A detaliled guide on how to open a N26 Bank account in Germany
As an expat in Germany, opening a bank account is pretty much the first thing you need to take care of once you enter the country. And the whole process truly intimidating and tedious at first. Especially if you are not proficient with the German language.
However, opening a N26 bank account is very easy! N26 is a very popular choice especially for international students and expats in Germany to open a bank account. This is because of how simple, responsive and user -friendly the interface of N26 is.
Before opening a bank account, let us cover up some basic information about N26.
What is N26?
N26 is a German Neobank with its headquarters in Berlin. It is a Direkt Bank in Germany known for solely focusing on Online Banking Services. It is a popular choice among expats and international students because of its convenience in usage.
Where do N26 banks operate?
There are 22 European countries covered by N26 Banking services. Additionally, the United States of America is a destination where you can avail N26’s services. N26 had to shut down their services in the UK recently, after the Brexit reforms.
Furthermore, N26 provides customer service in languages such as English, German, French, Italian and Spanish regardless of the customer’s area of residence.
What services does they provide?
A free current account! Yes, N26 offers a basic plan with a current account + debit card without charging monthly subscription fees. Customers also request overdraft and investment products. N26 also offers premium accounts which offer additional features for a monthly fee.
What conditions do I have to meet inorder to open a N26 Bank account?
- You have attained the age of 18
- The country you reside in has N26 Coverage
- You have a compatible Smartphone device
- Documents to verify your identity
What are the advantages of opening a N26 Bank Account?
- N26 offers a free basic Current account plan with a Debit Card
- It is a completely online operation, making it a very user-friendly interface
- N26 offers 24 hour customer service in English and other languages
As a result, N26 is widely regarded as the best bank for foreigners in Germany.
Now let us take a look at how to open a N26 Bank Account, step by step.
Step 1 : Visit the N26 Website or Download the N26 Mobile App
You can either visit the N26 Website or download the N26 Mobile App on your Phone. Click the button below to be redirected to the N26 Website.
Step 2 : Personal Details for your N26 Bank Account
The following step is the standard procedure of filling up your Personal information. For example, your Name, Date of Birth, Email ID and your Residential address. N26 will deliver your Debit card to your house, hence the requirement for a residential address.
Step 3 : Choose your N26 Bank Account Plan
Moving on to the most important part of opening your bank account with N26. That is of course choosing the plan that is right for you. N26 offers 4 different plans. Every Plan comes with certain features that are exclusive to the plans. Let us do a brief comparison:
1. N26 Standard
Firstly, the N26 Standard is a popular plan because it is free of cost. You do not have to pay any monthly subscription fee. In addition to that, the Standard plan gives you access to some very good features.
- Free Virtual Debit Card / Physical card delivered to home for 10 Euros
- 100% free mobile banking, and contactless payments
- Upto 3 free Withdrawals per month in Eurozone ATMs
- Customer Support in English through the Mobile App / Chatbot
2. N26 Smart
Secondly, N26 Smart is an upgrade on its free plan, with a subscription fee of 4.90 Euros per month. Additionally, this plan gives you more control over the bank account. Here are some of its features:
- Colored Debit Card + Option for additional card
- 100% free mobile banking, and contactless payments
- Upto 5 free withdrawals per month in the Eurozone ATMs
- Customer Support through Chatbot, Livechat and Phone hotline
- Round-up every card transaction to the nearest euro and consequently save the difference in a space
3. N26 You
The N26 You plan is more suitable for requent usage and travel purposes. But this plan costs you 9.90 Euros per month. Here are some of its features:
- Colored Debit Card + Option for additional card
- 100% free mobile banking, and contactless payments
- Upto 5 free withdrawals per month in the Eurozone ATMs
- Unlimited free withdrawals in any currency
- Medical, Travel, Luggage insurance coverage
- Customer Support through Chatbot, Livechat and Phone hotline
4. N26 Metal
Finally, the N26 Metal is a premium account with a metal card comes with a subscription fee of 16.90 Euros per month.
- 18 gram Metal Debit card + Option for additional card
- 100% free mobile banking, and contactless payments
- Upto 8 free withdrawals per month in the Eurozone ATMs
- Unlimited free withdrawals in any currency
- Medical, Travel, Luggage insurance coverage
- Special customer support on a priority hotline
Step 4 : Verifying your Identity
N26 is mandated to verify your identity before activating your bank account. This verification process can be done in two methods a) Photo Verification or b) Video Verification. Availability of this option depends on where you live. Choose from the following options to find out what documents and methods of verification is specifically supported in the region you live.
Step 5: Sit back, and relax!
That is it! With these simple steps, you are all set with opening your N26 bank account. You simply have to wait until your N26 Debit card is delivered to the specified address.
You can do a bank transfer right away to Top-up your N26 bank account. In addition to that, you can also start spending before your N26 card is delivered, using apps like Google and Apple Pay.
How hassle free was that? No visits to the branch up and down, no paper work, infact you did not even have to leave the house! Take any other bank for instance, you would have to make multiple visits to your local branch just to open your account.
Follow these above mentioned steps accordingly, and you can get your Bank account with N26 sorted in just 10 minutes.
For more details visit the N26 website for more details.
Are you interested in reading further blogs on Finance in Germany? Check out our content here!