Best Savings Accounts in the Netherlands (2026)

Saving money is an important step in managing personal finances – particularly in the Netherlands, where deposit rates have remained meaningfully positive following the European Central Bank’s recent rate-hiking cycle. Although the ECB has begun gradually cutting rates from the 2023-2024 peak, Dutch savers can still earn competitive returns on idle cash.

Whether you are an ambitious saver who prefers higher yields by locking money away for a defined period, or a more cautious one who values easy access at slightly lower returns, Dutch banks and EU-passported financial institutions offer a wide range of savings options.

In this article, we compare the best savings accounts available to Dutch residents – separating flexible (call) savings accounts from fixed-term deposits. We look at interest rates, management fees, minimum and maximum amounts, deposit guarantee coverage, and other key conditions.

Finally, we explain how to open a Dutch savings account, including the documentation and eligibility requirements you should expect.

Best regular (flexible) saving accounts in The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the “Regular Savings Account” is a basic savings account allowing you to deposit and withdraw money anytime. This type of account typically offers lower interest rates but provides easy access to your funds. The interest rate on these flexible saving accounts is variable and depends on market conditions.

Best fixed-term savings accounts in the Netherlands

As the name implies, a fixed-term deposit (or “depositorekening”) locks your money for a defined period in exchange for a typically higher interest rate. In the Netherlands, this format is widely used by savers looking to commit cash for a known horizon. Below is a comparison of competitive fixed-term offers available to Dutch residents, including through deposit aggregators such as Raisin.

Flexible saving accounts in The Netherlands Reviewed

Trading 212 Flexible savings account

UK fintech company Trading 212, with over €5bn in customer assets, has been around a long time and has one of the best services around when it comes to investing. With many innovative features, such as their PIEs and AutoInvest, you can make investing as simple as you like. It offers a free fractional share worth up to €100!

Interested in knowing more about this broker? Read our Trading 212 Review.

Trade Republic Flexible savings account

Trade Republic is a German broker founded in 2015. Keen to onboard new customers, Trade Republic was quick to offer customers 3.00% (new clients) interest on their uninvested cash. As Trade Republic is a broker, you’ll have the added benefit of being able to invest in stocks, ETFs, and many other financial instruments. Do you want to get more information on this broker? Read our Trade Republic Review.

Lightyear Flexible Saving Account

Lightyear is a European investment app that operates via the entity Lightyear Europe AS, authorized and regulated by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (EFSA – license number 4.1-1/31), with clients’ assets covered up to €20,000. Do you want to get more information on this broker? Read our Lightyear Review.

Wise Flexible Saving Account

Wise, formerly known as TransferWise, is a foreign exchange financial technology company based in the UK. It primarily targets people looking to send and receive money internationally cost-effectively. With Wise, you can hold your money in cash, stocks or interest. By choosing the interest form, your funds will be invested in government-backed short-term loans and bank deposits, and the interest earned will be passed to you.

OpenBank Flexible savings account

Openbank is a digital bank that offers various financial products and services, including savings accounts. It is a subsidiary of the Spanish bank Grupo Santander. In the Netherlands, OpenBank offers different types of saving accounts, including the flexible saving account called the “Spaarrekening account”.

YapiKredi Flexible saving account

YapiKredi is a prominent Turkish bank that primarily operates in Turkey, providing banking services to customers in the country. The bank does not have any physical branch in the Netherlands. However, it offers many financial products on the Dutch market, including savings accounts.YapiKredi flexible saving account is called “Euro Plus Savings Account”.

BigBank Flexible savings account

Bigbank is an Estonian-based bank primarily operating in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, and Spain. More recently, BigBank expanded its operation and entered the Dutch market. It provides many financial products and services, including saving accounts. BigBank’s flexible savings account is called the “flexibel-sparen” account.

Bunq Flexible Saving Account

Bunq is a digital online bank based in the Netherlands that provides various banking services, including payments, debit cards, loans and savings accounts. One of the key features of Bunq’s saving accounts is that they can be customised for each client. Customers can create multiple bank accounts within a single Bunq account. 

