Do I need a Spanish bank account at all? - Banking and finances in La Zenia - La Zenia forum - Costa Blanca forum in the Alicante province of Spain
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Do I need a Spanish bank account at all?

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 8:57pm
11 replies705 views7 members subscribed
PAUL6666

Posts: 21

12 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 30 Jan 2017

Hi folks, 

I live in Ireland but have an apartment in Spain for the last 4 years which we use solely for personal use. 

I set up a Bankia bank account in Spain for the purchase, but only really use it for the Suma, Home Insurance, electricity and water direct payments. Bankia have been charging €14 per month for account maintenance fees since February!!

These ridiculous costs make me question if I need an account in Spain at all?? If I lived there, then perhaps, but I typically spend only 4 - 5 weeks per year there. 

Is there any reason why the Suma and other payments can't be made from my Irish bank account?? 

Thanks, 

Paul

Kenbo

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:41am

Kenbo

Very helpful member

Posts: 999

799 helpful points

Location: La Florida

Joined: 6 Dec 2017

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:41am

I am in the process of closing my Bankia account for the same reason but as I am in England I moved my direct debits to my Transferwise account but if your currency is the Euro then I don't see why you couldn't move your direct debits to that account.

I visited all the utilities personally in January and was going to close the Bankia account this month but that will have to wait a couple of months now.

Looking at your location you are probably at the same branch as me.

I emailed them to close the account but they want you in the branch personally or Power of attorney and yet there is a member of this forum who is at the Cabo Roig branch and they were more helpful and did this, all depends upon the individuals willingness to help...or not.

PAUL6666

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:55am

PAUL6666

Original Poster

Posts: 21

12 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 30 Jan 2017

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:55am

Kenbo wrote on Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:41am:

I am in the process of closing my Bankia account for the same reason but as I am in England I moved my direct debits to my Transferwise account but if your currency is the Euro then I don't see why you couldn't move your direct debits to that account.

I visited all the utilities personally in January and was going to close the Bankia account this month but that will have to wait a couple of months now....

...

Looking at your location you are probably at the same branch as me.

I emailed them to close the account but they want you in the branch personally or Power of attorney and yet there is a member of this forum who is at the Cabo Roig branch and they were more helpful and did this, all depends upon the individuals willingness to help...or not.

Thanks Kenbo, that's helpful. Our branch is the one on the N332 between the LaZenia roundabout and the first Cabo roundabout. I will get onto the utilities to move the direct debits. 

Do I need to contact the town hall in Playa Flamenca to change the Suma? Thanks again. 

Kenbo

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:13am

Kenbo

Very helpful member

Posts: 999

799 helpful points

Location: La Florida

Joined: 6 Dec 2017

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:13am

PAUL6666 wrote on Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:55am:

Thanks Kenbo, that's helpful. Our branch is the one on the N332 between the LaZenia roundabout and the first Cabo roundabout. I will get onto the utilities to move the direct debits. 

Do I need to contact the town hall in Playa Flamenca to change the Suma? Thanks again. 

Yes Paul, I visited Suma at the town hall, Hydraqua just across the street and Iberdrola on the motorway roundabout all in the one day. 

Community fees just a phone call.

Kimmy11

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:39pm

Kimmy11

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 6869

12554 helpful points

Joined: 8 Aug 2017

Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:39pm

Hi Paul,

If your Irish bank account has an IBAN (International Bank Account Number) attached to it, then you could pay your Spanish utilities from that account.  Otherwise, check out the online banks with IBANs, such as Transferwise, N26 and Starling.

Kind regards,

Kim

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Gilli99

Posted: Wed Jul 1, 2020 10:02am

Posts: 83

35 helpful points

Location: Villamartin

Joined: 24 Sep 2018

Posted: Wed Jul 1, 2020 10:02am

I have an Irish bank account and pay my utilities from it. Never had a Spanish bank. Works fine. 

PAUL6666

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:53pm

PAUL6666

Original Poster

Posts: 21

12 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 30 Jan 2017

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:53pm

Kimmy11 wrote on Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:39pm:

Hi Paul,

If your Irish bank account has an IBAN (International Bank Account Number) attached to it, then you could pay your Spanish utilities from that account.  Otherwise, check out the online banks with IBANs, such as Transferwise, N26 and Starling.

Kind regards,

Kim

Thanks for this. I have progressed Iberdrola and HIDRAQUA so far, but MAPFRE (for my home insurance) today told me that they couldn't take a direct debit on a non Spanish account! I think I can pay it by credit card though next year! Will ring the town hall for the Suma next! 

Kenbo

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:31am

Kenbo

Very helpful member

Posts: 999

799 helpful points

Location: La Florida

Joined: 6 Dec 2017

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 6:31am

PAUL6666 wrote on Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:53pm:

Thanks for this. I have progressed Iberdrola and HIDRAQUA so far, but MAPFRE (for my home insurance) today told me that they couldn't take a direct debit on a non Spanish account! I think I can pay it by credit card though next year! Will ring the town hall for the Suma next! 

Paul I have just had a similar problem with my community fees, although when I informed them in January they said that a non Spanish IBAN wouldn't be a problem, when they actually tried to take the fees this month they said that they couldn't make it work but as the fees are only taken in January and July I will just do a bank transfer to the community account.

An option for your house insurance next year is to use a company in the UK, I use Aplan.

jinyxy

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 11:29pm

Posts: 5

2 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 27 Feb 2019

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 11:29pm

Hello Paul,

I was in the same situation as you.  Someone told me about an online bank called revolut, it will cost you nothing and you are given a sort code and account number also an iban number. I got rid of my robbing spanish Bank, and now use revolut for everything, and it hasn't cost me a cent... try it and you wont regret it!.

James

PAUL6666

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:13am

PAUL6666

Original Poster

Posts: 21

12 helpful points

Location: La Zenia

Joined: 30 Jan 2017

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 12:13am

This post that was quoted has been deleted.

Martin, 

Thanks. I got sorted and contacted the utility companies and Suma and got them all moved to my Bank of Ireland accounts. It look a bit of effort as their online websites do not generally support Irish IBAN formats, so you have to contact them. It worked out though. 

Spanish Solutions in La Zenia then closed my account through a power of attorney arrangement for a very reasonable fee. 

All done now, but the Spanish banking system has extremely high fees in my opinion and somewhat unreasonable terms. Never again! 

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