Hi all, I hope everyone is well.
This is my first time posting on a forum for help with these matters. I'm normally pretty stubborn about these things - trying to do things myself, trying to do things properly and legally, etc - however, I'm really stuck right now and it seems that literally no-one within the Spanish authorities is going to help me. So, I'll appreciate any advice anyone can provide.
So, I've been living here since the beginning of June. At the end of June, I went to get my NIE. In July I then went to open a bank account. My plan was to set up a translation business here, which I have now done. I'm fully registered with the Seguridad Social and Tributaria as an Autónomo and this month I will start to 'cotizar'.
BUT
In August I had a message from the bank saying that unless I presented valid ID, they would freeze my account. I was on holiday at the time and so they duly froze the account. When I came back and asked why, they told me they needed ID. I pointed out that they'd taken a photocopy of my passport and NIE (white paper sheet, not the residency card). They said that wasn't enough. I asked them what WAS enough. They said they didn't know.
So, I decided that I would go to the extranjería, apply for the residency card and then hopefully this sorry mess would be resolved. However, when I got to the extranjería, they told me firstly, that I needed to have paid into the Social Security for three months and provide proof of this (I haven't and I can't because my account is frozen). Secondly, that the bank had no business freezing my account as I was perfectly entitled to one with the documentation that I already had.
Armed with this information, I went back to the bank and they said they would "look into it". An hour later I received a phone call from the bank manager. He told me that I needed a Certficado de residencia. I'm pretty sure this is what I applied for at the extranjería which they told me I couldn't have right now and didn't need anyway.
So as you can see, I seem to be caught in a feedback loop with no way out of it.
Any advice much appreciated.
All the best,
Chris