Savings accounts in the Netherlands in 2026: easy access vs fixed term, teaser rates and the €100,000 guarantee

Once your salary is paid in euros, money tends to pile up in your Dutch current account. The big banks still pay little more than 1% on easy-access savings, while app banks, banks from other EU countries and savings platforms advertise numbers around 3%. The gap is large enough to be worth a look, but the offers are hard to compare at a glance.

This article starts from Expatica's "Best savings accounts in the Netherlands for expats" (updated 30 September 2026, rates checked 18 September). We compared it with coverage from DutchReview, NL Times, DutchNews, IamExpat, ACCESS, Xpat.nl and The Hague International Centre, and checked the numbers against primary sources: the Dutch central bank DNB (De Nederlandsche Bank), the tax authority Belastingdienst, the European Central Bank and the banks' own pages.

This is not a recommendation for any bank or product. It sets out what to look at when you compare. Rates are given with the date we saw them, and nearly all of them are variable. Check the bank's own page before you open anything. For the wealth tax, see our separate article on Box 3 tax changes for 2027 and 2028; here we only cover the parts that affect how you choose a savings account.

Main sources for this article

• Expatica, "Best savings accounts in the Netherlands for expats" (updated 30 September 2026)
• DNB's Dutch deposit guarantee pages and its news item of 21 January 2026
• ECB, "Key ECB interest rates" (up to the change effective 16 September 2026)
• bunq's savings page (checked 25 October 2026) and Raisin's article of 16 October 2026
• Belastingdienst, Box 3 tax-free allowance

1. What is happening: the ECB raised rates, the big Dutch banks barely moved

2026 is the year euro rates turned upwards again. The ECB raised its deposit facility rate from 2.00% to 2.25% on 17 June and to 2.50% on 16 September (ECB). The next policy meeting is scheduled for 28–29 October.

Easy-access rates at the big Dutch banks have hardly followed. DutchReview notes that ABN AMRO has paid around 1.25% for years (DutchReview, 21 July 2026). According to a 16 October 2026 article from the savings platform Raisin, ABN AMRO kept 1.25% on balances up to €500,000, Rabobank raised the rate on the first €10,000 by 0.10 points to 1.60%, and ING stayed at 1.00% (Raisin).

Fixed-term rates did move in October

What the big three did raise in October were fixed-term deposits. Raisin reports that ABN AMRO's one-year rate went from 2.00% to 2.25% and its five-year rate from 2.50% to 2.75%. Rabobank's one-year rate rose from 1.65% to 1.85% on 14 October, and ING moved its one-year rate to 2.50% on the same day. Keep in mind that Raisin sells deposits at competing banks, so check each bank's own rate page.

"3% elsewhere in Europe"

On 10 May 2026, NL Times reported that one- to five-year deposits at banks across Europe had reached 3% or more, with one-year rates at 3.00% for the first time since December 2024 (NL Times). The article put the gap for an average saver with €50,000 at close to €500 a year compared with the best foreign offers. In January, comparison site Geld.nl found that smaller banks paid up to one percentage point more than the big banks on five-year deposits (NL Times, 25 January 2026).

The chart below sets common easy-access rates from September and October 2026 against the ECB deposit rate.

The big banks sit roughly one percentage point below the ECB rate. bunq's 3.11% looks like the winner, but it is a conditional rate that does not apply to every euro you hold (see section 5).

Why the big banks are slow

In a preliminary report in May 2024, the competition authority ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt) found that ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank faced "insufficient competitive pressure" to raise savings rates. It found no illegal agreement, but said "tacit coordination", banks watching and following each other, was plausible (DutchNews, 28 May 2024). Barriers to switching included low awareness of alternatives, distrust of foreign providers and savings accounts tied to current accounts.

The pot is large. IamExpat reported €481 billion in Dutch savings accounts in June 2024, about 90% of it at ING, ABN AMRO, Rabobank and Volksbank (IamExpat, 5 September 2024). DNB says €637 billion of deposits was covered by the deposit guarantee at the end of September 2025 (DNB, 21 January 2026).

