Spain distinguishes between resident and non-resident accounts. Non-resident status applies to anyone spending fewer than 183 days per year in Spain and can be held indefinitely below that threshold; a non-resident confirmation letter (obtainable from a Spanish police station, foreign office, or a Spanish consulate abroad in about a week, valid 3 months) is often required alongside a passport. Resident accounts require tax residency (183+ days/year, or Spain as the center of economic/family interests) and are opened with an NIE plus proof of address. Major retail banks (Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Sabadell, Bankinter) all offer non-resident products with English-speaking branches in tourist and urban areas; several also offer online passport-only account opening for applicants from a defined list of countries (including most of the EU, UK, Canada, Switzerland). Non-Spanish documents must be translated by a sworn (jurado) translator, typically costing €70-80 for a standard document package.
Non-resident status: under 183 days/year in Spain; can be maintained indefinitely below that threshold.
Resident accounts require an NIE and proof of address; non-resident accounts typically need a passport plus a non-resident confirmation letter.
Non-resident confirmation letters take about 1 week to issue and are valid for 3 months.
Sworn (jurado) translation of foreign documents typically costs €70-80 per standard package.
Steps
1. Determine residency status — Under 183 days/year in Spain → non-resident account; 183+ days or center of economic/family interests in Spain → resident account.
2. Gather documents — Passport, proof of address, and for non-residents, a non-resident confirmation letter from a police station, foreign office, or Spanish consulate abroad.
3. Choose a bank — Major retail banks (Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Sabadell, Bankinter) offer non-resident products; some allow fully online passport-only opening for applicants from specific countries.
4. Translate documents if needed — Any non-Spanish document must be translated by a sworn (jurado) translator before submission.