Bank account and accommodation

You can open a bank account based on your passport, but you'll have to provide your belgian ID card as soon as possible (within the 3 months if I remember correctly), or your bank account will be blocked until you provide the ID card.

Meaning that you can't open a bank account online.
You'll have to go to an physical agency (book an appointment)

Hi,

Take contact with KBC. They have a dedicated package for expatriate.

https://www.kbcbrussels.be/retail/en/ex … one=topnav

There is no address on my passport, I will translate my actual ID card to use its address once in Belgium. Thank you so much Alex.

Thank you phipiemar, I will contact them

They don't care about your Tunisian address but your Belgium one
You need at least a temporary address when you arrive in Belgium (hostel, whatever...), that you can change when you settle for good.
They've to be able to send you your bank card and papers. (you'll also need a Belgian phone number and mail, but that's obvious...)

I will use the hotel address then. Really appreciate your help Alex 

Sorry but almost most information here is wrong. And my experience is quite recent.

Hotel/AIrBNB/anything similar isn't a valid address, notice even sub-renting (like bedrooms in someone house), if the owner isn't Belgian isn't allowed. This isn't clear anywhere, but you can go to any cityhall and you'll get this info.

Yes, you'll need to find a permanent residence ASAP, but this will take some weeks. And if you are not in Brussels (in Brussels you will find the Bureau des Etranges), the ID will take one or two months (you will need an appointment, and someone who speaks French or Dutch (preferably matching you Commune).

So, go for an Expat account, they will use your Tax Identification from your country, and also your address from your country. This is the only viable way to get an account, or you'll need to get the ID.

My recommendation is ING and BNP Fortis, they have the specific EXPAT account. Do it BEFORE comming here, it's all made by e-mail. Then here you will schedule and appointment to get your card, then you will have time to get the ID.

Also open an account in a online bank, like N26 or Revolut, they are very good, but they can't provide you and Block Account, which you will need to rent you home here.

fernandoks wrote:

Sorry but almost most information here is wrong. And my experience is quite recent.

Hotel/AIrBNB/anything similar isn't a valid address, notice even sub-renting (like bedrooms in someone house), if the owner isn't Belgian isn't allowed. This isn't clear anywhere, but you can go to any cityhall and you'll get this info.

Yes, you'll need to find a permanent residence ASAP, but this will take some weeks. And if you are not in Brussels (in Brussels you will find the Bureau des Etranges), the ID will take one or two months (you will need an appointment, and someone who speaks French or Dutch (preferably matching you Commune).

So, go for an Expat account, they will use your Tax Identification from your country, and also your address from your country. This is the only viable way to get an account, or you'll need to get the ID.

My recommendation is ING and BNP Fortis, they have the specific EXPAT account. Do it BEFORE comming here, it's all made by e-mail. Then here you will schedule and appointment to get your card, then you will have time to get the ID.

Also open an account in a online bank, like N26 or Revolut, they are very good, but they can't provide you and Block Account, which you will need to rent you home here.

Hi Fernandoks,

Before saying that everything is wrong. Read correctly what was given as information. Each time it was clearly said that the registration would not be finalized until all the official papers were available ... Then, each case is different.

And frankly, when we see the Brazilian banking system ...

Boa tarde Fernandoks,

Antes de dizer que está tudo errado. Leia corretamente o que foi dado como informação. Cada vez que foi dito claramente que o registro não seria finalizado até que todos os documentos oficiais estivessem disponíveis ... Então, cada caso é diferente.

E, francamente, quando vemos o sistema bancário brasileiro ...

Your information was wrong, and no, each case isn't different. There is no partialy open account, and yes he can have the account with his own country address, and for sure his live will be easier. The only possible way in Belgium before the ID.

And who is talking about Brazilian banking system? Which is for sure way worse, but this isn't the subject. We are just helping another Expat.

Absolutely wrong...
My girlfriend (Vietnam) has actually what you call a "partially" open bank account, that will be set automatically on standby/hold/blocked in 3 months, because she will not be able to show her F ID card that she'll received in +/- 4.5 months from now (family reunion from Belgium).

Her bank account was opened with her passport and her resident address was proved through her temporary certificate of registration card (orange card). But the bank account and contract will only be finalized when she'll present her F card to the local agency.
So, for now, she can use her bank account, knowing that it will be blocked for 1-2 months in the future.
Incomes would still be allowed in it that period.

In the case of benmohamed.sami, he has a D visa. And so, he should get his ID card within the 3 months and should never experience these kind of problems.

Fernandoks is absolutely correct
You can indeed open an expat account with BNP or ING for a period of a year showing your home country tax identification details , address proof as passport.  I recently have gone through it in October and never needed to furnish my residence permit , or local address , though it's highly advisable to do that once you have an expat account ready and have local belgian id/residence permit to get the address updated.No account gets blocked in expat account,also fyi I also do hold a credit card with the same expat account,  so yes fernandoks is absolutely right

If you are choosing  bnp fortis , you can email them at expats@bnpparibasfortis.com and they will let you the exact documents and forms to fill amongst other details

Before I arrive to Brussels, I want to ready my bank account like every expat. Because why I applied remotely to banks. Filled the forms, prepared the documents which the requested.

Here is my application story I hope help to someone. 

The Chronicles of bank account application as an fresh Expat

Firstly, I applied to ING expat for creating a bank account a mount ago, still not finished (response time too wide, and every step you face new problem, or I filled something wrong)

Secondly, I want to try online bank like N26. I thought it will be easier for achieve an account. The result,  until I get residency ID from commune (I guess) The will not provide any service to me.

Thirdly, I felt frustration and exhaustion. Then decide to apply KBC. The web site really nice and fill all information in there. They guide you to upload all necessary document during the application process. After I applied, promptly contact me. Asked some question and I received. In the and, before I arrive to Brussels they declared to me they are not start the process. When I arrive to Brussels, we scheduled a meeting face2face and they are going to create an account. I'm feeling really weird. Why even need all of these and create a "expat page"

My last hope is BNP. They provide also Expat Account for customer. Their website is really helpful for filling all necessary information (like fiscal information, some other banks send document and you need to fill this info). Then need to print application process and with all other necessary document you only need to sent to dedicated expat mail address. I hope this time I will make it.

So, I applied 4 different bank and until now I could not achieve to have an account

Try Transferwise it is a easy online bank from everywhere. They got Belgian banking license and will give you a Belgian IBAN BE.........
But they wont provide rental blocked account. If you have your D Visa stamped in your passport you can get a local bank account then as soon as you arrive explaining them your situation. This is what I got with KBC when I arrived a few years ago on a D visa. They checked the visa and it was ok to open the account. Then as soon as I got my residence permit I had to visit the branch or just insert it in the ATM to update my records.