bunq has filed for a US de novo banking license, a major step in its plan to operate as a full-service digital bank across both Europe and the United States. The move reflects rising demand from globally mobile customers who want simple, secure banking that works seamlessly across borders.
The application, submitted to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, would allow bunq to offer regulated retail banking services in the US. If approved, it would place the European challenger among a small group of foreign neobanks attempting to enter the tightly controlled American banking market.
bunq has built its product around digital nomads, expats, and internationally active professionals, users often poorly served by national banking systems. In the US, the bank plans to roll out its existing model of mobile-first accounts, strong authentication, and AI-driven fraud detection, with a focus on frequent travellers and cross-border lifestyles.
The neobank says it will initially launch in major US cities with large expatriate communities. Its planned offering includes the option for eligible users to hold both US and European accounts and to build US credit histories using European financial records, a common hurdle for newly arrived expats.
The filing follows recent approval of bunq’s US broker-dealer licence by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. bunq first began exploring a US banking licence in 2023 and has since taken a phased approach to market entry.
Operating across more than 30 European markets, bunq says the US application is part of a broader push to serve globally mobile users as digital finance becomes increasingly international. Whether regulators ultimately approve the licence, the filing signals growing ambition among European fintechs to compete directly in the US banking system.