2. The map: types of savings, and things that are not savings

There are several places to park cash in the Netherlands, and not all of them are deposits. Sorting them first makes the advertised numbers easier to read.

The first four rows are deposits. Expatica also limited its ranking to ordinary deposits and left out investment-based cash products and e-money balances. DNB states that shares, bonds, insurance and crypto-assets such as bitcoin are not covered (DNB).

In the Netherlands, the account you pay with (betaalrekening) and the account you save in (spaarrekening) are normally separate. ACCESS notes that current accounts usually pay no interest and charge a monthly fee (ACCESS). Moving money between them in the app is instant at the same bank.

3. Easy-access savings: what to compare beyond the rate

Vrij opneembaar means "freely withdrawable". You can move money in and out at any time, but the rate is variable and the bank can change it whenever it likes. This is where an emergency fund belongs.

Five things to check

Picking on the headline rate alone can leave you with an account that is awkward to use. From Expatica's comparison, these are the points worth checking:

"Easy access" does not always mean "instant". If an account holds your emergency money, check how fast a withdrawal reaches your current account.

The three easy-access accounts in Expatica's list

Expatica highlighted three easy-access accounts on 18 September 2026. All are variable.

In each case the eye-catching number comes with a time limit or a condition. Section 5 converts them into a one-year figure.

4. Fixed-term deposits: locking a rate, and locking your money

A deposito fixes your rate for a set period. In return, you normally cannot take the money out before the end date. Fixed terms protect you if rates fall and hold you back if they rise. They suit money you are sure you will not need for the term.

Rates by term (September–October 2026)

The table combines figures from Expatica and Raisin. Note that the check dates differ by bank.

bunq and Bigbank are Expatica's 18 September figures; ABN AMRO, Rabobank and ING are the post-October rates reported by Raisin on 16 October. Expatica lists ABN AMRO's one-year rate at 2.00%, which was the rate before the October increase.

The same Raisin article also has a summary table that names ABN AMRO's 2.25% as the best one-year rate among the big three, which contradicts the 2.50% it gives for ING. Even a single article does not always agree with itself, which is one more reason to check the bank's own page.

Can you get out early?

Early-exit rules vary a lot, and some products simply do not allow it.

If you might move house, buy a car or change countries within the term, keep the amount you lock away modest. Splitting a sum across one, two and three years (a "ladder") means something matures every year, which gives you both flexibility and a chance to reinvest if rates rise.

5. Reading the rate: teaser periods, bonus rules, and "variable"

Many of the highest numbers in Dutch savings ads are either a welcome rate (welkomstrente) or a conditional bonus rate (bonusrente). Convert them into one year of interest before you compare.

Turning a teaser into a yearly figure

Using Expatica's rates, here is €20,000 held for one year:

This is a simple calculation that ignores compounding and payment timing, and it assumes the after-teaser rate stays where it is. Because that rate is also variable, the real result can be higher or lower.

A high opening number still ends up around 2.5% over a year. Hopping to a new teaser every six months is possible in theory, but each move means a new identity check, a new app and a new account to declare.

How bunq's threshold works

According to bunq's own page (checked 25 October 2026), its top rate of 3.11% is conditional. From your first deposit until the next 1 January or 1 July, all your savings earn 3.11%. After that, on 1 January and 1 July each year, bunq sets a threshold (drempel) equal to your highest balance over the previous six months.

Money up to the threshold earns a base rate: 1.61% on the first €10,000 and 1.51% on the rest. Only growth above the threshold earns 3.11% (bunq). That rewards people who keep adding money. If your balance stays flat, you drift towards the base rate.

Different sources, different numbers

Comparison site Keuze.nl, writing on 15 October 2026, put ING and ABN AMRO "between 1% and 1.25%" (Keuze.nl). None of these sources is wrong; they were simply written on different days. Use articles to get a sense of the range, and check the bank's page on the day you apply.

New-customer offers

DutchReview reports that Trade Republic pays new Dutch customers 3% on up to €50,000, with the ECB rate applying above that (DutchReview). That article is sponsored by Trade Republic. As a rule, check whether an offer applies only to new customers and what existing customers receive.

