Before you start

A valid passport or EU/EEA ID card (non-EU: residence permit or visa helps)
A Dutch residential address for most traditional-bank applications (bunq can be opened from abroad)
Your BSN if you want a fully unrestricted account from day one — otherwise plan to supply it within the grace period
A smartphone: nearly all onboarding is done in the bank's app via a video/ID selfie check

Step-by-step

1
Open a fintech account on day one for an instant Dutch IBAN
Download bunq (or Revolut/N26) and open an account with just your passport — bunq can be done fully online before you even land and issues a Dutch NL IBAN that works with iDEAL and Tikkie. This gives you an account to receive your first salary and pay rent while your BSN is still pending. Note Revolut issues a Lithuanian IBAN and N26 a German one, which behave less smoothly as a 'Dutch' account.
Mobile appWho: You~5-10 minutes; IBAN issued immediatelyFree tier available
2
Register at the gemeente (BRP) and get your BSN
Book an appointment with the Amsterdam municipality to register in the Personal Records Database (BRP). At (or shortly after) that appointment you receive your BSN — the number every Dutch bank is legally required to hold for you. Without a registered address you can't get a BSN, and without a BSN you can't fully finish a bank account.
In personWho: You (registration appointment at a Stadsloket)Appointment often 1-4 weeks out; BSN issued at/just afterFree
3
Open (or complete) a traditional bank account
With ID, a Dutch address and ideally your BSN, open an ING, ABN AMRO or Rabobank current account through their app. ING and ABN AMRO let you start without a BSN and add it later, but you must supply it within the grace period or the account is blocked. A mainstream bank is worth having for employer payroll, mortgages and full iDEAL acceptance.
Mobile appWho: YouApp onboarding ~10-15 min; debit card posted in a few business daysCurrent-account package roughly €2-4 per month
4
Add your BSN before the deadline and set up everyday payments
Once you have your BSN, enter it in each bank's app to keep the account fully active. Then activate your debit card (the everyday payment method here), set up iDEAL for online checkout, and download Tikkie for splitting bills. Many shops and restaurants refuse credit cards and even cash, so a working Dutch debit card is essential.
Mobile appWho: YouWithin ~90 days of opening the accountFree

Documents you’ll need

Valid passport or EU/EEA national ID card
Residence permit / visa (non-EU nationals)
Proof of a Dutch address (rental contract or BRP registration) for most traditional banks
BSN (citizen service number) — required to keep a full account active, supplied within the grace period if not available at opening

Things most newcomers don’t know

It's a chicken-and-egg loop, and the fintech account is how newcomers break it.

You need a BSN for a full bank account, a registered address for a BSN, and often a bank account for a job — so opening a fintech (bunq) first is the standard escape hatch, not a fringe hack.

Source: DutchReview

Not all 'no-BSN' fintechs are equal: bunq gives a Dutch NL IBAN (native iDEAL/Tikkie), while N26 (German) and Revolut (Lithuanian) behave like foreign accounts.

A foreign IBAN can cause friction with some Dutch employers, landlords and direct debits, so the choice of fintech matters more than it appears — Revolut even uses iDEAL only to top up, not as a native Dutch account.

Source: DutchReview / Revolut Help

The Netherlands runs on debit cards and iDEAL, not credit cards.

iDEAL handles 70%+ of online payments and many shops, market stalls and even restaurants accept neither credit cards nor cash. Arriving with only a foreign credit card can leave you literally unable to pay; a Dutch debit card and iDEAL are the real unlock.

Source: Dutch Payments Association

A bank account and DigiD are separate but linked: both hinge on your BSN.

DigiD (the government login for tax, healthcare and allowances) also requires your BSN, so the same BRP registration unlocks both — batch the paperwork.

Source: DutchReview

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming you can open a full traditional account immediately — without a BSN you usually get only a restricted account, and missing the ~90-day BSN deadline gets it blocked.
Choosing a fintech with a foreign IBAN (N26 German, Revolut Lithuanian) and then finding an employer or landlord won't pay into / debit it smoothly.
Relying on a credit card or cash: many Dutch merchants accept neither, and tourist-style cards may be declined at supermarkets and eateries.
Booking the gemeente registration late — the BSN appointment is the real bottleneck, and bank completion, DigiD and taxes all wait on it.