Last year, I wrote the most comprehensive N26 bank review on the Internet, which has since been read by tens of thousands of travelers, digital nomads and online banking enthusiasts from every corner of the world.
Yet as all-encompassing as it is, I’ve had plenty of Canadian readers asking me questions specific to how to use N26.
So here, I want to clear up a few misunderstandings for any Canadian users joining N26, and also demonstrate why N26 is probably a better banking option for you than other online banks like Revolut, Monzo, Curve and Simple.
What Is N26?
N26 is an online-only bank designed for digital nomads, frequent travelers and anyone else who appreciates simplicity, great design and the lowest possible fees from their bank.
For example, my N26 account saves me thousands of Euros every year from the free worldwide ATM withdrawals, the best exchange rates on the planet (due to their partnership with TransferWise) and a remarkable travel insurance plan—all of which is included with my card.
It’s why I wrote a 3,000-word N26 bank review last year detailing my experience. That review covers all of their products in-depth, including N26 Black, N26 Metal, CASH26, INVEST26 and more.
It will also show you the exact time it makes sense for you to upgrade to N26 Black, and how to make the most of all the perks—perks like flight delay insurance, mobile phone insurance and travel cancellation insurance—that come with it.
And did I mention nearly all of these perks, plus plenty more, come absolutely free?
Benefits Of N26
- Free ATM withdrawals worldwide. No matter where you are in the world, N26 will never charge you any fee for withdrawing cash from an ATM (unlike most banks, which charge $2-10 per foreign ATM withdrawal). If you’re on N26’s free plan, you’ll pay a 1.7% currency conversion fee on top of the mid-market rate, which is better than what nearly any other consumer bank provides.
- Real-time transaction notifications. Whenever money goes in or out of your account, whether it’s a transfer you’ve initiated or a pre-authorized payment, you’ll get a notification.
- Transaction categories. Every transaction is assigned a category like “Bars & Restaurants” or “Travel & Holidays” so you can easily keep track of your spending.
- PIN resets. Resetting your PIN at any time is as simple as logging into the app and changing it. No calling N26, no trips to the ATM, etc etc. 30 seconds and it’s done.
- Locking your card. Just like resetting your PIN, locking your card (to make it unusable for a period of time) is as simple as logging in and pressing the button. Unlocking it is just as easy.
- Payments abroad, online payments and cash withdrawals. For your security, you can toggle these on and off at any time.
- Spending and withdrawal limits. Another security feature that you can choose and change in the app at any time.
Is N26 available in Canada?
As you can see here, you can open an N26 account from any of the following countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Finland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Estonia, Greece, Slovakia, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and the United States.
For example, I'm Canadian, but I signed up for N26 as soon as I moved to Berlin.
If you live in one of the countries above AND are a citizen of one of the 164 countries below, you can sign up for N26:
Can I withdraw money for free with my N26 card when I’m in Canada?
Yes! As I demonstrate in my original N26 bank review, you get free ATM withdrawals worldwide with your N26 Black card, which includes ATMs in Canada. If you don’t have N26 Black and are on N26’s free plan, you pay a 1.7% fee on the total withdrawal amount.
To show you what I mean, here’s a screenshot showing the recent withdrawal of 7,220 Thai baht that I made from an ATM in Bangkok, alongside the real exchange rate from xe.com. Remember: any time you withdraw cash or make a foreign currency transaction with N26, you pay the mid-market rate and not a penny more.
N26 Canada – Exchanging Euros to Thai baht with N26
What insurance comes with N26 You and N26 Metal?
N26 You and N26 Metal comes with an impressive travel and medical insurance plan to keep you safe and secure on the road. It's not quite as comprehensive as the SafetyWing insurance plan, which we highly recommend combining with your N26 membership, but it does cover a lot:
- Medical expenses up to an unlimited amount if you have a medical emergency while abroad (No deductible).
- Emergency dental expenses up to a maximum of €250 (No deductible).
