Before you start

NIE
Passport
Padrón certificate, for a resident account
Proof of income or employment, commonly requested

Step-by-step

1
Open a digital account immediately for day-to-day use
Revolut, N26, Wise and the Spanish neobanks open accounts quickly on a passport and NIE, giving you a usable IBAN in days rather than weeks. This covers your first rent payment and utilities while a traditional account is arranged.
Mobile appWho: YouWeek 1
2
Insist on a resident account once you have the padrón
Non-resident accounts carry higher fees and require a periodically renewed certificado de no residente. Once you are registered on the padrón you qualify as a resident for banking purposes — bring the certificate and make sure the branch opens the right product.
In personWho: You
3
Compare maintenance fees carefully
Unlike the UK, Spanish current accounts commonly carry monthly or quarterly maintenance charges, often waived if you direct your salary and a set number of direct debits into the account. The waiver conditions vary a lot between banks and are the single biggest determinant of what an account costs you.
In personWho: You
4
Set up domiciliación for your bills
Rent, utilities, phone and taxes all run on direct debit — domiciliación — and many providers price it lower than the alternatives. Your landlord will usually expect rent by standing transfer or direct debit rather than cash.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Understand the Modelo 720 obligation early
Spanish tax residents must declare foreign assets above a threshold in each of three categories — accounts, securities and property — on the Modelo 720. It is an information return rather than a tax, but it is a real obligation with its own deadline and it catches newcomers who assume that non-Spanish assets are none of Spain's business.
OnlineWho: You
6
Keep a way to move money in cheaply
If income arrives in another currency, Wise or a similar service will beat a Spanish bank's exchange rate substantially. Set this up before your first large transfer rather than after discovering the spread.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

NIE
Passport
Padrón certificate, for a resident account
Employment contract or proof of income
Spanish mobile number

Things most newcomers don’t know

The resident/non-resident distinction is a real and recurring cost.

A non-resident account carries higher fees and depends on a certificado de no residente that must be renewed periodically; if it lapses, banks can and do restrict the account. Once you are on the padrón you qualify as resident for banking purposes. Many newcomers open a non-resident account on arrival, never convert it, and pay more for years.

Source: Banco de España

Spanish account fees are real and the waiver conditions are the whole game.

Unlike the UK, where free current accounts are standard, Spanish banks charge maintenance fees as a matter of course — typically waived if you domicile your salary and a minimum number of direct debits with them. Two banks with similar headline products can differ by well over a hundred euros a year depending on whether you meet their specific conditions. Ask what the waiver requires before opening.

Source: community-reported

The Modelo 720 catches people who think foreign assets are none of Spain's business.

Spanish tax residents must report overseas accounts, securities and property above a threshold in each category. The European Court of Justice struck down the original penalty regime as disproportionate, and the penalties were revised — but the reporting obligation itself remains fully in force. It is an information return, it has its own deadline, and it is the single most common serious compliance failure among new residents.

Source: Agencia Tributaria

Get the IBAN before you need it, because everything runs on domiciliación.

Spanish life is built on direct debits: rent, utilities, phone, gym, taxes and social security all expect to pull from an account rather than be pushed to. Without a working Spanish IBAN you end up paying manually and late. Opening a digital account in week one, before the branch appointment is available, removes most of the friction from the first month.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Opening a non-resident account and never converting it once you are on the padrón.
Not asking what conditions waive the monthly maintenance fee.
Missing the Modelo 720 declaration of foreign assets in your first year as a tax resident.
Assuming a NIE alone is enough — most banks want the padrón certificate for a resident account.
Transferring large sums at a Spanish bank's retail exchange rate.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.