Personal accounts: Belgium

Updated 5 October 2026

An honest assessment before work starts, the quote is fixed in writing.

A personal account in Belgium is easiest for someone who already lives in the country and is registered with the municipality: they have a national number and a Belgian card, and the bank sees a local address. Some banks also open accounts for non-residents, but checks take longer and services are sometimes narrower. Banks are supervised by the National Bank of Belgium and European banking supervision.

Resident and non-resident: which number you need

• A resident receives a foreigner's card and a national number after municipal registration. With them the account opens on standard terms, often online.
• A non-resident is served on a passport. If they have income or property in Belgium, they get a separate number in the register for people not registered with a municipality, and the bank uses it.

Right after moving, the account is opened in parallel with municipal registration: a lease and bank details are often needed at the same time. A rental deposit is by law held in a blocked bank account in the tenant's name, so a bank is needed even before moving into the flat.

What you need

• passport, and for a resident, the foreigner's card;
• proof of address in Belgium or your country of residence;
• tax number of your country of residence and a form for automatic exchange of tax information;
• proof of income and source of funds: employment contract, statements, contracts;
• for Russian nationals, an EU residence document if you have one.

Basic account and deposit protection

• Right to a basic bank account. A consumer legally resident in the EU is entitled to an account with basic services, and its fee is capped by law.
• Deposit protection: up to €100,000, about $112,100, per depositor per bank. Rate from the European Central Bank for 5 October 2026, $1.12 per euro.
• Sanctions limit. Banks do not accept deposits over €100,000 from Russian nationals without EU citizenship or residence, under EU Regulation 833/2014.

Taxes on the account

• Interest on ordinary deposits is taxed at 30%, withheld by the bank. Residents have an annual tax-free amount of interest on regulated savings accounts.
• Securities account tax: 0.15% a year if the average value of securities in the account exceeds €1 million, about $1.12 million.
• Tax residency. A Belgian resident has their home or centre of economic interests there; municipal registration creates that presumption.

How opening works

1. Profile assessment: status, nationality, source of funds, purpose.
2. Choosing a bank that works with your status.
3. Documents and proof of income.
4. Identity check at a branch, or online for residents with a Belgian card.
5. Account, card and online banking.

Why banks refuse

• No municipal registration or clear link to Belgium.
• Source of funds not proven.
• Sanctions risk by nationality or counterparties.
• Inconsistencies in the tax residency form.
• The address is not backed by documents such as a lease or municipal registration.

What we do

Murblz specialists assess your chances, choose a bank, prepare documents and the source-of-funds explanation, help with municipal registration when you move, and support the opening until the decision. We quote the cost after a short consultation; the decision always rests with the bank.

What we do

• Personal account - opening assistance

See also

Company formation · Business account · Investment property · Country taxes · All country programs

FAQ