- Expenses you incur due to a flight delay of 4 hours or longer, up to a maximum of €400 (No deductible).
- Expenses you incur if your luggage arrives more than 6 hours late, up to a maximum of €400 (No deductible).
- Reimbursement for a stolen mobile phone that was purchased with your N26 Black account, up to a maximum of €300 (€50 deductible).
- Reimbursement for stolen cash if you get mugged up to 4 hours after withdrawing cash from an ATM with your N26 Black card, up to a maximum of €500 (No deductible).
- Extended warranty of up to one additional year on items purchased directly with your N26 Black card and all payment methods associated with your card, such as a linked PayPal account, up to a maximum of €500 (€50 deductible).
- Travel cancellation insurance on every trip before the trip commences, up to a maximum of €5,000 per trip (10-20% deductible).
How much does N26 cost?
N26’s fee structure is eight pages long and pretty dense, so here’s the important stuff:
- All N26 bank accounts are free.
- N26 Black costs €9.90/month, while N26 Metal costs €16.90/month.
- Withdrawing foreign currency (any currency but Euros) anywhere in the world: Free for N26 Black and N26 Metal members, or 1.7% for N26 users on the free plan.
N26 Metal
N26 Metal includes all of the benefits of N26 Black listed above, plus dedicated (priority) customer support and, of course, the metal card itself. I recently wrote a 2,000-word N26 Metal review that goes deep into N26's super-premium card.
N26 Metal also comes with a growing number of exclusive partner offers and benefits, which rival the benefits of much more expensive premium credit cards like the American Express Platinum. These benefits include:
- WeWork: 1 free day per month of co-working from any WeWork location around the world.
- Hotels.com: 10% off hotel bookings.
- IHG: 20%-30% off hotel bookings when you book at least 21 days in advance.
- Tannico: 10% off your first three orders of wine, delivered to your home.
- Outfittery: Save €30 on a stylish and curated Outfittery Box.
- Caya: 25% off your annual subscription to Caya, the physical-to-digital mail forwarder.
- Zipjet: 10% off your order of €30+ from Zipjet, the laundry service that comes to you.
- Home24: 10% off your order of €199 from Home24, one of the largest online furniture shops in Europe.
- Helpling: 10% off all home cleaning services by Helpling.
- Drivy: €25 off your first shared economy car rental with Drivy.
- Lanieri: 25% off custom-tailored suits, shirts, jackets and pants made by Lanieri.
- Babbel: An additional 3 months of free language learning when you sign up for a 3-month language learning pack with Babbel.
- Urban Sports Club: €10 off your membership to Urban Sports Club, the gym that knows no boundaries.
N26 Metal currently costs €16.90/month.
N26
How To Sign Up For N26
With its impressive insurance policy, fee-free foreign cash withdrawals, and the app’s ease of use, I really couldn’t be happier as a member of N26 You.
It’s made banking a lot easier and cheaper for me, and has solved a lot of the messy problems I had before (ie. expensive and vague travel/medical insurance policies, plus spending nearly $100/month on hidden ATM and currency exchange fees).
And you don't even need an N26 promo code to get started (Spoiler: N26 promo codes have gone extinct).
To sign up, you just need to provide standard personal information (name, date of birth, etc.) and a valid ID or passport.
Once you’ve signed up, verified your ID in the app and paired your smartphone (it takes 8 minutes total), they’ll send you your free MasterCard in the mail. Mine took just 2 days to arrive, and it comes in a pretty sleek package.
Comment below if you have questions about N26 and I’ll do what I can to answer them, or you can also reach N26’s support team via their app or website.
Hi,
I think you need to emphasize which ID?
I’m also Canadian and I have a Canadian passport I’m leaving in Switzerland and have a B-Visum. So which one?
Thx
Hi Dalia – in that case, you can use your Canadian passport to sign up for N26.
Hello! I’m also Canadian and I mainly just need a way to deposit cash I brought with me to Italy/will be receiving from babysitting. Is that possible with an n26 card? And can I use that money without fees? (its in euros)
Thanks!
