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Personal bank account in Belgium

Question

Hello,
I looking into opening a personal bank account here in Belgium. I will be predominately using it Belgium, but it's necessary that my debit/credit card works abroad. I find a lot of people won't take my "credit card" which is actually a debit card in America. My American cards don't have chip and pin, and they always hammer me in fees, from unfavorable exchange rates, to foreign transaction fees. I'm really getting sick of it.

So my two questions- will my "credit rating" from America help me get a credit card here? And what banks do you recommend, or recommend I stay away from. At home, there are a few banks I make it a point to never use, as they're notorious for ripping off their customers. Also- what's my best option as far as setting up an account here?

I am married to a flemish women, who is a Belgian citizen. I plan to eventually open two different accounts, one mutual, and one personal.

Thanks in advance for all your help!!! Any personal experiences can also help me decide!

From the archives

Argenta is a good bank, which charges virtually no fees. If you have a job here, you should be able to get a credit card. I guess you know a creditcard bill is to be paid in full at the end of the month. Argenta will most likely not give you overdraft facilities. But a normal bankcard (maestro) anyone can get. And that you can use for payments all over Europe at least. I'm with Dexia and Argenta, as Argenta 10 years ago did not have foreign transfer facilities. But now you can do international banking with them too. I highly recommend the agency in Woluwe Saint Lambert (Mrs Deblaere).

Aug 22, 2011 15:12