Open a Spanish bank account as a newcomer
Open an account with your passport, give the bank your NIE within 15 days, and know your right to a basic payment account if a bank says no.
For: A newcomer to Spain who does not yet have a TIE card and wants a Spanish bank account.
Last checked
What you need
Steps
Choose a bank and take your passport to open the account.
A passport is a valid identity document for a foreigner under the anti money laundering rules.
If you do not have your NIE yet, say so. The bank can open the account without it.
Give the bank your NIE within 15 days. Until you do, no movement is allowed on the account.
If the bank will not open a normal account, ask for a basic payment account (cuenta de pago básica). Banks that offer payment accounts must offer it to people who legally reside in the EU.
If the bank refuses, ask for the refusal in writing. It must be sent free of charge, with the concrete reasons, within ten business days of your complete application.
To complain about a refusal, follow the complaint procedure the bank must give you in that letter.
Done when: The account is open, with an IBAN, and the bank has your NIE on file.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the NIE. Without it the account stays frozen after the 15 days. BOE: Real Decreto 1065/2007, art. 28
What varies
Bank by bank: which branch or app you use, whether they ask for proof of address, an employer letter or a minimum deposit, monthly fees, and how long opening takes. Official pages do not set these, so ask the bank. Banks can refuse a basic account for reasons listed in the law (for example money laundering checks or already holding an account in Spain).
Who can do this for you
This page is general information, not legal advice.