The easiest way to pay your bills is to open a bank account in The Netherlands. When you have a Dutch bank account you will receive a bank card with a Personal Identification Number with which you can pay at any shop or store in the Netherlands.
Banks can have difficult procedures to open an account. They may ask for your residence permit or they may ask for a BSN number upon opening an account. For this reason and the simple reason that we want our students to be able to open a bank account as soon as possible, we have an agreement with the Rabobank.
They will facilitate you as best as they can. You can make an appointment with them upon arrival. The Rabobank will be present on our Welcoming Day.
On the day of your appointment you need to go to the Rabobank in the city centre and you need to bring:
- Your valid passport
- A copy of your letter of acceptance (address verification abroad)
- Your rental contract (address verification in The Netherlands)
Note: students who bring more than (the equivalent of) € 10,000 in cash need to declare this to the customs authorities. When opening a bank account, the bank will ask for a copy of your declaration form. If you do not make a declaration, you run the risk of receiving a fine. Please read more on the site of the Dutch Customs Authorities.
You will receive your bank account number on the spot. Your banking card will be sent to you within a week. To keep the account active, you have to inform the Rabobank of your BSN (social security/citizen service) number within a month. In order to get a BSN number, you have to register yourself as a citizen of Groningen.
Of course you can always choose to go to any other bank, but we can not guarantee their service for international students.
Please note: it is important to close your bank account when you leave the Netherlands.
Rabobank Groningen
Guldenstraat 12
9712 CE Groningen
Phone + 31 (0)50 586 86 86
Fax + 31 (0)50 586 86 87
Opening hours:
Monday 13.00 – 18.00 hrs
Tuesday - Friday 10.00 – 14.00 hrs
Saturday 10.00 – 14.00 hrs
Website: www.rabobank.nl
The site is only in part in English, but you can have it translated by Google.