Opening a bank account in Spain with no employment status

1POSTS

9 years ago

Hello,

I've been trying to open a bank account in Spain and have tried Sabadell and Caixa. The problem is they require employment papers from back home (Romania) or tax payments proof. I have neither.

I'm a freelancer working for an US company and I have not paid taxes/I'm not registered in Romania as employed.

Do you know of a bank that will not require tax proof to open an account?

I need to mention that I need this account to pay the monthly bills such as electricity/water etc

Thanks!

See also

Opening a bank account in Spain - Guide
Banks in Spain - Business
A good bank account for a self-employed person? - 4 Replies
Staying in Spain, Irish Passport Question Bank Account/Health Ins - 1 Reply
Banking in Spain - 14 Replies
Opening a bank account as an expat in Spain - 13 Replies
American Having a Hard Time Opening a Spanish Bank Account - 9 Replies

Culebronchris Serial expat

287POSTS

9 years ago

I think you're going to have a problem.

When I first got here it was possible to just open an account, a foreigners account, with just your NIE which is easy enough to get but two or three years ago all the banks required proof from existing clients that there money was coming from a legitimate source. You didn't have (as far as I know) to have proof of taxation but if you didn't then you needed pay slips or proof of a pension or proof of income from other sources. The intention, obviously enough, is to make it more difficult to launder money.

I just had a look at the Triodos bank which is an online bank and with a reputation for being fair. This paragraph is in their contract.

El/los Titular/es ha/han sido informado/s por Triodos Bank NV Sucursal en Espa帽a de que la legislaci贸n vigente sobre prevenci贸n de blanqueo de capitales obliga a las
entidades bancarias a obtener de sus clientes la informaci贸n de su actividad econ贸mica y a realizar una comprobaci贸n de la misma. Con este exclusivo fin de verificaci贸n de la informaci贸n facilitada, presto/prestamos mi/nuestro consentimiento expreso a Triodos Bank NV S.E. para que en mi/nuestro nombre pueda solicitar ante la
Tesorer铆a General de la Seguridad Social dicha informaci贸n. Los datos obtenidos de la Tesorer铆a General de la Seguridad Social ser谩n utilizados exclusivamente para la
gesti贸n se帽alada anteriormente. En el caso de incumplimiento de esta obligaci贸n por parte de la Entidad Financiera y/o del personal que en ella presta servicios, se
ejecutar谩n todas las actuaciones previstas en la Ley Org谩nica 15/99, de 13 de diciembre, de Protecci贸n de Datos de Car谩cter Personal y normativa que la desarrolla.

So it says that they will check but I can't see anything in their paperwork which stops you opening, or at least trying to open, an account.

If one online bank does it then the others like ING direct etc may well be the same

nathalieguy Member

18POSTS

9 years ago

Mon mari est retrait茅 belge. Pour ouvrir un compte en Espagne, les extraits de compte suffisent-ils ou faut-il une preuve 茅crite qu'il est pensionn茅 ?

Merci. Nathalie