Banking in Spain
By Linus Palmqvist, Head of Operations Reviewed by Simon Nilsson Last reviewed Santander has the clearest documented remote option before arrival: its passport account gives an ES IBAN after passport and video identification. It is limited to a current country list, so it is not a universal passport option.
The strongest documented pre-arrival option here if your country is on Santander’s current list. Check that list and the current terms directly before relying on this option.
Choose between independent help with your move or checking Santander's current process directly.
Settlewell helps you understand your whole move to Spain, including how banking fits alongside home services. We do not open or arrange a bank account on your behalf.
Bank fit changes depending on where you are in the move. Check each stage before treating a bank as a good option.
The remote passport account is available only from Santander’s current country list; check your country before applying.
The documented passport option remains country-list dependent. Santander does not publish a dependable alternative for an unlisted country, so ask the bank directly.
The documented passport option is country-list dependent; no separate universal option for this stage is confirmed publicly. Ask Santander directly.
The documented passport account provides a Spanish ES IBAN.
Santander advertised no maintenance fee for this passport account as of 11 July 2026; check the current tariff directly.
Match the option to your current stage, then confirm the live bank requirements before submitting an application.
Confirm that your country is on Santander’s current list before starting.
Without a Spanish delivery address, this documented option provides a virtual card only.
Approval and usable-IBAN timing are not published, so check the live flow.
Santander lists English in its Spanish site and app, but it does not promise English on every phone call.
The Spanish site and app list English.
English on every phone call is not guaranteed and may depend on the agent.
The right option can change as you move from planning your arrival to living in Spain.
Still have questions?
Start with the stage you are at, then compare the practical options for your move to Spain in English.
Compare banking optionsWritten by
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.
This page is based on Santander's official information and is independent: Settlewell has no commercial relationship with Santander. Every claim on this page traces to a dated, sourced fact: a bank statement, an official term, or regulator guidance. Never a guess or a commercial preference. Where public information does not answer a question, this page says so plainly instead of filling the gap. Check live terms with the bank before applying.
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