# Open bank account without private health



## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

Hi, I've just got my nie and registered as autónomo.

As autónomo here I'll be paying social security and entitled to public healthcare. For that reason I don't see the reason I should take out private healthcare too. 

However it seems impossible to just open a bank account without it. I tried Caixa and the most basic was 15eur month. BBVA 30eur month. And similar at others.

Is the only way to have a Spanish account to get private healthcare then?


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## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

No, I use these people, never even asked about healthcare https://www.openbank.es/en


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

leehod said:


> Hi, I've just got my nie and registered as autónomo.
> 
> As autónomo here I'll be paying social security and entitled to public healthcare. For that reason I don't see the reason I should take out private healthcare too.
> 
> ...


You don't need healthcare to open a bank account..


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

baldilocks said:


> You don't need healthcare to open a bank account..


Hmm, tell that to the staff at La Caixa and Sabadell. Even as an autonomo paying seguridad social they will not open it without a basic private health care plan.

Maybe there are some banks where you don't need it however. I see no mention of it on openbank.es or ING.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

leehod said:


> Hmm, tell that to the staff at La Caixa and Sabadell. Even as an autonomo paying seguridad social they will not open it without a basic private health care plan.
> 
> Maybe there are some banks where you don't need it however. I see no mention of it on openbank.es or ING.


I have a Sabadell Expansion account (opened in 2017) - have to pay in at least €700 per month to qualify for free banking - and health insurance was never mentioned when opening the account, nor has it been since.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Did you do this in English or Spanish? Sometimes people get confused especially Spanish who have to communicate in English but might not fully understand something or fail to be able to express things in detail.


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

kaipa said:


> Did you do this in English or Spanish? Sometimes people get confused especially Spanish who have to communicate in English but might not fully understand something or fail to be able to express things in detail.


It was in Spanish. 

Perhaps my experience differed owing to being autonomo and them insisting on opening accounts for autonomos. 

Maybe it's the autonomo accounts that require private healthcare? I just don't see why given I'm already paying social security and therefore entitled to public healthcare, but I specifically raised that question and was told public healthcare would not be enough and I'd need private healthcare to open an account


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

Lynn R said:


> I have a Sabadell Expansion account (opened in 2017) - have to pay in at least €700 per month to qualify for free banking - and health insurance was never mentioned when opening the account, nor has it been since.


Yes, they also mentioned the minimum in ingressos, to avoid the maintenance fees, but demanded the private healthcare insurance on top of that.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Many banks including La Caixa are doing the hard sell on insurance now, even to existing customers.

Mine suddenly started charging €9 per quarter "maintenance fee" even though I have a cuenta nómina (my pension is paid in every month). When I queried it, they said it would be free if I took out some form of insurance with them. The price of their household insurance was considerably more than I pay with Linea Directa, even taking into account the €36 p.a. I would "save". So I kicked up a stink in the branch, and they waived the commission. Everything's negotiable, particularly if there's a long line of customers waiting for attention!


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> Many banks including La Caixa are doing the hard sell on insurance now, even to existing customers.
> 
> Mine suddenly started charging €9 per quarter "maintenance fee" even though I have a cuenta nómina (my pension is paid in every month). When I queried it, they said it would be free if I took out some form of insurance with them. The price of their household insurance was considerably more than I pay with Linea Directa, even taking into account the €36 p.a. I would "save". So I kicked up a stink in the branch, and they waived the commission. Everything's negotiable, particularly if there's a long line of customers waiting for attention!


Yes, this is very common. I got a small loan a few years back, and the contract was put on the table with a clause which obliged us to sign up to life insurance.

I contested it and the "saleswoman" said that they could only concede loans if the client agreed to this (internal bank rules), but we could cancel the policy as soon as the loan was granted. I checked the policy T&Cs and indeed there was no permanency obligation.

We signed the loan agreement, then cancelled the insurance without much hassle, never paid a premium.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Yes, all banks used to do this a long time ago when you got a mortgage. However, I thought since all the dodgy practices in the past leading to the financial crisis that this kind of hard sell as Alcalaina says, was not allowed. Of course, that's not much help when you've got someone in the bank telling you that you need to do it...
I'm self employed and you are offered some kind of insurance when you sign on. Actually, now I think about it I think you do have to have it, but this was something I did through the social security office about 3 years ago. I was asked to choose between a couple of insurance firms...MAPFRE and can't remember which other...
I don't think the bank needs it though??
Xabiachica, do you know anything about this?


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, all banks used to do this a long time ago when you got a mortgage. However, I thought since all the dodgy practices in the past leading to the financial crisis that this kind of hard sell as Alcalaina says, was not allowed. Of course, that's not much help when you've got someone in the bank telling you that you need to do it...
> I'm self employed and you are offered some kind of insurance when you sign on. Actually, now I think about it I think you do have to have it, but this was something I did through the social security office about 3 years ago. I was asked to choose between a couple of insurance firms...MAPFRE and can't remember which other...
> I don't think the bank needs it though??
> Xabiachica, do you know anything about this?


Interesting, you had to get private health insurance before you could register as autonomo? Despite also being forced to pay social security (and therefore be entitled to publich healthcare)


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

leehod said:


> Interesting, you had to get private health insurance before you could register as autonomo? Despite also being forced to pay social security (and therefore be entitled to publich healthcare)


But as I understand it, you aren't covered on the public system immediately, you have to have been contributing for a while.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

leehod said:


> Interesting, you had to get private health insurance before you could register as autonomo? Despite also being forced to pay social security (and therefore be entitled to publich healthcare)


 No, I had to do it at the moment of signing on


And I had already been here and self employed for ages...
I can't remember all the ins and outs, but there was a change in the law


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

Pesky Wesky said:


> No, I had to do it at the moment of signing on


You mean registering for social security? or when applying for residence or something else?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Here you go, sorry it's in Spanish, but I have to do some work now!!
https://www.onlineautonomos.com/blog/es-obligatorio-que-el-autonomo-se-de-de-alta-en-una-mutua/


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

leehod said:


> You mean registering for social security? or when applying for residence or something else?


