Before you start

National register number, issued after the wijkagent check
Belgian eID, or Bijlage 15 plus passport depending on the bank
Proof of address
A Belgian mobile number for two-factor authentication

Step-by-step

1
Wait for the national register number
Most banks will not complete onboarding without it. Some will open a limited account on a Bijlage 15 and passport, but policy differs by bank and even by branch — ask before booking an appointment.
In personWho: YouAfter city registration
2
Compare on fees, not on brand
KBC and Argenta are Flemish institutions with heavy branch coverage here; BNP Paribas Fortis, ING Belgium and Belfius are national. Nearly all charge an annual account fee plus card fees, and the standardised fee document they are obliged to give you is the honest comparison. Student packages are often free and several banks will apply them to anyone enrolled, including a doctoral researcher on a payroll contract.
OnlineWho: You
3
Activate itsme as soon as the eID arrives
itsme is the key to MyMinfin, ziekenfonds portals, city e-services and most bank logins. Activation normally needs a Belgian eID with its PIN, or a Belgian bank card and reader. Until then you will be doing in person what residents do on a phone.
Mobile appWho: You
4
Get a Bancontact debit card and expect it to be the default
Bancontact is the domestic debit scheme and is accepted almost everywhere, including small shops, market stalls and surgeries that may refuse a foreign Visa or Mastercard. Payconiq QR payment runs alongside it and is common in cafés and at the Gentse Feesten stalls.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Invoke the basic banking service if you are refused
Belgian law gives residents a right to a basic banking service with essential payment functions. Newly-arrived foreign residents are exactly the group most often refused on internal risk criteria, and most simply try elsewhere rather than knowing the entitlement exists.
In personWho: You
6
Keep a specialist service for non-euro transfers
Belgian bank FX spreads are poor. Wise and Revolut are widely used, though a Belgian IBAN remains smoother for salary, rent, utilities and any government or ziekenfonds reimbursement.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

eID, or Bijlage 15 with passport
National register number
Proof of address
Employment contract or enrolment certificate, sometimes requested
Tax residence declaration (FATCA/CRS), always requested

Things most newcomers don’t know

itsme gates Belgian digital life and obtaining it is circular.

Tax filing, health fund portals, city e-services, pension records and most bank logins run through itsme. Activating it normally requires a Belgian eID and PIN, or a Belgian bank card and reader — and the eID requires city registration, which requires the police check. Arrivals hit this loop in week three and conclude the country is obstructive. It is simply sequential: city, register number, eID, itsme, then everything opens at once.

Source: community-reported; FPS Home Affairs

Belgian current accounts usually charge an annual fee, and in a student city there is an easy way round it.

Most banks here charge to hold a current account and again per card. But Ghent's banks compete hard for a very large student population, and the free student and under-26 packages are real products rather than teaser rates. If you are enrolled at UGent or one of the colleges — including as a doctoral researcher on a payroll contract — ask explicitly, because the branch will otherwise sell you the standard package.

Source: community-reported

There is a legal right to a basic banking service if a bank turns you away.

Belgian law obliges the sector to provide residents with a basic account offering essential payment functions. Refusals of foreign residents in their first months are common and usually generic rather than personal. Naming the entitlement converts many soft refusals on the spot, and there is a formal route when it does not — most newcomers never learn it exists and just try the next bank.

Source: FPS Economy

Bancontact, not your international card, is the one that always works.

The domestic debit scheme is accepted essentially everywhere, including bakeries, market stalls and doctors' surgeries where a foreign-issued credit card can fail. Ghent is broadly cashless, but the gap between 'card accepted' and 'your card accepted' is real in exactly the small everyday places. Carry some cash until the Belgian debit card lands.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Trying to open an account before the city issues your national register number.
Signing up without reading the standardised fee document, or without asking about the student package.
Assuming a foreign Visa or Mastercard works everywhere Bancontact does.
Accepting a refusal rather than asking for the basic banking service.
Sending large non-euro transfers through a Belgian bank.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.