Banking in Spain for Tourists and Long-Term Ex-Pats<\/p>\n
Visiting your local bank in Spain has become painless indeed since Franco died. Now in the year 2005, there is at least one English-speaking \u2018bank officer\u2019 on hand in just about any branch in southern Spain. They like showing off their mastery languages as they open \u2018tourist\u2019 accounts with glee.<\/p>\n
An added bonus for us technology worshipping ex-pats is that most of their websites are also in several languages for ease of use.<\/p>\n
Here is an almost complete list of banks in Spain, including the website addresses for each:<\/p>\n
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Bancaja https:\/\/www.bancaja.es
Banco Atl\u00e1ntico https:\/\/www.batlantico.es
Banco Gallego https:\/\/www.bancogallego.es
Banco Guipuzcoano https:\/\/www.bancogui.es
Banco Herrero https:\/\/www.bancoherrero.com
Banco Pastor https:\/\/www.bancopastor.es
Banco Popular https:\/\/www.bancopopular.es
Banco Sabadell https:\/\/www.bancsabadell.es
Banco Urquijo https:\/\/www.bancourquijo.es
Banco Zaragozano https:\/\/www.bancozaragozano.es
Banesto https:\/\/www.banesto.es
Bankinter https:\/\/www.bankinter.es
Barclays Bank https:\/\/www.barclays.es
BBK (Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa) https:\/\/www.bbk.es
BBVA https:\/\/www.bbva.es
Caixa Catalunya https:\/\/www.caixacat.es
Caixa Galicia https:\/\/www.caixagalicia.es
Caja Duero https:\/\/www.cajaduero.es
Caja Espa\u00f1a https:\/\/www.cajaespana.es
Caja Madrid https:\/\/www.cajamadrid.es
CAM (Caja de Ahorros de Mediterr\u00e1neo) https:\/\/www.cam.es
Citibank https:\/\/www.citibank.es
Deutsche Bank https:\/\/www.deutsche-bank.es
Ibercaja https:\/\/www.ibercaja.es
ING Direct https:\/\/www.ingdirect.es
Kutxa https:\/\/www.kutxa.es
La Caixa https:\/\/www.lacaixa.es
Santander Central Hispano https:\/\/www.gruposantander.es
Unicaja https:\/\/www.unicaja.es<\/p>\n
In Spain, a personal relationship with someone at a bank is imperative if you need to get anything of extreme importance done, or taken care of promptly. Be sure to cultivate your contacts and try to get introduced to someone with power in a bank, especially if you want to buy a home with a mortgage.<\/p>\n
But for the usual ex-pats, here for six months then gone, you can bank online exclusively in Spain, using Bankinter (www.bankinter.es) or Patagon (www.patagon.es) where you can actually open an account and do all your banking transactions online.<\/p>\n
Opening a bank account<\/p>\n
You can choose two different types of \u2018tourist accounts\u2019 here in Spain. Either a savings or regular checking accounts are quickly opened by the banking staff requiring only your passport, telephone number (a mobile number will do), and a local address for mailing. The forms are always filled in by the staff, and within a week or so you get a debit card, checkbook (if you asked for one) and all the secret passwords you\u2019ll need to navigate yourself onto their online banking system. Unlike the USA, you don\u2019t get a shotgun or toaster oven just for opening an account. But now you can pay your bills, and make bank transactions online internationally without having to deal with a local branch office, and their short working hours.<\/p>\n
Friendly Bank People<\/p>\n
Banking in Spain is relaxed, or as they say \u2018tranquilo.\u2019 When one considers the laid-back hours they work, it should be relaxed. They open at 9 am and close at 2 pm. If you\u2019re lucky, they may also open on Saturdays from 9am to 1 pm, but watch out for those holidays! They take every single one of them off.<\/p>\n
Checkbooks<\/p>\n
If you do get a checkbook, hide it. It\u2019s useless. Do everything online and save yourself a big hassle.<\/p>\n
Direct Debits<\/p>\n
Direct Debits are the way to make your payments in Spain. Telefonica, electricity, water, all require direct debit accounts for you to exist here in Spain. So the tourist bank account is the way to go, just make sure there is another account somewhere else replenishing your Spanish account, and keep track of it online.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s assuming you can get online here in sunny Spain!<\/p>\n
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Banking in Spain for Tourists and Long-Term Ex-Pats Visiting your local bank in Spain has become painless indeed since Franco died. Now in the year 2005, there is at least one English-speaking \u2018bank officer\u2019 on hand in just about any … Continue reading