Opening a bank account as a sex worker: why it so often goes wrong and what you can do
Sex work is legal in Belgium and the Netherlands, yet banks still often refuse or block accounts. Why that happens, what rights you have and how to make your application stronger.
Belgium decriminalised sex work in June 2022, and since 1 December 2024 sex workers there can even work under an employment contract. In the Netherlands, sex work has been a regulated profession since 2000. Yet one practical problem persists: opening or keeping an ordinary bank account. Daisy, a sex worker interviewed by VRT NWS, put it simply: without a stable account or a loan, you stay stuck.
This article gives general information about Belgium and the Netherlands. It is not legal or financial advice.
How big is the problem?
At the end of 2023 and the start of 2024, UTSOPI, Violett and Espace P, the Belgian organisations for and by sex workers, asked sex workers about their experiences with banks. 759 people responded. Some figures:
- 13% had their account blocked.
- 9% had an application for an account refused. The researchers believe this is an underestimate.
- Of those who had problems, more than a quarter received no explanation at all.
- 85% of those with a Belgian account say their bank does not know they work in sex work.
- 76% are paid at least partly in cash.
This was an online survey, not a representative sample. But the picture is clear, and according to the report the problem occurs at every bank surveyed and in every region. Daan Bauwens, director of UTSOPI, told VRT NWS in March 2025: "A law is nice, but without a bank account you can't do much."
Why do banks refuse?
Under anti-money-laundering law, banks must know who their customer is and where the money comes from. If they cannot check that, they may, or must, refuse or close an account. In the Belgian survey, 46% of those who were given a reason were told it concerned money-laundering risks or suspicious transactions. Examples:
- many cash deposits without explanation;
- no proof of income, no contract or no registration as self-employed;
- questions about where the money came from that got no clear answer.
Many banks also apply internal rules on "high-risk sectors" and reputation. That is why the same application can go well at a local branch and still be refused by head office.
In the Netherlands, the Dutch Banking Association added sex workers to its AML standard at the end of 2023. Among other things, it says a bank may use your income tax return to understand where your income comes from, or your VAT return if there is no income tax return yet. Good bookkeeping and registration with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) also help.
What can you do?
- Get your documents ready. ID, your registration as self-employed (KBO in Belgium, KvK in the Netherlands) or your employment contract, and recent tax returns or payslips. The better you can show where your income comes from, the fewer questions later.
- Make cash income traceable. Keep simple records with the date, amount and a reference for each payment. Unexplained deposits are the most frequently cited reason for a block.
- Keep business and private separate. A separate account for your work makes bookkeeping and tax returns easier and gives the bank a clear picture.
- Ask for a refusal or block in writing. Ask for the reason too. The bank cannot always give one (for example after a money-laundering report), but it often can.
- Know your right to a basic account. Every consumer legally resident in the EU has the right to a basic payment account. - In Belgium this is the basic banking service (basisbankdienst / service bancaire de base). A bank may only refuse it in a few cases, for example if you already have one or if it would breach anti-money-laundering law. If your bank's complaints service doesn't help, you can turn to Ombudsfin. - For the self-employed and businesses, Belgium has a basic banking service for businesses. If three banks have refused you, you can apply to the basic banking service chamber at the FPS Economy, which can designate a bank. - In the Netherlands it is called the basisbetaalrekening, which you request from a bank.
- Get support. In Belgium, UTSOPI, Violett and Espace P help with administrative questions, and UTSOPI collects testimonies about financial discrimination.
What GloryPay does differently
GloryPay was set up for professionals and businesses in the adult industry. Your work is the reason we exist, not a reason to refuse you. You get an account with a Belgian IBAN, usable across Europe, with SEPA payments by QR code and card terminals. Your customers see only a neutral reference on their payment. Opening an account is free, with no monthly or annual fees.
Sources: UTSOPI, Violett and Espace P, "Financial discrimination: report" (survey 20/12/2023 to 06/02/2024); VRT NWS, 28/03/2025; Banken.nl on the Dutch Banking Association's AML standard, 04/12/2023; Wikifin on the basic banking service. Status: 13/10/2026. This article is not legal or financial advice.