6. The deposit guarantee: what €100,000 really covers

A deposit guarantee scheme (DGS) repays savers up to a limit if a bank fails. The Dutch version, the Nederlandse Depositogarantie, is run by DNB. In DNB's own survey, 72% of people in the Netherlands had heard of it.

The basic rules

Source: DNB, "Tot welk bedrag is mijn geld beschermd?". Two rules catch people out. Different brands of the same bank count as one bank. And your share of a joint account is added to your other accounts at that bank. In DNB's example, if you also hold €80,000 in your own name at the same bank, you are covered for €100,000 in total, not more.

Temporary high balances

If your balance jumps because of a specific event, such as the sale of your home, up to an extra €500,000 is covered for six months after the money arrives. Since 1 September 2025 this also applies to insurance payouts and compensation for crime or wrongful conviction. The extra cover applies only to individuals, and if a bank fails you must show that the balance was temporary.

As the middle row shows, a different app or name does not make a different bank if the licence is the same. Expatica gives the same warning: check whether two brands share one licence.

Checking your bank

DNB publishes a register of banks covered by the Dutch scheme. Banks from other EU countries operating here belong to their home country's scheme, which DNB describes as offering comparable protection (DNB). Your bank can tell you which scheme covers your money.

Seven days or ten?

Older DNB Q&A pages mention a payout period of ten working days. DNB's 2026 news item says seven. Under the EU directive the period was shortened in steps and has been seven working days since 1 January 2024. If an explainer you are reading says ten, check its date.

Beware of scams

DNB warns that fraudsters pretend to be DNB and ask for PIN codes (DNB). Neither DNB nor your bank will ever ask for your PIN by phone or message.

7. Dutch banks, other EU banks and savings platforms

Residents of the Netherlands can save in three broad ways. The cap is the same €100,000 in almost every case; what changes is which country protects you and who you deal with if something goes wrong.

The "protected by" column follows Expatica. Openbank is covered by the Spanish scheme and Bigbank by the Estonian one, each up to €100,000. A Dutch-language website does not mean Dutch protection.

Does the home scheme matter?

EU deposit guarantees follow a common directive, so the €100,000 cap and payout deadlines are aligned across member states. The practical differences are the contact point, the language of the paperwork and how the payout reaches you. DutchReview makes the same point: the rules and claims process are those of the country where the bank is licensed. If you are comfortable dealing with an agency in Madrid or Tallinn in a worst case, the difference is small.

How a platform like Raisin works

Raisin lets you open accounts at more than 60 partner banks across Europe with one login (Raisin). Your money is held by the partner bank you choose, not by Raisin. According to DutchReview, all deposits and withdrawals pass through one linked account of your own, usually your Dutch current account, and transfers take one to three days (DutchReview, 20 August 2026).

The €100,000 cap applies per partner bank. Spreading money across several partner banks gives you a separate limit at each. But if you also hold money directly at one of those banks, the two balances are added together.

Before you sign up to a platform

Some foreign banks withhold tax on interest in their home country. Raisin marks the accounts it lists as "Geen bronbelasting" (no withholding tax), but check this for each product.

8. Opening an account: BSN, address and a linked Dutch account

Most savings providers ask for a registered Dutch address and a BSN (burgerservicenummer, citizen service number). In your first weeks, that narrows your options.

Sources disagree on the BSN

The grace periods differ (six weeks vs 90 days), and some Xpat.nl pages are several years old. A safe working assumption: you may get a current account without a BSN, but savings-only banks and platforms usually require one.

The Hague International Centre lists a passport or ID card, proof of address such as a rental contract, and your residence permit if you have one (The Hague International Centre). You get your BSN when you register with your municipality (The Hague International Centre, BSN).

The tegenrekening

A tegenrekening is the linked current account in your own name that a savings account pays out to. At savings-only banks and platforms, every withdrawal goes back to that account. Because you cannot send money from savings to a third party directly, it also works as a fraud barrier.

