- Start before moving or registering: Prove your address in Germany before registering with alternatives to Anmeldung, or apply using a supported European address even prior to your arrival.
- Bank comfortably in English: Open the account and manage everyday banking through a consistently multilingual experience.
- Organize your money for free: Use up to three bank accounts without paying a monthly base fee.
- Rely mainly on mobile payments: Use the included virtual, credit-labeled Mastercard through Apple Pay or Google Pay, but expect no physical card.
- Avoid SCHUFA involvement: Open the account and access Mastercard Credit classification without a German credit-history check.
To give you an honest assessment, we evaluated bunq Free using official information, industry feedback, and the results of our own account-opening, app, transfer, and card tests.
Based on average ratings on Trustpilot and BankingCheck
Based on average ratings on App Store and Google Play Store
App feedback broadly supports our positive experience with bunq’s opening process, features, and everyday usability. Recurring criticism concerns bunq generally rather than Free specifically, particularly its automatic Elite trial trap, support quality, and occasional account restrictions.
Merchants generally identify it as a Mastercard Credit, but it does not give you a credit limit. Payments are taken from your bunq balance, and a hotel or rental-car deposit blocks the full amount of your own money until the merchant releases it.
The credit classification may work where a Debit Mastercard would be rejected, but it does not guarantee acceptance. This matters especially with bunq Free, since its card is virtual, whereas many rental companies require a physical credit card in the driver’s name. This may still force you to carry a backup card for important bookings.
We opened our own bunq account and completed the entire process in English. The application and identity verification took only a few minutes, after which we could immediately access our IBAN, create additional accounts, and set up a virtual card.
Important - Remember to select bunq Free: New customers automatically receive a 30-day bunq Elite trial instead of choosing "Free" during registration. Unless you switch under Profile → Plan → Switch Plan, Elite generally continues and you will be charged €18.99 per month.
- Step 1: Digital sign-up (5 min) – Download the app here, enter your phone number, enter the received verification code from the text message, provide your contact details, personal information, and residential address. The application for your Free Free account is available entirely in English and several other languages.
- Step 2: Instant ID verification (5 min) – Photograph a supported original passport, plastic ID card, EU plastic driving licence or eligible residence permit and complete the recorded selfie check. There is no live video call or SCHUFA check; accepted documents depend on their issuing country. bunq may verify your address automatically. If it cannot, an “Action Needed” request appears in the app and verification cannot be completed until an accepted document is uploaded.
- Step 3: Immediate access (1 min) – You see a 5 minute countdown in the app for the final verification. Then the IBAN of our first Free account appeared, and we could create additional current and a bunq savings accounts, set up (virtual) cards, add them to Google or Apple Pay, and start making transfers and payments.
- Step 4: Enter your tax identification number (1 min): You will see a message on the start screen to enter your TIN and will have 90 days after verification to provide it before Free account access is restricted.
Eligible applicants can open bunq Free before moving to Germany by registering with an accepted address in another supported EEA country. However, in this case, you can only use a German IBAN with the bunq Pro or Elite plans. Generally, users registering in Belgium, France, Spain, Ireland, or Italy receive the corresponding local IBAN; users in other supported EEA countries generally receive a Dutch IBAN. After moving to Germany, you can update your address and obtain a German IBAN for newly created accounts. Existing IBANs remain unchanged.
If you already live in Germany but do not yet have an Anmeldung, you can instead prove your German address with another accepted document; this includes, amongst others:
The document must include the required name, address, and date. bunq does not accept bank statements, mobile phone bills, employment contracts, or payslips.
If you already have a German account, you can use the free digital bunq switching service right after activation. The app automatically logs into your old bank, identifies your recurring payments (like rent, gym, or electricity), and moves them over to your new bunq Free account within minutes.We found bunq’s multilingual app fast and immediately understandable; transfers, card payments, and the practical card controls all worked smoothly. Its weaker side is support: bunq Free has no regular telephone hotline and has had mixed experiences with human chat assistance.
To help you decide if the Free account is truly your best option, here is a quick breakdown of what the other plans have to offer:
bunq Free is unusually easy to open for newcomers in Germany. But users who still don’t meet the requirements or need a long-term solution for everyday banking in Germany—including free cash withdrawals, a physical card, girocard acceptance, or genuine credit—should consider the alternatives below.
Create accounts in different currencies, including a Euro IBAN, to receive or perform payments and transfers before or while you stay in Germany. You can also get a virtual or physical Visa Debit. Wise can be opened worldwide and is potentially the easiest temporary solution for the first weeks or short-term stays.
Multi-language app and customer support
Account opening with a residence outside of Germany
, optional debit card
Free card payments worldwide
Free cash withdrawals worldwide
Monthly fee:
€0
Unconditionally free account with a cutting-edge German banking app including complementary cash withdrawals, physical and digital banking cards, cashback program, as well as individual and shared sub-accounts. comdirect differentiates itself from other online banks through a full web banking interface and 24/7 phone, chat, and e-mail support.
0.75% interest on the account balance
Cashback program and interest earnings
, free girocard, free debit card
Free card payments worldwide
Free cash withdrawals worldwide
Free digital account with global card payments at no fees and complimentary cash withdrawals across Europe. Thanks to a state-of-the-art app available across Europe, featuring 5 languages and investment options, N26 is the ultimate expat favorite.
Multi-language app and customer support
Account opening with a residence outside of Germany
, optional debit card
Free card payments worldwide
Free cash withdrawals in the Eurozone
Free account for students, apprentices, and interns under 28 with premium perks, such as debit plus credit cards with reduced eligibility requirements as well as free cash withdrawals and deposits. Enjoy the reliability of Germany's second-largest private bank, personal in-branch support, and a fully English app.
Free Visa Card Credit for young people:
Low income requirements for students and apprentices
Multi-language app and customer support
, free girocard, free debit card, free credit card
Free cash withdrawals in Germany
bunq Free is a very good starter account for expats, but a weaker choice as your only bank account in Germany.
In our test, the entire opening process worked in English, verification was completed within minutes, and the app, transfers, and virtual card all worked smoothly. Alternative address documents, the 90-day TIN deadline, and lack of SCHUFA involvement make bunq particularly accessible while you are still establishing yourself in Germany. You receive immediate account access, whereas a German IBAN requires a valid German address.
However, the Free plan includes no physical card, bunq offers no Girocard, and regular cash withdrawals become expensive. Its Mastercard Credit may help with some bookings, but it offers no credit limit, locks up your own money for deposits, and is not reliable enough to replace a conventional physical credit card. The automatic Elite trial and unnecessarily complex conditions also require attention.
Choose bunq Free if you want a fast, multilingual, and primarily mobile starter or secondary account. Look elsewhere if you need a permanent and free German current account for cash, physical card payments, and reliable travel deposits.
If you are still hesitating whether bunq Free is the right choice for you, check our alternatives above.
Disclaimer: This blog and providing support are our passion and hobby. However, we do not intend to provide financial advice. All investments involve risks of loss. This post is non-binding, for informational purposes only, and does not represent a complete market overview. We do not take responsibility for the accuracy and up-to-dateness of the data (§18 ZKG).
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