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Banking in Spain: How to open a bank account for foreigners

Find out what you need to open a bank account in Spain for residents and non-residents using a passport

Whether or not you are a resident in Spain, you can open a Spanish bank account online, although the type of current account you are able to open will depend on your residency status. A foreigner can open a bank account in Spain, and all you need is a valid passport and proof of residence.

Here’s how you can open a bank account in Spain as an expat, for residents and non-residents, online.

You do not need to have Spanish nationality or citizenship to have a bank account, debit card or credit card in Spain. You don’t even need a NIE (Foreigners’ Identification Number) in many cases, depending on the bank. That means that anyone can have access to these types of banking services with an account for foreigners in Spain.

Opening a bank account in Spain for residents

The requirements to open a bank account in Spain are that you:

have a valid passport or national identity card for EU citizens
can provide proof of residence, such as a utility bill that is less than three months old, or a recent bank statement from another Spanish bank that can prove your address in Spain
supply a telephone number or email address
make an initial deposit amount in the account

It is not even necessary to have a salary paid into your account or a monthly pension fund paid via direct debit in order to open a bank account.

Opening a bank account for non-residents in Spain

International, virtual bank account

If you are thinking of moving out to live in Spain or purchase a second property to use as a holiday home in Spain, you may also want to consider opening a fully online bank account with a fintech banking app like Revolut or Starling.

This allows foreigners to have an account with an IBAN and manage their money all through a mobile app. Many such apps have better exchange rates than traditional, physical, brick-and-mortar banks for changing between currencies, such as changing GBP or USD to EUR, or vice versa.

They will also issue you a card so you can spend as normal and withdraw money from an ATM. There are no hidden fees, the requirements for opening one of these bank accounts are simpler and they can be up to three times cheaper due to their low maintenance costs.

Best Spanish banks to open an account

Some of the top, most popular banks in Spain to open a current account are:

Santander
BBVA
La Caixa / CaixaBank
Bankinter
Sabadell

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