Bank account

Many banks also offer excellent online banking services in different languages. You can visit several banks or do research online to find out which institutions provide services that suit your financial needs best.
You should be mindful of bank charges and fees. There may be a fee for opening a current account (compte corrent) and an annual charge for maintenance. Most banks charge a fee for your debit or credit cards (targetes de dèbit o crèdit) and expect to also pay small charges for withdrawals from other banks’
ATM (caixers) or for other transactions. A paycheque account (compte nòmina) typically has lower charges but must be the account your salary or regular income is paid into.

Spanish banks offer two types of bank accounts to international clients: resident and non-resident accounts.
If you plan to live in Barcelona it’s better to open a resident bank account as it is more convenient. However, to get the tax resident status you need to meet different requirements: to have spent more than 183 days in Spain in the calendar year, to have in Spain the centre of your economic activities or interests (having a business or employment), or that your spouse and minor child who depend on you are resident in Spain.

It can be difficult to meet these requirements if you just have moved or you plan to stay for a short period. In this case, you can open a non-resident bank account. As well as the standard documentation, you may have
to prove that you are not a tax resident by providing a certificate of non- residency (certificat de no eesidència). If you do become a resident after opening the account, you must notify the bank.

In general, the documentation you need to open an account vary depending on the bank institution, but you will need to provide sensitive information to verify your identity: government-issued identification
document (ID) such as your passport and any document containing the Identity Number for foreign nationals (Número d’identificació d’estrangers, NIE). In order to protect themselves and comply with regulation, banks might ask to provide more documents, such as proof of address and the tax code
in your country of origin (Social Security number or tax identification number), among others.

>>> BANKING HOURS :
Most banks are open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 2.00 or to 2.30 p.m. Some also open on Thursday afternoons from 5.00 to 7.45 p.m. from October to May.

>>>CREDIT CARDS:
Major credit and debit cards are accepted in almost all shops, restaurants, hotels and many other services, including Metro ticket machines, taxis and parking machines. Contactless payment is increasingly common
in Barcelona and major banks are now offering payment via mobile phone. You can also use your credit or debit card to withdraw money from a cash dispenser, which provide instructions in different languages.

>>> PAYING BILLS:
Cheques are rarely used in Spain - instead, a convenient way to pay recurring bills such as rent, electricity and telephone bills is through direct debit (domiciliació bancària). To have your bill payments deducted directly from your bank account, you must first authorise them with your bank. Just fill in the forms instructing your bank to pay these bills and inform them of your account details. Your bank statements will notify the amount paid on your behalf and to whom.

At Mikmak Relocation, we recommend the following banks, CaixaBank, Santander and BBVA. Since over the years, we've managed to contact branch managers, and by having a very good relationship with them they are committed to supporting and guiding you in the best possible way through the transition to opening accounts, both personal and business.