Bank Account

Your financial affairs should run smoothly if you open a bank account in the Netherlands and obtain a bankcard. To be able to open a bank account, you need to have an address in the Netherlands and be registered with the municipality, which will provide you with a BSN (Burgerservicenummer). A BSN is a personal tax and social security number.

More information on registration with the municipality and a BSN is available on our website at : registration-municipality

Students from outside the EU/EEA must have a sticker in their passport stating they have applied for a residence permit.

Your bankcard, combined with a four-digit PIN code, will allow you to withdraw cash from cash dispensers.

If you wish to open a bank account please ask the International Office for your degree programme for advice.

Currency

Currency in the Netherlands is known as the euro, abbreviated by eur or €. The currency in circulation comes in the following forms: coins of one, two, five, ten, twenty and fifty eurocents, and of one and two euros. Notes are available in denominations of € 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. Most shops do not accept bank notes of € 100 or above.
Most small payments in the Netherlands are made in cash, although an increasing number of shops and supermarkets have instituted bank card and PIN code systems.

Cash dispensers (ATMs)

If you have a Cirrus, Plus, or Euro Card/ MasterCard bank card or a credit card with a four-digit PIN number, you will be able to withdraw money from your home bank account from one of the numerous cash dispensers in Amsterdam. Please inquire at your home bank about this service, its conditions and costs.

Credit cards

Credit cards are becoming more popular in the Netherlands, although they are not as common as in the USA or France, and large payments are generally made through a bank account. Make sure you have a bank card enabling you to draw money from a cash dispenser or that you have some euros on you.

Money exchange

Money can be exchanged 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Centraal Station (Amsterdam central railway station) and at Schiphol Airport.

In the Netherlands you can generally pay with euros only, though some tourist attractions may accept other currency as well.