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A guide for expats

How to open a Spanish bank account, step by step

By Linus Palmqvist, Head of Operations Reviewed by Simon Nilsson Last reviewed

The right option depends on where you are in your move, not on one universal checklist. Start with your stage, then choose a bank that documents a way to apply at that stage.

Get help with your moveSee the stages
Newcomer arriving at a Spanish bank branch with documents

Start with the stage you are at now

Opening a Spanish bank account is rarely about finding one 'best' bank. What you can open depends on three things: where you are in your move, which document you hold, and whether you can visit a branch in Spain. Fees and English support vary between banks too. Start with the stage you are at now, then choose a bank that documents a way to apply at that stage.

For the wider picture, including fees, English support and your rights on IBANs, see our banking in Spain guide.

Not planning to become a resident?

A second-home owner can stay non-resident permanently and may only need an account for community fees, IBI and utilities. Do not treat this as a fourth stage: start with the before-arrival options if you need to apply remotely, or the just-landed options if you can visit a branch in Spain, then confirm the bank's current country and document rules.

  1. Stage 1

    Before you arrive

    Remote options are narrow, and a Spain-registered neobank account is not one of them. Only Santander and CaixaBank have clearly documented, genuinely pre-arrival routes to a Spanish account, and both depend on your country. If you already use a neobank from home, you can keep using it: its EU IBAN is legally valid for Spanish payments, so you may not need a Spanish account immediately.

    Santander documents a remote passport account with video identification. HolaBank also starts remotely, but you must confirm your identity at a CaixaBank branch in Spain within six months. Check each current country list before relying on either option.

    Already use a neobank?

    Keep the account registered in your real current country before the move. A valid EU IBAN is legally usable for Spanish euro payments, so you do not need to register in Spain early just to get a Spanish IBAN.

    Documented ways to check

    Santander Fully remote

    The remote passport account is available only from Santander’s current country list; check your country before applying.

    CaixaBank / HolaBank Branch visit within 6 months

    HolaBank accepts remote applications from 18 listed countries, subject to its live eligibility rules.

    Compare all banking options

  2. Stage 2

    Just landed

    Assisted options become more realistic, but having an identification number does not make every app available. An NIE is not photo ID or proof of residence by itself.

    Bankinter has a dedicated English-language phone line and an assisted option for foreign-document applicants at this stage, though it does not publish the exact non-resident checklist, timing or fee. Call first to confirm what applies to you before relying on it.

    Already use a neobank?

    Keep using the account you already have from home while you settle in. Its EU IBAN is legally valid for Spanish payments, so you do not need a Spanish account immediately. Registering it to Spain comes later, once you genuinely live here.

    Documented ways to check

    Bankinter Fully remote

    Foreign-document applicants are directed to assisted phone or branch onboarding, but Bankinter does not publish the exact requirements. Ask the bank directly.

    Compare all banking options

  3. Stage 3

    Settled resident

    The resident-only Spanish options open up now. If you already use N26 or Revolut from home, this is when you can register it to Spain for a Spanish ES IBAN.

    Customers who genuinely live in and are registered in Spain can receive a Spanish ES IBAN from N26 or Revolut. This is an optional upgrade to an account you may already be using: neither is a pre-arrival shortcut, because both require you to register in the country where you actually legally reside.

    Documented ways to check

    N26 Fully remote

    Once you genuinely live in Spain, you can register N26 to Spain and receive a Spanish ES IBAN. This is an optional upgrade, not a requirement.

    Revolut Fully remote

    Once you legally live in Spain, Revolut can register you through its Spanish branch and issue a Spanish ES IBAN. A permanent country move can mean closing and reopening the account, so do not register Spain early.

    Compare all banking options

EU payment rules

A Spanish IBAN can help, but it is not legally required

Under EU Regulation 260/2012, a company accepting SEPA payments cannot lawfully insist on a Spanish IBAN when a valid EU account can receive the same payment. Rejection still happens in practice, especially with telecoms.

If it happens to you, there is a formal route. Tell the company it has to accept an EU account, then put your complaint in writing. If that gets you nowhere, take it to your regional consumer authority. Where the company refusing you is itself a bank or payment provider, it goes to Banco de España instead. Either way expect around three months, so most people open a Spanish account to get the service running and pursue the complaint in parallel.

What can go wrong

An existing account can be restricted while the bank reviews identity, address or source of funds.

Expired identification, a new unverified address, or a large or unusual incoming transfer are recurring triggers across bank types. Keep your bank details current and expect the bank to ask for evidence during a review.

The app rejects documents a branch may accept

Online onboarding can reject a document even where a branch may open the same account with a passport and NIE. Check the bank's documented channel before treating an app rejection as a final answer.

You lose access to the bank's phone number

Losing the old SIM before the bank confirms a new number can lock you out of phone and SMS verification. Keep the old number working until the change is complete.

A company rejects your EU IBAN

This is usually a merchant-side software or policy problem, not a lawful requirement or a fault with your bank. Keep Article 9 to hand when asking the company to correct it.

The physical card or PIN does not arrive

A missing Spanish delivery address can limit card delivery, and standard post may be untracked. Santander provides only a virtual card through its passport option when there is no Spanish delivery address.

Settlewell team helping people plan a move to Spain in English

Planning your whole move to Spain?

Settlewell helps you organise the move in English, including how banking fits alongside your home and everyday essentials. We do not open or arrange a bank account for you.

Get help with your move
Leo and our team help you compare your options in English

About this content

Written by

Linus Palmqvist

Head of Operations at Settlewell

Linus moved from Sweden to Málaga in 2021 and set his own home up here, so most of this he has already done the hard way once. Before Settlewell he spent years at Workwide, the cross-border recruiter that has helped over 10,000 people into jobs abroad, latterly as its Head of Recruitment and Operations. He speaks Spanish, lives in Málaga with his partner, and spends his days on the phone to Spanish providers.

Reviewed by Simon Nilsson, Founder & CEOLast reviewed

Sources and transparency

Each stage traces to a bank's own published terms, dated and checked, or to a regulator source; nothing is guessed to fill a gap. The EU payment rules trace to Regulation (EU) No 260/2012 and Banco de España's own guidance on IBAN acceptance.

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Opening a Spanish bank account: common questions

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