Check out the foreign currency account
- Exchange your euros 24/7 at real-time rates
- No exchange fees (up to 1 500 euros per month)
- Pay in dollars, yen or other currencies using your standard debit card
Use your current account for foreign currencies as well
Give it a try!
Having a coffee in New York? Just use your debit card and pay in dollars like a local.
How does the foreign currency account work?
The foreign currency account isn’t a separate bank account – it’s a free additional feature linked to your KBC Brussels Current Account. All you have to do is open a sub-account (or a separate ‘money jar’) in KBC Brussels Mobile or KBC Brussels Touch to keep other currencies (such as dollars, yen or pounds) besides euros. While abroad, you can use your debit card to immediately pay in the local currency, which is much cheaper.
What is free of charge and what is not?
Exchanging currencies in KBC Brussels Mobile or KBC Brussels Touch
- Completely free of charge up to 1 500 euros per month
- A 1% foreign exchange commission is charged on the converted amount exceeding 1 500 euros within the same month
- For the first 1 500 euros, you don’t have to pay any extra fees
- For the remaining 500 euros, you pay a 1% foreign exchange commission (so a total of 5 euros is added to the 2 000 euros)
Paying in a foreign currency with your debit card
- Using your debit card to pay in a foreign currency is free of charge and unlimited – similar to how you use your card in Belgium to pay in euros.
Not enough foreign currency on your account? In KBC Brussels Mobile, you can choose to:
- Pay the remaining amount in euros, including additional charges
- Cancel the payment, so you can exchange additional currency first
Withdrawing cash in a foreign currency abroad
- Using your debit card to withdraw cash in a foreign currency at an ATM abroad is free of charge and unlimited, as long as you have enough foreign currency in your account.
Important: charges may be levied by the foreign provider operating the ATM in question.
Making international transfers in a foreign currency
- Free of charge for transactions up to the equivalent of 1 500 euros1
- Transferring more than 1 500 euros attracts a payment fee of 0.121% (with a minimum charge of 9.68 euros and a maximum of 145.20 euros)
1 Provided that the payee’s account can receive this currency. For example, if you transfer Czech koruna to a US dollar account, additional exchange fees will obviously be charged. Important: the correspondent bank abroad may also add charges.
Studying abroad? Exchange your currency in advance and pay your bills without incurring unnecessary fees.
FAQs about the foreign currency account
What foreign currencies can I add to my account?
You can add 30 different currencies at present:
United Arab Emirates dirham (AED)
Australian dollar (AUD)
Canadian dollar (CAD)
Swiss franc (CHF)
Chinese yuan (offshore) (CNH)
Czech koruna (CZK)
Danish krone (DKK)
British pound sterling (GBP)
Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Hungarian forint (HUF)
Israeli new shekel (ILS)
Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Japanese yen (JPY)
Kenyan shilling (KES)
Kuwaiti dinar (KWD)
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Mexican peso (MXN)
Norwegian krone (NOK)
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
Polish zloty (PLN)
Rumanian leu (RON)
Saudi riyal (SAR)
Swedish krona (SEK)
Singapore dollar (SGD)
Thai baht (THB)
Tunisian dinar (TND)
Turkish lira (TRY)
US dollar (USD)
South African rand (ZAR)
Do I need a separate debit card for this service?
No, you can use your existing debit card.
How do I know what fees will be added?
Before exchanging currencies or making an international transfer, you always get a detailed breakdown of the costs involved. You can therefore clearly see if there are any fees and what exactly will be added. You can exchange up to 1 500 euros per month free of charge. You can also make foreign-currency transfers of up to the equivalent of 1 500 euros per transaction free of charge.
Do I still need a credit card if I have a foreign currency account?
Certain entities/institutions only accept a credit card. Sometimes you’ll also be asked for an amount to be temporarily blocked on your credit card as a guarantee. So, it’s definitely a good idea to have a credit card to fall back on when you’re abroad.
Can I also add foreign currencies to my business account?
Yes, that’s perfectly possible. Find out more.
How does it differ from making a transfer in euros to a foreign currency?
Calculation example: paying 1 000 euros in Czech koruna (CZK)*
Suppose you have to pay a bill of 25 000 CZK (or roughly 1 000 euros).
Using your euro account
On top of the 1 000 EUR, you pay approximately:
- 10.41 EUR in exchange fees (about 1%)
- 9.68 EUR in payment fees
- 60.50 EUR in correspondent’s charges
You pay 1 080.59 EUR in total.
Using your foreign currency account
On top of the 1 000 EUR, you pay approximately:
- 0 EUR in exchange fees
- 0 EUR in payment fees
- 0 EUR in correspondent’s charges
You pay 1 000 EUR in total and therefore no extra charges.
* This example is compiled based on rates applying at a specific time. The actual charges may vary somewhat.
