💳 Recommended Bank for Expats (August 2024)

Overview

Revolut comes with a free plan, including:

• A free Visa debit card (you only pay €6 one-time for delivery)
• Free ATM withdrawals up to €200 or 5 withdrawals per month (no fees from Revolut)
• Free and unlimited SEPA transfers^[1], also available as instant transfers^[2]
• Compare Revolut’s other plans

All the plans:

• Work with Google Pay^[3] and Apple Pay^[4]
• Hold and send money in 29 currencies
• Rated 4.1 on Trustpilot^[5]
• Sign up and verify your account via video call

I have used Revolut myself since 2018 as a spending account and have never had any problems. Their support can be contacted by chat and typically replies within a few hours.

Virtual Cards

What I really like is the option to create virtual cards^[6]:

• These are Visa debit cards with a credit card number, expiration date, and CVC code, but no physical card; they exist only in the app
• I use them for online payments where I don’t fully trust the merchant
• After making a payment, I can freeze these cards to ensure no unwanted transactions occur

Disadvantages

• You get a Lithuanian IBAN instead of a German one. However, this has become less of an issue, as even the German tax office (Finanzamt) can work with it.
• You get no girocard, which is another payment system in Germany besides Visa/Mastercard. A few merchants only accept girocard.

Get €70 with My Referral

If you use the link below, you can get €70:

1. Sign up with this link.^[7]
2. Verify your identity online with a video call from the app.
3. Add money to your account via debit card or bank transfer.
4. Order a physical card. You can instantly add it to Google or Apple Pay.
5. Make 3 purchases of at least €5 each with the card.

Complete all steps by September 10!

Go to Revolut^[7:1]