Credit cards in the Netherlands for expats: who can apply?

Entry requirements per issuer

“Not stated” is not the same as “allowed”: only ABN AMRO mentions residence permits on the pages we checked. If you hold a temporary permit, ask the issuer before you apply.

New in the Netherlands: what BKR means for you

BKR is the Dutch credit register. According to BKR’s own FAQ, a credit card with a limit above €250 is registered there, while a charge card (you pay the full balance every month) is not — unless you fall behind on payments. Issuers ask for no negative registration. If you have just arrived you have no Dutch registrations at all, so there is nothing negative on file; you can check your own record for free at mijnkredietregistratie.nl. An empty record does not mean automatic approval: every issuer above still assesses your financial situation, and most also apply a published income rule.

Which route fits your situation?

• You already bank with ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank, Knab, ASN, SNS or Van Lanschot Kempen: start with that bank’s card — it is the only route where the account requirement is already met. The lowest fees in those routes: ING Creditcard More €24 a year, Rabo GoldCard €15–€24 a year with Rabo Free or Standaard (included with Comfort and RiantPakket), Knab Creditcard €31 a year (since 1 November 2026), ABN AMRO Credit Card €30.60 a year.
• You don’t bank with one of those seven, but you earn a gross €30,000 a year: American Express is the only issuer in our comparison that asks for neither a specific Dutch bank account nor a net monthly figure. The Blue Card costs €3 a month (€36 a year). Check the identification step first: the online application asks you to identify yourself via iDIN.
  • The iDIN issuer list on idin.nl (checked 19 October 2026) names the itsme app and these Dutch banks: ABN AMRO, ASN Bank (including former SNS and RegioBank customers), bunq, ING, Rabobank and RegioBank. No foreign bank is on it, and neither is Knab.
  • American Express’s own pages only describe logging in with your own bank. itsme’s help page describes setting up the app with a Dutch address and a Dutch ID card or residence card, but no American Express source we found says its iDIN step accepts itsme — so don’t count on it.
  • No account at a listed bank (for example only a foreign account)? Contact American Express before you apply. A current account at a listed bank, such as bunq, lets you use iDIN.
  • idin.nl says itsme will gradually replace iDIN, so this step may change.
• You have a Dutch IBAN and a fixed net income of €1,500 a month: the ANWB Visa Classic Card costs €31.70 a year (since 1 November 2026), on top of ANWB membership (the ANWB page mentions membership from €17.75 a year).
• None of the above yet: open a Dutch current account first, then apply once your salary is paid into it. If you are aiming for American Express, pick a bank on the iDIN list above. Debit cards from bunq, Revolut or Wise are not credit cards and are not part of this comparison.

Checklist before you apply

• Registered Dutch address (every issuer above requires living in the Netherlands, a Dutch address or an account at a Dutch bank).
• Valid ID: passport or ID card (American Express names both).
• Proof of income: a recent payslip (ANWB) or your gross annual income (American Express).
• Your BSN (ANWB lists it among the details you need).
• For American Express: online banking at one of the iDIN banks listed on idin.nl (American Express describes the iDIN step as logging in with your own bank).
• The current account the card will be linked to — and for ING, Rabobank and Knab, income actually paid into it.
• Paying abroad? All American Express cards charge 2.5% on non-euro payments, most other cards 2%. See our foreign transaction fee comparison (in Dutch).

NUXO is an independent comparison site, not a financial adviser. We receive no fee from any issuer mentioned here. Our comparison pages are in Dutch; the figures on them are the same issuer-checked figures used in this article.