# first bank account in spain



## njnj (Mar 31, 2018)

Hello .
I am moving to Spain on non-lucrative visa .I don't know at all about banking in Spain ,What is the minimum requirement to open an account in any bank ? Is it the case that some banks or some provinces are easier for expats to start banking or all Spain is the same ? 
I am assuming minimum requirement to open any account in any bank would be : NIE / TIE card ? Address in Spain ? is it true ?

Thanks for help . Appreciated


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

You can open an account in most Spanish banks with just your passport and a euro!!

If you want to open a non residents account you don't need a Spanish address but you will most likely be paying some sort of annual maintenance fee although some banks offer free non residents accounts if you deposit a certain amount of money each month.

For a residents account you will need your NIE (or passport) and a rental agreement or house deeds and a small amount of cash (€1 min). Residents accounts are normally free (including Debit cards) if you deposit a certain amount of money each month. 

You 'normally' have to be at the bank in person to open a Spanish bank account as there are several papers to sign and they like to photocopy your NIE or passport.

Steve


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## martinPH2 (Feb 21, 2018)

My research leads me to the following conclusions:
- to pay utility bills one needs Spanish bank account and my choice (at the moment) would be BBVA with no fees and no restrictions as far as I can tell.
- no ATM fee and no bumped up exchange rate debit card (to be used worldwide) would be nice - German N26 bank seems to be the ticket. They also offer additional benefits if one gets a small monthly fee Black Account\Card.
- I am not too cool using debit card in the fraudulent on-line world and in establishments where they touch your card. My existing US credit cards protects me against all fraudulent charges. If I cannot obtain such a card from any EU bank I will use my US based card for these types of activities (yes, they have terrible exchange rates but no international transaction fees and they pay me 2.25% cash back so all balances out OK)


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Whist some banks may let one open an account without the required paperwork that is not so with most and eventually they will chase you for the info.

Non Residents must produce their original passport and an NIE (that is the white paper which shows the number) and a non-resident cert from the national police. Most banks will for a fee obtain that cert for you.

Residents require their EU Citizen’s Registration card, the green paper, and their original passport


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Juan C said:


> Whist some banks may let one open an account without the required paperwork that is not so with most and eventually they will chase you for the info.
> 
> Non Residents must produce their original passport and an NIE (that is the white paper which shows the number)


I believe your statement to be incorrect. As a non-residents bank account is designed for people who do not yet live in Spain they are unlikely to have, and do not need an NIE to open an account. I opened a non-residents bank account with Sabadell with just my passport, proof of my UK address and 100 euro. When I changed to a residents account when moving to Spain permanently I had to supply other documentation to prove where my money was coming from to discount money laundering. 

Steve


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## Gregorians (Oct 18, 2017)

martinPH2 said:


> My research leads me to the following conclusions:
> - to pay utility bills one needs Spanish bank account and my choice (at the moment) would be BBVA with no fees and no restrictions as far as I can tell.
> - no ATM fee and no bumped up exchange rate debit card (to be used worldwide) would be nice - German N26 bank seems to be the ticket. They also offer additional benefits if one gets a small monthly fee Black Account\Card.
> - I am not too cool using debit card in the fraudulent on-line world and in establishments where they touch your card. My existing US credit cards protects me against all fraudulent charges. If I cannot obtain such a card from any EU bank I will use my US based card for these types of activities (yes, they have terrible exchange rates but no international transaction fees and they pay me 2.25% cash back so all balances out OK)


We opened an online (fee free) account with BBVA but it was a right PITA getting it done. The account opening process couldn't be done online and required three visits to our local branch. Still, worth it for the no monthly fee and no ATM fees if using BBVA's own ATMs.

Be careful of non-Spanish banks (e.g. N26) as while they may not charge you for using ATMs in Spain, the banks will, and the minimum commission rates are hefty.


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