Opening a Spanish bank account

Your account

Monthly fee

€8 to €25

Non-residence certificate

€15 to €40, every couple of years

What to take

• Your passport, and a photocopy of the photo page
• The certificado de no residencia from the National Police, or the bank’s request for it
• Proof of your address abroad — a utility bill or bank statement, sometimes translated
• Proof of income: a pension award letter, payslips or a tax return
• A declaration of where you are tax resident, which the bank must hold under EU rules

Worth knowing

• Fees are indicative ranges, not a rate card: Spanish banks price by product, region and what else you hold with them
• Ask what the account costs without a pension paid in — the free version usually depends on it
• Ask whether the card is included and what a cash withdrawal at another bank costs, which is where the charges hide
• A joint account is straightforward, but both holders need their own NIE and their own documents

People who can help with this

Independently listed, experienced with international retirees, free to contact.

• Gestorium 360°

  Licensed gestoria in Barcelona — document, visa and administrative support for foreigners.

  Barcelona

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• Imont Legal & Taxes

  Legal and tax advice for international property buyers in Spain.

  Region of Murcia

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• MyMoveSpain

  Murcia-based relocation specialist coordinating visas, property purchase/rent and post-arrival settling-in for retirees and other international clients.

  Region of Murcia

  View profile →

Questions people ask

Do I need a NIE to open an account?

Not strictly for a non-resident account — a passport and the non-residence certificate can be enough — but in practice most banks now ask for one, and every bank asks for it before you can do anything useful like buying a property or paying utilities by direct debit. Getting the NIE first saves a second appointment.

What is the certificado de no residencia and who gets it?

A certificate from the National Police confirming you are not registered as resident in Spain. The bank requires it for a non-resident account and will re-check it every two years or so. Many banks will obtain it for you for a fee, which is usually the sensible option since it otherwise needs its own police appointment.

Can I open one before I move?

Several banks will open a non-resident account remotely, and it is worth doing before a purchase so the deposit has somewhere to land. Expect it to be slower than advertised and expect them to want the NIE. A resident account cannot be opened from abroad, because the proof it requires is proof you already live here.

What do the fees actually come to?

A non-resident account typically costs between eight and twenty-five euros a month once maintenance and the periodic certificate are counted. A resident account with a pension paid into it is frequently free, and rarely more than fifteen. Over a decade that difference is not trivial, which is the argument for switching promptly rather than eventually.

Should I keep my account at home as well?

Almost always, at least for a while. Pensions can take months to redirect, some home-country providers refuse to pay into a foreign account at all, and a home account gives you somewhere to receive money if a Spanish card is blocked. Keeping both and moving money deliberately is cheaper than being caught with neither.