{ "title": "ING becomes the first Belgian bank to offer fully digital onboarding across the EEA ", "modified_at": "2026-10-08 15:51:19", "published_at": "2026-10-08 15:50:00", "url": "https://newsroom.ing.be/ing-becomes-the-first-belgian-bank-to-offer-fully-digital-onboarding-across-the-eea", "short_url": "http://prez.ly/Vrie", "culture": "en", "language": "EN", "subtitle": "Moving to Belgium? You can now open an ING account in less than 10 minutes and immediately benefit from banking solutions designed for an international lifestyle", "slug": "ing-becomes-the-first-belgian-bank-to-offer-fully-digital-onboarding-across-the-eea", "body": "

ING Belgium is becoming the first Belgian bank to enable customers from across the European Economic Area (EEA) to open a Belgian current account entirely online, even before obtaining a Belgian national registration number. Through the ING app, customers can become an ING client in less than ten minutes, making access to Belgian banking services significantly easier for people preparing their move to Belgium.

The new onboarding journey removes one of the main administrative hurdles faced by people relocating for work, study or personal reasons. By combining advanced identity verification technologies, ING can securely verify customers remotely and simplify the account opening process. A key innovation is the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which enables the ING app to securely verify the authenticity of modern passports and electronic identity cards by reading the embedded chip. This allows customers to prove their identity remotely with a high degree of security, without the need for a branch visit. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) complements this process by automatically reading and extracting information from identity documents, reducing manual data entry and making onboarding even faster. Together, these technologies enable customers to open an account quickly, securely and entirely through the ING app.

Easier access to Belgian banking

Until now, opening a Belgian bank account from abroad often required multiple documents and manual verification steps before customers could get started. With the new process, residents of any EEA country can open an ING current account directly through the ING app by scanning their identity document, taking a selfie and providing a limited set of personal details. Customers can choose the ING Pack that best fits their needs: ING Go, ING More, ING Extra or ING Max.

Following account opening, customers have 90 days to provide their Belgian address and national registration number, in line with regulatory requirements. Accounts that are not completed within this period are automatically closed

Ready to use from day one

Once the account is opened, customers can immediately start using it for their daily banking needs. Their debit card is sent directly to the Belgian contact address provided during the application process.

To ensure a secure onboarding process, a limited number of safeguards apply until the customer profile is fully completed. For example, opening additional accounts and cash deposits are temporarily restricted. These limitations are automatically lifted once the Belgian address and national registration number have been registered.

Banking solutions designed for international lifestyles

For people moving to Belgium, opening a bank account is often only the first step. Many continue to travel internationally, maintain financial ties with their home country, make purchases abroad or frequently move between different countries for work or personal reasons.

Customers who regularly travel, maintain international ties or make purchases abroad can opt for ING Extra or ING Max. These Packs include benefits that are particularly relevant for internationally mobile customers, such as premium credit cards, extensive travel and purchase protection, worldwide cash withdrawals and no ING foreign exchange fees on credit card purchases abroad.

Depending on the selected Pack, customers can also benefit from services such as medical assistance abroad, luggage protection, travel cancellation coverage, device insurance, airport lounge access and concierge services. These solutions are designed to provide additional convenience and peace of mind for people who live, work or travel internationally.

"Moving to a new country comes with many practical arrangements. Banking should not be one of the difficult ones. With our new onboarding journey, customers from across the EEA can open a Belgian bank account in a few minutes, digitally, and start managing their finances before completing all administrative formalities. At the same time, with our packs, they can choose from a range of banking solutions that support different lifestyles, including the needs of internationally mobile customers," says Cédric Lebegge, head of Private Individuals at ING Belgium.

Supporting a seamless customer experience

The launch reflects ING Belgium's ambition to make settling in Belgium as seamless as possible. By combining fast digital onboarding with banking solutions tailored to internationally mobile customers, ING helps newcomers not only open an account more easily, but also manage their day-to-day finances with confidence from the moment they arrive.

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\"Daphne
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\n Daphne Poets\n Spokeswoman & Media Relations Manager, ING Belgium\n \n
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About ING

ING Belgium is a universal bank that provides financial services for private individuals, businesses and institutional customers. ING Belgium S.A./N.V. is a subsidiary of ING Group N.V. via ING Bank N.V. (www.ing.com).

ING is a global financial institution with a strong European base, offering banking services through its operating company ING Bank. The purpose of ING is: empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. ING’s more than 60,000 employees offer retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 100 countries.

ING Group shares are listed on the exchanges of Amsterdam (INGA NA, INGA.AS), Brussels and on the New York Stock Exchange (ADRs: ING US, ING.N).

ING aims to put sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our policies and actions are assessed by independent research and ratings providers, which give updates on them annually. ING’s ESG rating by MSCI has been upgraded from ‘AA’ to ‘AAA’ in October 2025. As of June 2025, in Sustainalytics’ view, ING’s management of ESG material risk is ‘Strong’ with an ESG risk rating of 18.0 (low risk). ING Group shares are included in major sustainability and ESG index products of leading providers. Here are some examples: Euronext, STOXX, Morningstar and FTSE Russell.

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