Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
May 7th 2012, 1:02 pm
#1
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Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
Hi,
I moved to Spain a couple of weeks ago and hired a modem from TepWireless to give me some internet access before I got properly set up here. It's proving harder than I expected to find a broadband provider, though. All seem to require either an NIE or a Spanish bank account. I went to the Oficina de Extranjeros to get an NIE but they gave me an appointment almost a month away. The TEP modem costs about £300-400 a month so I'm quite keen to get on to a domestic solution as soon as possible.
Either a fixed or mobile broadband service will do. I thought Orange's InternetEverywhere service might be what I was looking for as it lets you pay by credit card or PayPal. But even that requires you to enter Spanish bank account details even though you don't pay from the bank account!
I'm in Salamanca if it makes any difference.
I moved to Spain a couple of weeks ago and hired a modem from TepWireless to give me some internet access before I got properly set up here. It's proving harder than I expected to find a broadband provider, though. All seem to require either an NIE or a Spanish bank account. I went to the Oficina de Extranjeros to get an NIE but they gave me an appointment almost a month away. The TEP modem costs about £300-400 a month so I'm quite keen to get on to a domestic solution as soon as possible.
Either a fixed or mobile broadband service will do. I thought Orange's InternetEverywhere service might be what I was looking for as it lets you pay by credit card or PayPal. But even that requires you to enter Spanish bank account details even though you don't pay from the bank account!
I'm in Salamanca if it makes any difference.
May 7th 2012, 1:04 pm
#2
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
If you are living in Spain why would you not have a Spanish bank account?
May 7th 2012, 1:11 pm
#3
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
I plan to get one but I thought I would need an NIE first.
May 7th 2012, 1:15 pm
#4
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
you can open a non-resident account without a NIE - then change it to resident when you get the NIE
the bank account number would stay the same iirc, so wouldn't make any difference
the bank account number would stay the same iirc, so wouldn't make any difference
May 7th 2012, 1:25 pm
#5
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
Thanks, I'll look into that. But it would still speed things up if I could find a broadband provider that didn't require it.
May 7th 2012, 1:45 pm
#6
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
Walk in to any LaCaixa branch with your passport and a few Euros to deposit. In 15 minutes, you'll walk out as the holder of a current account with full-service online banking in 7 languages.
In 5 days you'll have a Visa electron debit card drawing from that account, which if used in any LaCaixa cash machine (one on every corner) will have no transaction charges. You can use it for purchases and even online purchases too.
Just that easy.
To get a phone, you really don't even need an account. It's just a lot easier if you do have an account.
In 5 days you'll have a Visa electron debit card drawing from that account, which if used in any LaCaixa cash machine (one on every corner) will have no transaction charges. You can use it for purchases and even online purchases too.
Just that easy.
To get a phone, you really don't even need an account. It's just a lot easier if you do have an account.
May 7th 2012, 1:48 pm
#7
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Location: Alicante, Spain
Posts: 175
Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
It's easy to open an account, but you still wont be able to get internet without our NIE. Trust me, I tried all the internet providers and HAD to wait until I got my NIE. Though I got mine on the same day I applied!?
May 7th 2012, 1:53 pm
#8
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
Maybe it's different where you are, but here, one call to 1004 (telefonica), ask for an english operator, and tell them you want phone & internet service. A Spanish address, a Spanish account, and passport is usually all that's required.
Some newbies we know just did exactly that - no NIE yet, but they have phone & internet.
Some newbies we know just did exactly that - no NIE yet, but they have phone & internet.
May 7th 2012, 2:14 pm
#9
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: my paradise - Jávea
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
Maybe it's different where you are, but here, one call to 1004 (telefonica), ask for an english operator, and tell them you want phone & internet service. A Spanish address, a Spanish account, and passport is usually all that's required.
Some newbies we know just did exactly that - no NIE yet, but they have phone & internet.
Some newbies we know just did exactly that - no NIE yet, but they have phone & internet.
May 7th 2012, 6:40 pm
#10
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
i bought an orange mobile internet everywhere dongle for 29€ then topped it up with 35€ to use while we sorted everything out. Only thing neccessary was my passport? I then got my NIE and bank account sorted and got a better deal but it is possible! Just ask for prepago mobile internet and you should get sorted. Its in their brochures in every Orange shop
May 7th 2012, 9:18 pm
#11
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
wow, thats really strange! I went into Orange, Vodafone and Movistar and they all said i couldnt have a contract with them unless I had an NIE! They even rang HQ to check and they confirmed that a passport wasn't good enough!
May 7th 2012, 9:30 pm
#12
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
It wasn't a contract. As I said, it was prepago (as in pay as you go) and I also said I bought the dongle and then topped it up ie. not a pre paid contract. I was offering it as a short term solution and then once you have your NIE you can go and get a better deal like I said I did.
May 7th 2012, 10:10 pm
#13
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
It wasn't a contract. As I said, it was prepago (as in pay as you go) and I also said I bought the dongle and then topped it up ie. not a pre paid contract. I was offering it as a short term solution and then once you have your NIE you can go and get a better deal like I said I did.
Last edited by pixieve; May 7th 2012 at 10:13 pm.
May 8th 2012, 6:44 am
#14
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
Mobile phone contracts require a NIE, because a contract gives you a form of credit - with many plans, you get an iPhone or other expensive phone in anticipation that you'll use it and spend money. You are committed to the plan for a year or more. If you don't have a NIE, they can't reclaim anything should you simply vanish.
Prepaid sim cards do not require a NIE, just a passport. No prepay, no phone. Simples.
Landlines w/internet do not require a NIE (at least from Telefonica). I can only reckon this is partly because as long as they have direct debit from your Spanish bank account, they needn't worry about credit. They simply cut you off if you don't have the funds to pay, like a prepaid mobile. You can always stop direct debit after you have your landline established.
Prepaid sim cards do not require a NIE, just a passport. No prepay, no phone. Simples.
Landlines w/internet do not require a NIE (at least from Telefonica). I can only reckon this is partly because as long as they have direct debit from your Spanish bank account, they needn't worry about credit. They simply cut you off if you don't have the funds to pay, like a prepaid mobile. You can always stop direct debit after you have your landline established.
May 8th 2012, 7:56 am
#15
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Location: Alicante, Spain
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Re: Any way to get broadband without NIE or Spanish bank account?
Mobile phone contracts require a NIE, because a contract gives you a form of credit - with many plans, you get an iPhone or other expensive phone in anticipation that you'll use it and spend money. You are committed to the plan for a year or more. If you don't have a NIE, they can't reclaim anything should you simply vanish.
Prepaid sim cards do not require a NIE, just a passport. No prepay, no phone. Simples.
Landlines w/internet do not require a NIE (at least from Telefonica). I can only reckon this is partly because as long as they have direct debit from your Spanish bank account, they needn't worry about credit. They simply cut you off if you don't have the funds to pay, like a prepaid mobile. You can always stop direct debit after you have your landline established.
Prepaid sim cards do not require a NIE, just a passport. No prepay, no phone. Simples.
Landlines w/internet do not require a NIE (at least from Telefonica). I can only reckon this is partly because as long as they have direct debit from your Spanish bank account, they needn't worry about credit. They simply cut you off if you don't have the funds to pay, like a prepaid mobile. You can always stop direct debit after you have your landline established.
I could have done with one of them whilst waiting for my NIE.