N26 Ireland 2026 | Plans, fees and the German IBAN problem
N26 in Ireland in 2026 — free card spending abroad, plan prices, ATM limits, no credit card, and the German IBAN that still catches Irish customers out.
Bank cardsUpdated
N26 is a German bank, N26 Bank SE, passported into Ireland. It is open to new Irish customers in 2026 and appears on the Central Bank of Ireland’s register as an EEA credit institution providing services here on a cross-border basis, with Germany as its home country.
If you remember N26 being hard to join, that has changed. BaFin’s growth restriction, which capped N26 at 60,000 new customers a month, was fully lifted on 1 June 2024.
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly price |
|---|---|
| Standard | €0 (physical card is a one-off €10) |
| Smart | €4.90 |
| Go | €9.90 |
| Metal | €16.90 |
The tier previously called N26 You was renamed N26 Go in June 2025. If you see “N26 You” quoted anywhere, it is out of date.
Savings rates run by plan: 0.25% on Standard and Smart, 0.55% on Go, 1.5% AER on Metal.
The IBAN problem
N26 gives Irish customers a German IBAN, starting DE. N26 states its IBANs are German, French, Italian or Spanish — Ireland is not one of its local-IBAN markets.
Under EU rules on IBAN discrimination, an Irish employer or utility is not supposed to refuse a DE IBAN for euro payments. In practice some Irish payroll systems, social welfare payments and smaller direct debit originators still do. This is the single biggest reason people who like N26 end up keeping an Irish account alongside it.
Revolut and bunq both give Irish customers IE IBANs. N26 does not.
Cards and fees
Network: Mastercard, debit only. N26 does not issue Visa and does not issue credit cards.
Spending abroad is free. N26 charges no foreign transaction fee on card payments on any plan, with no weekend markup and no surcharge on rarer currencies. Mastercard’s own exchange rate applies. This is the strongest thing about the account and it applies even on the free Standard plan.
Euro ATM withdrawals — free allowance per month, then €2 per withdrawal:
| Plan | Free euro withdrawals per month |
|---|---|
| Standard | 2 |
| Smart | 3 |
| Go | 5 |
| Metal | 8 |
Since 2025 all eurozone withdrawals count against a single unified quota.
Non-euro ATM withdrawals do not count against that quota. Standard and Smart pay a 1.7% markup; Go and Metal pay nothing.
No credit card, no overdraft
N26 does not offer a credit card or an overdraft in Ireland. Its lending products — N26 Credit, Overdraft and Instalments — run only in Spain, Germany and Austria. Every N26 card issued to an Irish customer is a debit Mastercard.
If you want credit from a digital provider in Ireland, Revolut is the one that sells it.
Deposit protection
N26 deposits are covered by the German scheme, the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken, to €100,000 per depositor. Not the Irish Deposit Guarantee Scheme.
Who N26 suits
N26 is the cheapest way to spend abroad from Ireland. No foreign transaction fee on any plan, no weekend markup, no fair-usage limit to trip over — that beats Revolut’s Standard plan, which starts charging 1% above €1,000 of exchange a month and adds a weekend markup.
The German IBAN is the trade-off. Treat N26 as a travel and spending account rather than the account your salary lands in, unless you have confirmed your employer accepts a DE IBAN.
It is a poor choice if you want cash. Two free euro withdrawals a month on the free plan is restrictive, and €2 a withdrawal after that is more than an Irish bank charges.
Frequently asked questions
Is N26 available in Ireland?
Yes. Ireland is on N26’s supported countries list and N26 is registered with the Central Bank of Ireland as an EEA credit institution operating here on a cross-border basis. The BaFin growth cap that once limited sign-ups was lifted on 1 June 2024.
Does N26 give an Irish IBAN?
No. Irish customers get a German IBAN. N26 issues DE, FR, IT and ES IBANs only. EU rules say a euro payment should not be refused because of the country code, but some Irish payroll and direct debit systems still create friction.
Does N26 charge foreign transaction fees?
No. Card payments in any currency are free on every plan, with no weekend markup. Non-euro ATM withdrawals carry a 1.7% markup on Standard and Smart, and are free on Go and Metal.
Does N26 offer a credit card in Ireland?
No. N26 issues debit Mastercards only. Its credit, overdraft and instalment products are limited to Spain, Germany and Austria.
Is my money safe with N26?
Deposits are protected to €100,000 by the German deposit guarantee scheme, not the Irish one. N26 Bank SE holds a full German banking licence.
How do I contact N26 or log in?
Through the N26 app and n26.com. There are no branches. N26 support is in-app and by phone on paid plans.
Checked against 9 sources
- https://n26.com/en-eu/plans
- https://n26.com/en-eu/iban-number
- https://n26.com/en-eu/mastercard
- https://n26.com/en-eu/foreign-transaction-fee
- https://support.n26.com/en-eu/account-and-personal-details/opening-an-account/can-i-open-an-n26-account-in-my-country
- https://support.n26.com/en-eu/payments-transfers-and-withdrawals/withdrawals/how-often-can-i-withdraw-cash-for-free
- https://n26.com/en-eu/press/press-release/n26-welcomes-bafin-s-lift-of-its-growth-restriction
- https://n26.com/en-eu/press/press-release/n26-enhances-premium-offering-with-n26-go-to-become-the-go-to-bank-for-travelers
- https://support.n26.com/en-eu/security/funds-protection/how-does-n26-protect-my-money