N26

German bank account with a Mastercard, built as a phone.

Legal entity: N26 Bank SE — Amtsgericht Charlottenburg HRB 271697 B, Voltairestraße 8, 10179 Berlin. BaFin-supervised German credit institution. (N26 SE, HRB 271693 B, is a separate group company on the imprint.)

Neobank Freelancers Travel moneyactive

Germany

Go to N26 →iOS 4.7 · 410K Android 4.4 · 890K

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N26

7.8Solid

Alternatives

Five questions

At a glance

Is it a bank?
Yes — Credit institution (CRR bank) (BaFin / ECB). Still read the entity on the statement.
If it fails?
German statutory deposit guarantee up to €100,000 at N26 Bank SE (N26 homepage).
Salary?
A German IBAN can receive SEPA salary. It is not a US or UK current account. N26 exited the US in 2022.
Open from abroad?
EEA onboarding is residency-gated. Not available as a US bank.
Monthly fee
Free Standard · Smart/You/Metal paid
Account number
German IBAN issued by N26 Bank SE.

NeoBankDB Verdict

Licence first · score second

7.8

/10 · Solid

If you need a German/SEPA current account, N26 is still the reference neobank. Score it as a bank, not as a travel card. Revolut and Wise beat it the moment you leave the euro.

What it is

N26 (once Number26) is a Berlin-headquartered credit institution. It is the product most European directories mean by “neobank”: a Mastercard debit, a German IBAN, and no branches. BaFin’s AML interventions in the early 2020s are part of the public record and still show up in Trustpilot threads. The bank is narrower than Revolut and more of a bank than Wise.

Best for: Euro-zone residents who want a real German bank IBAN in a clean app.

Last checked 2026-08-01. Not advice.

What it does well

+Full German bank, Einlagensicherung on eligible deposits
+Genuinely good mobile current account
+Metal and You plans are honest about what they add
+No branch theatre

What to watch

−AML freezes are a documented pain
−UK presence is not the original UK current account
−Euro-native — weak if you live in sterling or dollars
−Support tickets can stall

Legal entity, not the app icon

Who is behind it

Legal name: N26 Bank SE — Amtsgericht Charlottenburg HRB 271697 B, Voltairestraße 8, 10179 Berlin. BaFin-supervised German credit institution. (N26 SE, HRB 271693 B, is a separate group company on the imprint.)
Formerly: Number26
Parent: N26 Group
Founders: Valentin Stalf, Maximilian Tayenthal
Offices: Voltairestraße 8, 10179 Berlin
If something goes wrong: German complaint path via N26 Bank SE / BaFin. EU ADR on the banking product.

Who holds the money

The account

Platforms: iOS · Android · Web
Account types: Personal · Business (select markets)
Partner bank: N26 Bank AG / N26 Bank SE (market-dependent)
Minimum balance: €0
Lowest monthly fee: €0 Standard
Who can open: EEA residents where live
Availability: Eurozone and select EEA; not the US
IBAN country: German IBAN issued by N26 Bank SE.
Support: In-app chat / email — tickets can stall
Hours: In-app / email — tickets can stall
Remote open: EEA onboarding is residency-gated. Not available as a US bank.
Onboarding: Video ident / app KYC under German AML rules.
KYC documents: National ID or passport plus liveness. Address in a live market.
Minimum age: 18.
Languages: DE, EN, FR, ES, IT and more
Salary / payroll: A German IBAN can receive SEPA salary. It is not a US or UK current account. N26 exited the US in 2022.
Local rails: SEPA on a DE IBAN.
ATM network: Mastercard; plan-dependent euro ATM allowance
Overdraft: Dispo / overdraft in selected markets on eligible accounts

How money actually moves

Who holds the cash: Bank balance
How money moves: IBAN / SEPA · Faster Payments
Built for: Personal · Freelancer · Travel
Settlement: Local rails instant where live; SWIFT slower
Freeze risk: Bank-grade; still not freeze-proof
Card: N26 lists a physical card and a virtual card and a metal card on mastercard, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. Confirm the live product in the app — a card is not a current account.

Licence first

Safety

German statutory deposit guarantee up to €100,000 at N26 Bank SE (N26 homepage).

Who holds the money: N26 Bank SE

BaFin / ECBCredit institution (CRR bank) · Germany

Fees

Monthly: Free Standard · Smart/You/Metal paid
FX markup: Free on You/Metal; Standard has a weekend/FX fee schedule
ATM: Plan-dependent euro ATM; extra-EEA fees on lower plans

Features

✓IBAN
✓Fee-free core
–Multi-currency
✓Apple Pay
✓Google Pay
✓Virtual card
✓Physical card
✓Metal card
–Crypto
✓Stocks
–Business
–Kids
–Halal

German IBAN current account
Mastercard debit, virtual cards
Spaces (pots)
Overdraft in selected markets
Shared Spaces
Insurance bundles on paid plans

Editorial, not a live demo

Screenshots and video

Official YouTube · N26

Media is editorial context, not a live demo of the app. Screenshots go stale — read the licence first.

Before you tap Sign up

How to open

Step 1
Live in a market N26 still serves
This is a German bank IBAN, not a US account. N26 left the United States in 2022.
Step 2
Pass German KYC
Video ident. 18+. The imprint names N26 Bank SE as the credit institution.
Step 3
Check the IBAN country
You get a DE IBAN. Statutory German DGS is €100,000 at N26 Bank SE, not a UK FSCS pot.

Official help: support.n26.com/en-eu

Operator documents

Their own papers

These are the operator’s documents. They outrank this review if they disagree.

Score

Safety25%
Fees20%
Features15%
App15%
Global15%
Support10%

Change log

Full log

2026-03-01Fees
Metal / paid-plan pricing restated in DE/EU
Paid metal is a SKU. The bank charter is unchanged.
2026-03-01Fees
Metal / paid-plan pricing restated in DE/EU
Paid metal is a SKU. The bank charter is unchanged.
2024-06-01Licence
EU bank charter remains the core
German bank. Deposit protection is EdB/EU, not FSCS, not FDIC.
2024-06-01Licence
EU bank charter remains the core
German bank. Deposit protection is EdB/EU, not FSCS, not FDIC.

Full change log (8)

Available in

Straight answers

FAQ

Is N26 a bank?

N26 is filed as Credit institution (CRR bank). The named regulator is BaFin / ECB. Still read the entity on the statement before you send money.

What happens to money in N26 if it fails?

N26 Bank SE is a German CRR bank. Eligible deposits sit under the German statutory scheme up to €100,000.

What does N26 charge each month?

The monthly fee on this file is Free Standard · Smart/You/Metal paid. Fees change — open the operator's pricing page if it is linked.

Ratings and reviews

3.0 / 5 from 1 published review on NeoBankDB.

Lea B.
Germany· 2026-08-27Verified user
Fine in Berlin. Do not pretend it is still a US or UK option.

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N26

At a glance

What it is

What it does well

What to watch

Who is behind it

The account

How money actually moves

Safety

Fees

Features

Screenshots and video

How to open

Live in a market N26 still serves

Pass German KYC

Check the IBAN country

Their own papers

Score

Change log

Metal / paid-plan pricing restated in DE/EU

Metal / paid-plan pricing restated in DE/EU

EU bank charter remains the core

EU bank charter remains the core

Available in

FAQ

Is N26 a bank?

What happens to money in N26 if it fails?

What does N26 charge each month?

Ratings and reviews

Used N26?

Alternatives

Revolut

bunq

Wise