pumpjack

im thinking of buying an apartment in benidorm next year, so ill need a bank account in spain.
im uk citizen and will go to benidorm soon to check out apts there and hopefully be able to open an account

anyone know if i can or not and what is needed ( i mean we are still in eu right )

tebo53

Hi,

I live in Benidorm and I can confirm that you can indeed open a "Non residents" bank account here in Benidorm and anywhere else in Spain. When I opened my account a year before coming to live in Benidorm all I needed was my Passport, a British utility bill and some cash. Sabadell bank are very good and other posters might suggest other banks. After you become a legal resident you should change your non residents account to a residents account as soon as possible to get free banking.

If I can help you with any specific questions about Benidorm please ask.

Steve

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst myself and BEVS moderate Europe. Please read the Site Rules Site Rules | British Expatriate Community adhere to them so that the site runs smoothly. Moderators are there to ensure that the rules of BE are maintained. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

pumpjack

thankyou, and how then do i become a resident, is it a long process

tebo53

It's not necessarily a long process but can be quite involved due to supplying information at different departments and if you don't speak fluent Spanish, having to arrange translators.

Basically you will need to sign on the foreigners register, obtain your NIE number and at that time prove you have a regular income into a Spanish bank account (or sufficient funds in a Spanish bank account) which is sufficient to satisfy the authorities you will not become a burden on the state and prove that you have full healthcare. That then will give you residencia.

You don't state what age you are, so if you are below UK pension age you will need to arrange private healthcare. If you are receiving UK pension you will be able to apply for the S1 forms through the healthcare team at Newcastle UK.

I employed a local solicitors to do all those things for both myself and my wife and all we had to do was sign some paperwork. It was easier than trying to do it all ourselves. The same firm of solicitors now sorts out all our tax affairs.

You will have up to 90 days here before you have to sign on the foreigners register and 183 days here before you are deemed to be a tax resident. There are other forms such as the Modelo 720 and the double taxation agreement forms but they come later.

It may sound a little complicated but it's pretty much free flowing once you've made a start and well worth the effort to live here in Spain (especially here in Benidorm :-))

Steve

pumpjack

thanks very much, im employed now and my plan is to work in london then fly back to spain ( benidorm every month or so for long weekends, sometimes i will be counted as unemployed so when unemployed i think ill have a right to free healthcare under eu rules ( form EHIC )

i only need bank open now to send regular payments to such as approx £ 10.000 every few months to enable me to buy an apartment . my money is tied up in thailand and thai bank will not let me take it all out in one go ( long story ) hence i need take small sums ie £8000 every time im in thailand then carry that out with me.

tebo53

Don't forget that the EHIC is only to be used for emergency treatment when you are on holiday.

Nobody knows what might happen after brexit day and the British Consulate are telling expats to make sure they are fully legal here before that date otherwise they may not receive healthcare or pension rights. Things may not be as straightforward in the future.

Steve

Cape Blue

FYI there's another person currently planning to leave Thailand on the moving back to the UK board.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/movin...return-909948/

Eric S

Check out the BBVA online account (see here). We have it and we are non-resident in Spain. It has no fees and an excellent web site that let's you do all your banking online. And it's available in English. You can also go to a branch and do any necessary business there.

- Eric S.