Fixed-term savings accounts in The Netherlands Reviewed

Klarna Fixed-term saving account

Klarna AB, the Sweden-based bank, recently launched new savings products in the Dutch market. The freely withdrawable and the fixed-term deposits are available through the Raisin savings platform.

Orange Bank Fixed-term saving account.

Orange Bank is a wholly-owned French telecom “Orange Group” subsidiary. The bank offers a wide range of financial services and products in Europe, including consumer loans, insurance and savings accounts. Orange Bank offers term deposits in the Netherlands on the platform Raisin through its Spanish branch in Madrid.

BigBank Fixed-term saving account.

The Estonian-based bank BigBank offers the Dutch market fixed-term saving options with attractive interest rates. Big bank’s fixed-term deposit is called “deposito contracten”.

OpenBank Fixed-Term Saving Account

This 100% digital bank offers fixed-term savings account options from 3 to 24 months. OpenBank can offer a “Welcome Savings Deposit” if you are a new customer. The latter pays a 3.00% interest rate on your money placed for 12 months without maximum investment. However, after the “Welcome” period, your account becomes a normal “Open Savings Deposit “ bearing a relatively low-interest rate on the Dutch market.

How to open a savings account in the Netherlands

Opening a savings account in the Netherlands is straightforward and can generally be done in a few steps:

1 – Choose your bank or provider

In the Netherlands, you can choose between well-known traditional banks (such as ABN Amro, Rabobank, and ING), Dutch digital banks (such as bunq), and EU-passported foreign banks operating mainly online. The latter category often offers more competitive interest rates than traditional Dutch banks, since they pass on more of the underlying ECB rate. Take time to compare options based on rate, deposit guarantee jurisdiction, withdrawal flexibility, and fee structure.

2 – Gather your identification documents

Before opening your account, make sure the following documents are ready. This will significantly speed up the application process:

• Proof of ID: passport or national identity card;
• Proof of address: a recent utility bill or tenancy agreement;
• Citizen Service Number (BSN, “burgerservicenummer”): required for Dutch citizens and registered residents;
• Dutch residence permit (verblijfsvergunning) or registration with the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND): required for foreigners residing in the Netherlands.

3 – Open your account

Most modern banks and EU-passported providers allow you to open an account fully online, often within minutes via a mobile app and a video identity verification step. Some traditional Dutch banks may still require an in-person appointment, particularly for joint accounts or accounts above certain balance thresholds.

4 – Bank confirmation

After submitting your application, account confirmation and IBAN issuance usually take between a few minutes and ten business days, depending on the provider and the complexity of the KYC checks. Once you receive your account details, you can fund your savings account and begin earning interest.

Final thoughts

In 2022, the European Central Bank began raising interest rates to combat inflation, which led Dutch banks and digital savings platforms to materially increase the rates offered on savings accounts. Since June 2024, the ECB has been gradually cutting rates again – and the Deposit Facility rate currently sits at around 2.25%. As a result, deposit rates across the Eurozone have been gradually decreasing, so if you find an attractive offer it may be worth locking it in via a fixed-term deposit before potential further cuts.

To maximise the return on your idle cash, compare providers carefully and consider digital banking platforms and broker-savings hybrids alongside traditional banks. Providers such as Trade Republic, Trading 212, and Lightyear generally offer higher headline rates than traditional Dutch banks. The trade-offs include the absence of physical branches, money market fund structures (in some cases) rather than direct deposits, and deposit guarantee schemes provided by the home country of the regulated entity rather than by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB).

Finally, keep in mind that savings rates change frequently in response to ECB policy decisions – the figures in this article reflect the situation at the time of the last update, so it is always worth verifying the current rate directly with the provider before opening an account. For larger balances, consider spreading deposits across multiple providers and DGS jurisdictions to stay within the €100,000-per-depositor protection limits.