Is it possible to open Spanish bank account in UK?

PM sent to 'Micallefs_in_Spain' regarding Javaloyes & Suarez.

Quick update. Spoke to Sabadell and I can set an account up in Quesada via the London office in Pall Mall. They were really helpful

Micallefs_in_Spain wrote:Quick update. Spoke to Sabadell and I can set an account up in Quesada via the London office in Pall Mall. They were really helpful

Great news ! ...and helpful for others to know.

I had an idea they would do it for you.

Jan

The banking situation has changed in Spain. You must provide an original passport which is digitally scanned into your account records. People have had accounts suspended for not providing this and you should also provide your new passport on renewal.
When we first bought, an account was opened for us and we didn't have to turn up in person nor, indeed, did we even require an NIE back then.
Some banks accept an email copy of the passport but others don't.
Santander Spain and Santander UK are different companies with different regulations albeit part of the same group.
Times change hence one of the reasons Barclays and Lloyds have disappeared.
Saying that, people a few doors away opened an account in UK with Sabadell but that was over a year ago. Whether this is still possible since April this year (the deadline for providing digital copies of passports) I don't know.
Same rules now in UK as you can't open an account as a non UK resident unless you are an existing account holder.

Good luck with it all like newchocs post I too am a Santander customer in UK and they are a separate bank so will not open a Spanish account for you. Also Santander don't deal in currency so I was unable to bank Euros when I got back to UK

I'm not sure but I think that Sabadell is the only bank in Spain that still has a branch in the UK (London). We have also found Sabadell very helpful and having the two branches in Quesada too is handy, one in main street Quesada and one near the Laguna hotel. Their communication is good and they are also easily contactable by Twitter plus Email and have a very good website.

When we were transferred from Halifax to Sabadell they put us automatically in the La Zenia branch (??), when we eventually realised this we went into Quesada to change our branch to there and a very helpful lady started the process. As we were leaving Spain the next day she gave us her email address and we were able to 'talk' to her, to check the progress of the change-over, while we were in the UK.

Anyone with Sabadell (after the Halifax changeover)...it's worth checking that you haven't also been transferred to somewhere like La Zenia as it's not always easily obvious. We didn't find out for ages as we only used the ATM machines in Quesada but when we needed to show our passports, they said we were with La Zenia branch. However they did verify the passports in Quesada and it's then we changed branch. Even the bank in Quesada didn't know why we would have been moved to a branch so far away when we had two branches in Quesada. It appeared to be a computer glitch!

Jan

Contact Robert Felperlaan (speaks English) at La Caixa in Torrevejia. You can open a bank account from the UK by scanning and emailing copies of passports and evidence of how you got the money - all to do with money laundering.

We received an introductory email from a member of staff at the La Caixa head office in Barcelona explaining we could open an account from the UK. I would expect that that they may request all original documentation is taken into a branch on your next visit to Spain as proof though? It would appear that Alison's post is correct.

On another note. BBVA appear to have an online account with 0% comissions. link: https://www.bbva.es/eng/productos/alta/ ... ilia=00001. Having wandered through some of the set up stages tentatively it seems you require a cell phone for them to contact you with activation codes. I never followed the procedure to the end but if anyone knows different or can confirm the account can be opened from the UK i'd be very interested to hear so.

Danny

I set up account with Sabodell solbank in Quesada from the UK. and used a lawyer from Montesinos, Orke Services, Francisco Oramas, brilliant and sorts things with notary etc.... rate him highly and the bank were great...watch out for expenses that creep out of woodwork with Spain.... but love Espana!

We tried to open a Spanish Bank account in the UK and found that no one does it now including Santander.