Expatica notes that Bigbank requires a Dutch IBAN as the linked account, serves only people living in the Netherlands, and offers savings and deposits in a single name only, so no joint accounts. Openbank and ABN AMRO require a linked current account with them.

IBAN discrimination is banned, with limits

Article 9 of the EU SEPA Regulation (260/2012) forbids payers and payees from dictating the EU country in which an account must be held (EUR-Lex). If an employer or landlord refuses a foreign euro IBAN, that is your legal basis. Savings products that require a Dutch linked account, however, are common and treated as a product condition.

US citizens and green card holders

DutchReview notes that US persons cannot use Raisin because of FATCA reporting rules. Other providers have similar limits. If you are a US person, check eligibility before you start an application.

9. Tax: the Box 3 basics

Tax on savings works very differently from many countries. Our Box 3 article covers the details and the reforms; here are the points that matter when choosing an account.

No tax deducted from interest

Dutch banks do not withhold tax on interest. Instead, your assets on 1 January each year fall under Box 3, the savings and investment box. In 2026 the tax-free allowance is €59,357 per person, or €118,714 with a tax partner (Belastingdienst).

The deemed return comes from Belastingdienst's 2026 calculation rules. The savings rate is provisional during the year and confirmed afterwards.

A worked example

A single person with €80,000 in savings on 1 January 2026: €20,643 above the allowance × 1.28% ≈ €264 deemed return, × 36% ≈ €95 tax. Whether that person earns €2,400 at 3% or €1,000 at 1.25%, the 2026 Box 3 bill is the same.

In other words, under the current rules a higher rate does not raise your tax. When Expatica says headline interest is not your true return, it is because Box 3 applies to balances above the allowance. From 2028, a switch to taxing actual interest is planned but not yet law.

Foreign accounts count too

If you are a Dutch tax resident, savings abroad belong in Box 3. DutchReview puts it simply: the Belastingdienst taxes wealth, not just income. Foreign banks will not pre-fill your Dutch return, so keep a statement of each account's 1 January balance every year.

People with the 30% ruling should note that the option to be treated as a partial non-resident, which kept foreign savings out of Box 3, was abolished from 2025. Only those with a transitional right can still use it, and only up to the 2026 tax year. Our Box 3 article explains the conditions.

10. Savings in your home country

Many internationals keep an account at home for a pension, a mortgage, family transfers or simply because closing it is a hassle. A few points apply almost everywhere.

Under the OECD's Common Reporting Standard, banks in participating countries report accounts held by foreign tax residents to their own tax authority, which passes the data on. Not declaring a home-country account is not a realistic option.

Currency risk

DutchReview gives a simple example: a 4% return disappears if the currency falls 6% against the euro. If you plan to return home, keeping part of your savings in your home currency may be a sensible hedge. If you plan to stay, money you will spend in euros is exposed to currency swings while it sits in another currency.

Home-country protection

Deposit guarantees outside the EU follow their own rules. Some cover only domestic-currency deposits, some have much lower or higher caps, and some exclude certain account types. Look up your home scheme rather than assuming it matches the Dutch one.

11. Example situations (fictional)

These fictional cases show how the same rules lead to different answers. They are not product recommendations.

A newcomer like A should prioritise reliable salary and rent payments. Most foreign banks and platforms require a Dutch linked account anyway, so the current account comes first. B is covered up to €200,000 on the joint account, but personal accounts at the same bank are added to each partner's share. C gains a separate €100,000 limit at each bank licence, but not by using two brands of the same bank.

Long-term residents

If you have lived here for years, check whether money has been sitting in a big-bank savings account since you arrived. On NL Times' figures, €50,000 can mean a difference of several hundred euros a year. Weigh that against the extra apps, logins and paperwork.

12. Common mistakes

Savings feel safe, but misreading the conditions can cost money or leave cash stuck.

One easy one to miss: your current account counts towards the €100,000 too. If your salary piles up there, add it to your savings at the same bank when you check the limit.

