Best Place to Exchange Money in Antwerp

01Exchange

Where to change money in Antwerp

Belgium's financial regulator, the FSMA, keeps the official register of bureaux de change, and only one entry has an Antwerp address: an office registered to an individual rather than a company. Western Union's Belgian retail company is on the same register under a Brussels address, and its stores in Antwerp offer currency exchange.

• Western Union storesWestern Union lists three dedicated stores in Antwerp, at De Keyserlei 59, Falconplein 1 and Dambruggestraat 5, and says its stores change euros to and from sterling and US, Canadian and Australian dollars. Opening times vary by branch and none lists Sunday hours, so check before you set off.
• CASH machinesBatopin runs the CASH network for KBC, ING, Belfius and BNP Paribas Fortis, and you can use it whichever bank issued your card. CASH charges nothing for the withdrawal itself, though your own bank may.

02On arrival

Changing money at the airport

Antwerp Airport (ANR) has a cash machine in the terminal, on the public side before security, which anyone can use. If you fly into Brussels Airport instead, a direct train reaches Antwerp in about 30 minutes. Brussels Airport says rail journeys to and from the airport usually carry a €6.90 supplement, and the ticket price often includes it already; the amount can change. There are exchange counters and cash machines at Brussels Airport if you want euros before you catch the train.

03Cash machines and cards

ATMs and cards in Antwerp

Put a card from outside the eurozone into a CASH machine and the screen splits into two choices: the left gives the sum converted into your home currency, the right keeps it in euros. Pick the euro side, so the conversion is left to your card provider; MoneySavingExpert says a rate set by the machine or a shop is often worse. CASH takes standard debit cards as well as credit and prepaid cards. Since 1 July 2022, Belgian law has required every business that sells to consumers to accept at least one form of electronic payment, but each business chooses which, so a particular card may not be accepted everywhere; keep a few euros in cash as back-up.

04Getting around

Paying for transport in Antwerp

De Lijn runs Antwerp's trams and buses. To pay on board, hold a contactless bank card, phone or smartwatch against the white terminal: a ride cost €3 in September 2026, and changing to another tram or bus within 60 minutes is free.

05Local know-how

Good to know

• CASH sets no withdrawal limit of its own; the most you can take out depends on your bank.
• The FSMA publishes its register of bureaux de change online, so you can check that a business is registered before handing over cash.
• Restaurant and hotel prices in Belgium already include service, so a tip is entirely up to you.