At the moment that I was in the social security office signing on to be self employed/ autónoma


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

Pesky Wesky said:


> At the moment that I was in the social security office signing on to be self employed/ autónoma


Thanks, OK, well maybe I will have that to look forward to also


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

leehod said:


> It was in Spanish.
> 
> Perhaps my experience differed owing to being autonomo and them insisting on opening accounts for autonomos.
> 
> Maybe it's the autonomo accounts that require private healthcare? I just don't see why given I'm already paying social security and therefore entitled to public healthcare, but I specifically raised that question and was told public healthcare would not be enough and I'd need private healthcare to open an account


You don't need a special account.
I'm autónoma & I use my personal account.


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

I've heard good things about ING direct account with zero fees etc. Maybe I'll try that. It looks also same for Santander. Vs Caixa/Sabadell and their monthly fees and hardsells.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, all banks used to do this a long time ago when you got a mortgage. However, I thought since all the dodgy practices in the past leading to the financial crisis that this kind of hard sell as Alcalaina says, was not allowed. Of course, that's not much help when you've got someone in the bank telling you that you need to do it...
> I'm self employed and you are offered some kind of insurance when you sign on. Actually, now I think about it I think you do have to have it, but this was something I did through the social security office about 3 years ago. I was asked to choose between a couple of insurance firms...MAPFRE and can't remember which other...
> I don't think the bank needs it though??
> Xabiachica, do you know anything about this?


I have something which goes through my autómomo payment which gives me some income if I were to baja for illness.

I can't remember any more than that. My gestor did explain at the time, but it was ages ago.


I've never heard that you need a special bank account for being self-employed, nor needinghealth insurance via the bank.


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

Yeah, I wasn't sure about needing the autonomo account rather than regular. It's what they were pushing me to get however. Just wasn't sure if it was a requirement or just the banks wanting me to get it.

I certainly couldn't get an account in Caixa or Sabedell without their healthcare anyway, but I'll try Santander and others tomorrow.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

leehod said:


> Yeah, I wasn't sure about needing the autonomo account rather than regular. It's what they were pushing me to get however. Just wasn't sure if it was a requirement or just the banks wanting me to get it.
> 
> I certainly couldn't get an account in Caixa or Sabedell without their healthcare anyway, but I'll try Santander and others tomorrow.


Opened a Santander 123 Free account last week and although its a Non Resident account, I asked what was needed when we come over for good as I want to be Autonomo. Was told that it would just be changed by providing proof I was resident. No health care, No special account, but to keep it 'free' I would have to pay in €600 a month and have at least 3 DDR. And that includes my Autonomo payment.

That was in the branch in Albir and they all speak english.


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## vikingred (Jan 5, 2019)

I opened an account with Sabadell in November 2018. I deposited €25 000 and to date I haven't had any monthly charges. My question is.. if I have a large sum always sitting in my account, will that exempt me from monthly charges? I will basically be living off my savings for many years before my pensions kick in.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

vikingred said:


> I opened an account with Sabadell in November 2018. I deposited €25 000 and to date I haven't had any monthly charges. My question is.. if I have a large sum always sitting in my account, will that exempt me from monthly charges? I will basically be living off my savings for many years before my pensions kick in.


That's what we do. Each branch has a certain amount of 'wiggle' room regarding free accounts (or so it seems)


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## leehod (Jan 12, 2019)

Went back for round #2 of this today. I also took my partner who speaks native Spanish to avoid any confusion.

The gist was that as an autonomo, I cannot open a simple "nomina" account --- I'd need a regular job and salary for that, and I must open an account for autonomos (this was the same response from Santander, Bankia and Caixa).

Santander this time told me they will open me an autonomo account without private healthcare, but they need to see Modelo 36 before they can do it. My gestor on the other hand wants the bank account before doing the autonomo registration! Ha. In the end Santander agreed to open it provisionally, but if I don't bring the Modelo 36 next week it would be cancelled.

Bankia, refused to open an account flat out with a "NIE temporal". They demand the NIE Card for bank accounts. i.e. residence card.

La Caixa, requires me to take their private healthcare before I can open an account. Ha.

So looks like I will go with Santander. But he wouldn't open it today, needs me to come back on Thursday for an appointment to do it. Sheesh.

Maybe this is just Barcelona, I don't know, but crazyness.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

No it's not just Barcelona. Bienvenido a España!


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

xabiaxica said:


> I have something which goes through my autómomo payment which gives me some income if I were to baja for illness.
> 
> I can't remember any more than that. My gestor did explain at the time, but it was ages ago.
> 
> ...


I have the same cover. It comes with the autónomo payments, in fact I had an email today stating that the cover has been extended to cover other things!


Caixa always say you have to take thier insurance, you don’t. They told us, we complained and the account was opened without taking the cover. We use that one for day to day living 

I also have a Santander account which I solely use for paying in my income from teaching and house sales, it is also the account that the authorities have for social security payments , IVA payments etc. It’s a regular account, in fact I wanted the autónomo one as it offered some special deals. My manager told me that the costs outweighed any benefits. Most bank managers here are pretty autonomous in their decision making. I prefer having two separate accounts one for business and one for personal use helps separates any issues


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