Opening a bank account in Spain with no employment status

Member since 22 September 2016

elisabeta7Member22 September 2016 12:39:36

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!

Culebronchris Serial expat

Member since 10 December 2011

CulebronchrisSerial expat22 September 2016 14:43:07

287

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 España de que la legislación vigente sobre prevención de blanqueo de capitales obliga a las
entidades bancarias a obtener de sus clientes la información de su actividad económica y a realizar una comprobación de la misma. Con este exclusivo fin de verificación de la información facilitada, presto/prestamos mi/nuestro consentimiento expreso a Triodos Bank NV S.E. para que en mi/nuestro nombre pueda solicitar ante la
Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social dicha información. Los datos obtenidos de la Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social serán utilizados exclusivamente para la
gestión señalada anteriormente. En el caso de incumplimiento de esta obligación por parte de la Entidad Financiera y/o del personal que en ella presta servicios, se
ejecutarán todas las actuaciones previstas en la Ley Orgánica 15/99, de 13 de diciembre, de Protección de Datos de Carácter 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

Member since 31 July 2015

nathalieguyMember09 October 2016 10:16:11

Mon mari est retraité belge. Pour ouvrir un compte en Espagne, les extraits de compte suffisent-ils ou faut-il une preuve écrite qu'il est pensionné ?

Merci. Nathalie