N26 is a bank account with a Mastercard debit card. It works well for everyday card spending abroad, although a hotel or car rental company may require a credit card for a deposit. Standard includes a virtual card; a physical card costs extra, while paid plans include one.
The plans at a glance
Standard has no monthly fee and suits travellers who mostly pay by card. Smart adds a physical card and budgeting features, but keeps the N26 fee on cash withdrawals outside the eurozone. Go removes that fee and includes travel insurance for events such as medical emergencies, delays and baggage problems. Metal adds purchase and phone protection, a metal card and one airport lounge visit per calendar year. N26’s plan comparison lists current prices and all included features.
Paid plans begin with a twelve-month contract. Paying monthly does not make Go a one-month holiday add-on. Insurance has limits, eligibility rules and exclusions. Existing cover may make an upgrade less valuable.
With monthly billing, Smart costs €4.90, Go €9.90 and Metal €16.90 a month; Standard is free. Twelve months of Go therefore cost €118.80. Paying in advance may reduce the fee.
Go insurance: the limits that matter
The Dutch Allianz conditions for Go cover the first 90 consecutive travel days. Your account must be active before departure, and the trip must start and end in your country of residence. Upgrading during a trip therefore does not cover that trip. Emergency medical expenses abroad are covered up to €1 million per trip; cancellation up to €10,000, with a €20 excess per beneficiary.
Your accompanying partner and children may qualify as beneficiaries; children must still be in education and no older than 25. Pre-existing medical conditions and high-risk activities are excluded. Per-trip limits apply to all beneficiaries combined. These Go terms do not replace the separate Metal policy.
Metal: extra protection with separate limits
The Dutch Metal policy covers trips up to 90 consecutive days. Your account must be active before departure, and the trip must start and end in your country of residence. Emergency medical expenses abroad are covered up to €1 million per trip; cancellation up to €10,000, with a €20 excess per beneficiary. Per-trip limits apply to all beneficiaries combined. Pre-existing medical conditions and high-risk activities are excluded.
Phone protection applies to a device no older than 24 months: up to €2,000 per year, with a €50 excess per claim and depreciation. A phone already owned when Metal is opened has a 30-day waiting period. Purchase protection lasts one year for eligible new items worth at least €100 and paid fully with Metal: up to €2,500 per claim and €10,000 per year, four claims, a €50 excess and depreciation.
Metal includes one lounge visit per calendar year; subsequent visits currently cost €30 at the promotional rate. Go costs €15 for the first visit and €30 thereafter; Standard and Smart cost €33. Access remains subject to the participating lounge.
Spending and withdrawing abroad
Card purchases in other currencies use the Mastercard exchange rate without an additional N26 foreign transaction fee. Cash withdrawals are different: outside the eurozone, Standard and Smart incur an N26 charge of 1.7% of the amount. Go and Metal avoid that charge, although an ATM operator may still charge its own fee. Select the local currency at a terminal or ATM instead of accepting its conversion into euros.
For an ordinary holiday, upgrading to Go solely to save withdrawal fees is rarely economical. Frequent cash users outside the eurozone who also use the insurance may reach a different conclusion. Metal makes sense if its extra protection and included lounge visit have real value to you; one visit alone seldom covers the higher plan fee. N26 also offers a travel eSIM, with data packages priced separately.
Our advice
Standard is a good starting point for occasional trips, particularly within the eurozone. Go suits people who regularly withdraw cash outside it and use the insurance. Choose Metal when you will also use its protections and lounge access. Carry a second card accepted by your hotel or rental supplier. Product details checked on 28 September 2026; monthly prices and Go insurance rechecked on 3 October 2026; Metal terms and lounge prices on 4 October 2026.
The application link below goes directly to N26. We do not publish personal invite codes.
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Sources
Sources: N26 plans, travel benefits and lounges.
Metal terms read on 4 October 2026: Dutch Allianz conditions, policy version 01/2023, selected through the official legal index for Metal accounts opened from 4 May 2023.
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Image: N26 N26 press image.