Licence application

Factsheet

Any party wanting to pursue the business of a bank in the Netherlands that is not exempted by law must hold the appropriate licence from the European Central Bank (ECB).

Published: 20 January 2022

Submission of an application

You can submit your application through the IMAS¹ Portal of the ECB. You will need to register on the ECB website to use this Portal.

Be sure to complete the application form fully and truthfully and make sure to enclose all the required documents.

Working language is English

The ECB issues the final decision on your application. Communications on your application will be largely through DNB. The application form is available in English only. Correspondence is also in English.

Information licence application for a bank

Licence as a bank - overview

License or no license

Licence application

Background information

Footnotes

[1] Information MAnagement System for the Single Supervisory Mechanism.

Discover related articles

Interesting articles

Banks and payment institutions are actively combating payment fraud but could adopt a more targeted approach

03 June 2026

News item supervision

Payment fraud has a significant impact on society. We therefore consider the management of external payment fraud to be an important topic, as secure and reliable payment systems are central to our public mandate, as emphasised in our Payments Strategy 2026-2028.
Read more Banks and payment institutions are actively combating payment fraud but could adopt a more targeted approach
Almost half of corporate lending goes to SMEs, interest rates slightly higher

13 May 2026

News

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for almost half of all bank loans to businesses in the Netherlands, according to new figures being released by DNB for the first time today. However, SMEs often pay a slightly higher interest rate than other businesses.
Read more Almost half of corporate lending goes to SMEs, interest rates slightly higher
Risk weight measure on bank mortgage loans expires

24 April 2026

News item supervision

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has decided not to extend the minimum floor on the risk weights of Dutch mortgage loans of banks. The current measure was introduced in January 2022 and will expire 30 November 2026.
Read more Risk weight measure on bank mortgage loans expires
Information session about fit and proper assessments DNB – Thursday May 7th, 2026

13 April 2026

News item supervision

On Thursday May 7th from 3:00-4:45 PM CET DNB will organize an online information session about fit and proper assessments.
Read more Information session about fit and proper assessments DNB – Thursday May 7th, 2026