Bank Charges

Yes ,you’re right everybody does what’s right for them,we are non resident so see no need for a Spanish bank,especially as our UK Santander account lets us draw from a Santander atm for free & converts to the bank rate of the day,plus a Santander zero credit card can be used fee free & get the same conversation rates.The problem is UK citizens have been spoilt with free banking for years,

suzi wong wrote:Yes ,you’re right everybody does what’s right for them,we are non resident so see no need for a Spanish bank,especially as our UK Santander account lets us draw from a Santander atm for free & converts to the bank rate of the day,plus a Santander zero credit card can be used fee free & get the same conversation rates.The problem is UK citizens have been spoilt with free banking for years,

I'm 'young' enough to have had free current account banking my entire life in the UK. It still feels wrong to have to pay to access my own money, but traditional banking is having to adapt and it explains why new approaches like that of Wise are taking off. We just need to adapt with it and find the best solution for our individual needs.

I was charged 35€ per quarter, at the beginning of the year by Caixa Bank who have just taken over from Bankia whom I have been with for over ten year paying in 3 pensions¡
I complained to the bank and this morning after a 15 min visit had it changed back to free banking.
I think whether you are a resident or not, providing you pay in the 700 every month ( why would you if you don't live in Spain) you can get free
banking.
Lots of non residents ex pats NEED a Spanish bank account to pay standing charges for community fees, electric and water as they have properties here and I know Wise is very good for transfers as we use them ourselves but only for transferring money from our UK bank.

donniemacd wrote:I was charged 35€ per quarter, at the beginning of the year by Caixa Bank who have just taken over from Bankia whom I have been with for over ten year paying in 3 pensions¡
I complained to the bank and this morning after a 15 min visit had it changed back to free banking.
I think whether you are a resident or not, providing you pay in the 700 every month ( why would you if you don't live in Spain) you can get free
banking.
Lots of non residents ex pats NEED a Spanish bank account to pay standing charges for community fees, electric and water as they have properties here and I know Wise is very good for transfers as we use them ourselves but only for transferring money from our UK bank.

Sorry,we are non resident,UK citizens,you don’t need a Spanish bank A/C,we pay all the D/debits you quoted as well as house & car insurance through Wise,saving €160 a year in Sabadell charges.

donniemacd wrote:I was charged 35€ per quarter, at the beginning of the year by Caixa Bank who have just taken over from Bankia whom I have been with for over ten year paying in 3 pensions¡
I complained to the bank and this morning after a 15 min visit had it changed back to free banking.
I think whether you are a resident or not, providing you pay in the 700 every month ( why would you if you don't live in Spain) you can get free
banking.
Lots of non residents ex pats NEED a Spanish bank account to pay standing charges for community fees, electric and water as they have properties here and I know Wise is very good for transfers as we use them ourselves but only for transferring money from our UK bank.

Non-residents second home owners don't need a Spanish bank account. It can all be done through Wise, or similar. You can open a euro account with them and pay all your direct debits from there. Similarly, as I explained above, if you prefer a traditional bank you can transfer the same €700 to and fro each month, between Wise and the bank, to meet the requirements for fee-free banking. I've always left at least that in a Spanish account to cover bills so it's not an exceptional amount for a non-resident to hold as a balance.