# La Caixa non-resisdent accoutn say - they say I have to sign up for health insurance



## SaSpainn (Mar 24, 2013)

I went to La Caixa to open a non-resident bank account and the guy said I had to sign up for their health insurance or dental insurance with _Adeslas_. When I asked why, he said it was the law that non-residents had to have insurance in order to have a bank account. 

The cheapest is the dental insurance for €10.50 a month and the account maintenance fee is €4 p/m. Works out at 14.50 p/m to just have the bank account.

Has anyone heard of this law or should I try another bank?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

SaSpainn said:


> I went to La Caixa to open a non-resident bank account and the guy said I had to sign up for their health insurance or dental insurance with _Adeslas_. When I asked why, he said it was the law that non-residents had to have insurance in order to have a bank account.
> 
> The cheapest is the dental insurance for €10.50 a month and the account maintenance fee is €4 p/m. Works out at 14.50 p/m to just have the bank account.
> 
> Has anyone heard of this law or should I try another bank?


hhmmm, I think he's bending the truth a bit. If you're an EU citizen and a non resident, then the EHIC card will cover you for emergency health issues for 90 days. After that, you need to become a resident. At that point, you will have to have adequate healthcare arranged and proof of an income.

To open a bank account tho??? I've not heard that before

Jo xxx


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## SaSpainn (Mar 24, 2013)

jojo said:


> After that, you need to become a resident. At that point, you will have to have adequate healthcare arranged and proof of an income.


I don't plan on living in Spain. I just need a non-resident account to pay bills (direct debit) for the holiday flat I'm renting.

This guy was adamant that I had to sign up for their insurance and wouldn't budge. Seems very strange.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

SaSpainn said:


> I don't plan on living in Spain. I just need a non-resident account to pay bills (direct debit) for the holiday flat I'm renting.
> 
> This guy was adamant that I had to sign up for their insurance and wouldn't budge. Seems very strange.



How long are you planning to be in Spain??

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

SaSpainn said:


> I don't plan on living in Spain. I just need a non-resident account to pay bills (direct debit) for the holiday flat I'm renting.
> 
> This guy was adamant that I had to sign up for their insurance and wouldn't budge. Seems very strange.


just go to another bank - you don't have to take out health insurance to open a bank account


not even if it's a resident account - though they are more likely to try to sell insurance then - are you sure that's not what he was doing?

I have to say it's _very _unusual to have to pay bills on a holiday let - or do you mean you own it & are letting it out


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Tell them to go and &%$" themselves


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## SaSpainn (Mar 24, 2013)

jojo said:


> How long are you planning to be in Spain??
> 
> Jo xxx


I've signed a contract to rent a place for a year. I only plan to be in Spain for maybe a few weeks a year, certainly not 3 months. The agency need a bank account in order to set up direct debit with Iberdrola, water, etc. 

I just found this thread (expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/510314-nasty-trick-some-cajas.html) from a Dutch guy who had the same problem. It seems they are really trying to push health insurance on all non-residents. Why? What's the point of Spanish health insurance if you don't even live there? Seems like a complete scam. 

Not sure what to do now. Try some other banks I suppose. Do you recommend any?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

SaSpainn said:


> I've signed a contract to rent a place for a year. I only plan to be in Spain for maybe a few weeks a year, certainly not 3 months. The agency need a bank account in order to set up direct debit with Iberdrola, water, etc.
> 
> I just found this thread (expatforum.com/expats/spain-expat-forum-expats-living-spain/510314-nasty-trick-some-cajas.html) from a Dutch guy who had the same problem. It seems they are really trying to push health insurance on all non-residents. Why? What's the point of Spanish health insurance if you don't even live there? Seems like a complete scam.
> 
> Not sure what to do now. Try some other banks I suppose. Do you recommend any?


try other banks as we suggested


have to say I'm confused - you posted 18 months ago that you'd opened a non-resident account with La Caixa :confused2:


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

SaSpainn said:


> I don't plan on living in Spain. I just need a non-resident account to pay bills (direct debit) for the holiday flat I'm renting.
> 
> This guy was adamant that I had to sign up for their insurance and wouldn't budge. Seems very strange.


I would look elsewhere for a Spanish Bank account ( preferably one that's non resident,
Expat friendly ) for let's face it - La Caixa's loss is there competitors gain.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I suspect that they are thinking that you ARE going to be in the country for the duration and therefore you WILL need health insurance. So its possibly just a misunderstanding

Jo xxx


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## SaSpainn (Mar 24, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> try other banks as we suggested
> 
> have to say I'm confused - you posted 18 months ago that you'd opened a non-resident account with La Caixa :confused2:


That's a typo, I said "applied" instead of "apply".

I was going to open an account with them 2 years ago but decided not to because the landlord said I could pay him via bank transfer from Ireland instead.

The reason I need an account now is because I'm renting a new place from an agency that requires a Spanish account for direct debit. Really, we should be able to use any EU account in any EU country, but that's not the case 

Anyway, I'll shop around for a better deal and let you all know how it goes.


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## SaSpainn (Mar 24, 2013)

jojo said:


> I suspect that they are thinking that you ARE going to be in the country for the duration and therefore you WILL need health insurance. So its possibly just a misunderstanding
> 
> Jo xxx


I made it clear that I wasn't going to be in Spain for more than three months out of the year. He acknowledged this but still insisted on insurance.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

SaSpainn said:


> I made it clear that I wasn't going to be in Spain for more than three months out of the year. He acknowledged this but still insisted on insurance.


Cut the lad some slack as he has his commission to think about.


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

He is full of it. Find another bank. I hated La Caixa.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hmm, I can't really see what the problem is. It's just like shopping. If you don't like what they have to offer you go to another shop. Just go to another bank; after all there's no shortage of them here! And in your shoes I'd go to at least 2 more so that you can compare service, treatment, offers, conditions...


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

SaSpainn said:


> I went to La Caixa to open a non-resident bank account and the guy said I had to sign up for their health insurance or dental insurance with _Adeslas_. When I asked why, he said it was the law that non-residents had to have insurance in order to have a bank account.
> 
> The cheapest is the dental insurance for €10.50 a month and the account maintenance fee is €4 p/m. Works out at 14.50 p/m to just have the bank account.
> 
> Has anyone heard of this law or should I try another bank?


Rubbish, we were offered but said no. You do not have to have anything with them passport thats all


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## SaSpainn (Mar 24, 2013)

cambio said:


> Rubbish, we were offered but said no. You do not have to have anything with them passport thats all


When did you open the account?


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