Hey Melisa! The only way to deposit cash into your N26 account is to use CASH26, which is only available in Germany, so that’s not ideal. But you will be able to use the money in your N26 account without paying fees, so that’s a big bonus. Here’s what I’d do in your situation:
The main benefits of opening two accounts are that a) you can do everything you need to do, and b) you’re covered in case the Italian bank gives you any headaches. The Italian account might take you a few hours to open up, but N26 will only take 5 minutes.
Hope this helps!
– Jordan
Hello Jordan – “How I Travel”,
I’ve been reading through your blog over the last few days and just wanted to let you know I truly appreciate your effort in sharing quality content for people who are desperately looking for these answers. That said, I have been a digital nomad for years now, struggling to get ahead in a world that has essentially left all Canadians in the dark, or at least that is how it feels. Our Country is archaic when it comes to giving us a little freedom to the nomad or accessing anything fintech related. That said, I’d love to know more about how you’re managing things as a Canadian. I do not live in Europe but have friends there. I do not live anywhere specific to be honest, as I am perpetually traveling (with a home address back in Canada). That said, I make more than enough money to feel slightly concerned about not having a banking solution. How can I get an N26 account? Additionally, can you please email me for direct discussion revolving a few questions I have. It would be greatly appreciate!
Thanks!
Chris
My daughter is going to live in Germany and intends to open a N26 account.
What is the best or cheapest way to get the money she has in her Canadian Account into the N26 account?
Is there a good way to transfer money from a Canadian Bank Account into the N26 account? Or do we just pay the fees to our Canadian bank for each transfer?
Can you deposit a cheque?
Thanks, Rainer
Hi Rainer, as a Canadian who spent a lot of time living in Germany myself, I’ve made plenty of these transfers, and I can tell you that the best way to make these transfers is definitely with TransferWise. You won’t pay anything to your Canadian bank at all if you choose the Interac option when you set up your TransferWise transfer, and the total fees, including the currency exchange, generally work out to be about 1% of the total transaction value. As for cheques, unfortunately you can’t deposit them into N26.
Jordan
Thank you for the article. Is there any way to open an account if I am not living in Europe? I am a Canadian who does business with companies in Italy and as such get paid in Euros. I would like to be able to deposit the payments into an EU account and then use a third party to convert and transfer the funds to my Canadian business account. Is it possible to use the address of a friend in Italy to open the account? Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Hi Andrea, you’ve got a very interesting business!
Yes, you can do this. I’m also Canadian and did exactly this with a friend in Germany. Just keep in mind that your N26 card needs to be sent to your friend’s address in Italy, and they’ll need to forward it to you from there.
You can sign up using their Italy address here.
Hi Jordan, thank you for all this great information.
I am both an Irish and a Canadian citizen.
I’m about to try living in Ireland again with a 6 month lease for which I want to use Euro.
Getting an Irish address is no problem, but it looks as if I have to use an Irish mobile number. I have a SIM card I use in Ireland,but how would I access my account from Canada ?
Also,could you confirm…… I can transfer CAD as Euro by Transferwise and use the MasterCard to pay rent?
Again, thanks so much for helping.
Máire
Hi Máire, great questions. As a Canadian living in Europe myself, I know a lot about this.
You can access your account in Canada easily: just withdraw from any ATM you want. You can access your account online as well, of course, so that won’t be an issue.
And yes, you can transfer CAD to EUR using TransferWise (sign up here to get your first £500 in transfers for free), and you can pay your rent from there. Personally, I just send a free transfer (same as an e-transfer in Canada) from my N26 account to my landlord’s account, and that works perfectly. I suggest you do the same.
So yes, all of the use cases you’re looking for from N26 will work for you. Once you’re in Ireland and have a physical address there, sign up with this link to get your account approved immediately. If you want to sign up before you move there, you can have the card shipped to a friend/family member in Ireland as well.
Best of luck with the move!
Jordan