Hi
I’ve read that it is best to open an account with a spanish bank in the UK before moving to Spain to make it easier to open an account in Spain.  Is that true?  I’ve looked at Santander accounts but there are fees involved so I’m thinking I should just try and open an account when I get to Madrid, without a Spanish bank, account in the UK.

Is it difficult to open an account in Spain?
Thanks

You will need to register and get your NIE here to open an account, after that there are many different account options open to you.

You cannot open a bank account with a Spanish bank unless you have some tie with Spain, they offer unlike the UK Non resident accounts, designed for 2nd home owners resident in the UK etc

Its as easy to open an account in Spain as it is in the UK, you learn Spanish, converse and hand over the required documentation etc, expats find it difficult because generally there thick, don’t learn the lingo and have no idea what an NIE is or how to get one.

I don’t know how it is in other areas of Spain but in Barcelona I didn’t need to have a NIE to open my account. They just asked my passport, though I will get my NIE on Monday and I do have special ties to Spain, as I am a student here and officially employed by the University.