13. Step by step

1. Register at your municipality and get your BSN.
2. Open a current account and get salary and rent running smoothly.
3. Move three to six months of living costs into easy-access savings.
4. For money you won't need for years, compare fixed-term rates and early-exit rules.
5. Check which country's scheme covers each bank you consider.
6. Turn teaser rates into a one-year figure before comparing.
7. Make sure no single bank licence holds more than €100,000 of yours.
8. Save each account's 1 January balance, at home and abroad, for your tax return.

Checklist:

• I know how fast an easy-access withdrawal reaches my current account
• I know whether my fixed term can be broken, and at what rate
• I know which country's deposit guarantee covers each account
• Someone I trust knows which banks I use and how I log in
• I have my 1 January balances for Box 3

14. Summary

• Split savings into easy access (emergency fund) and fixed term (money you won't touch).
• In October 2026, the ECB rate was 2.50% while big-bank easy-access savings paid 1.00–1.60%.
• Convert teaser and bonus rates into a full year before comparing; almost all are variable.
• The guarantee is €100,000 per person per bank licence; joint accounts get €200,000.
• Foreign EU banks and platforms have the same cap but a different country and claims process.
• Expect to need a BSN, an address and a linked Dutch IBAN.
• Declare savings at home and abroad in Box 3, and mind the currency.

Sources

Starting article

• Best savings accounts in the Netherlands for expats — Expatica: easy-access and fixed-term comparison, teaser rates, home schemes, account requirements (updated 30 September 2026, rates checked 18 September)

Resident-focused media

• 7 things to know about foreign savings accounts in NL — DutchReview: Box 3, currency risk, home schemes (21 July 2026, sponsored)
• 7 questions about using savings platform Raisin in the Netherlands — DutchReview: how platforms work, documents, FATCA (20 August 2026)
• Dutch banks lag as European one-year deposit rates hit 3% — NL Times: European deposit rates (10 May 2026)
• Smaller Dutch banks offer highest deposit rates in Europe — NL Times: big vs small banks (25 January 2026)
• Lack of competition hits Dutch banks' savings rates: watchdog — DutchNews.nl: ACM preliminary findings (28 May 2024)
• More Dutch residents are putting their money into savings and investments — IamExpat: savings totals and concentration (5 September 2024)
• Banking in the Netherlands — ACCESS: account types, opening without a BSN
• Opening a Bank Account in the Netherlands — Xpat.nl: documents and BSN
• Banking made easy with ABN AMRO — Xpat.nl: BSN within six weeks
• Banking — The Hague International Centre: registration and documents
• Citizen Service Number (BSN) — The Hague International Centre: getting a BSN

Authorities and primary sources

• Key ECB interest rates — ECB: deposit facility rate 2.25% from 17 June, 2.50% from 16 September 2026
• Tot welk bedrag is mijn geld beschermd? — DNB: €100,000, joint accounts, temporary high balances
• Is het geld van iedereen beschermd? — DNB: who and what is covered
• Is het geld bij mijn bank beschermd? — DNB: brand names, other EU banks
• Register Nederlandse Depositogarantie — DNB: covered banks
• Over 70% aware of the deposit guarantee — DNB: 72% awareness, 7 days, €637 billion (21 January 2026)
• Dutch deposit guarantee — DNB: contact and scam warning
• Heffingsvrij vermogen — Belastingdienst: 2026 allowance
• Belastingberekening 2026 — Belastingdienst: deemed returns and rate
• Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 — EUR-Lex: SEPA and IBAN rules

Banks, platforms and comparison sites

• Spaarrekening — bunq: 3.11% bonus, threshold, base rates 1.61% and 1.51% (checked 25 October 2026)
• Raisin Nederland — Raisin: partner banks, fees, withholding-tax labels
• Rate increases at ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank — Raisin: October rate changes (16 October 2026)
• Spaarrente stijgt overal, behalve bij jouw bank — Keuze.nl: big-bank easy-access rates (15 October 2026)

All checked on 25 October 2026. Rates are variable and promotional terms change often. Nothing here is a recommendation for a particular product. Check the bank's own page before you open an account, and ask a tax adviser about your own situation.

Original article

Best savings accounts in the Netherlands for expats — Expatica