custody of digital assets alongside traditional currency holdings within a single banking platform.
Among the mentioned banks, Wise stands out as the most cost-effective option due to its fee structure. Wise offers free account opening and no monthly fees. Additionally, Wise imposes minimal fees for holding large balances in EUR, making it advantageous for users with substantial currency holdings. Conversely, other banks like N26, Revolut, Bunq, and Monese have varying fee structures, including monthly subscription fees and transaction charges.
The European online banks highlighted in this guide are convenient compared to traditional banks because they allow you to open a bank account virtually before going to Europe. Moreover, they provide the tools to spend, convert, and receive money while abroad.
