Free guide · Level B1
Opening a bank account in Spain: vocabulary, questions to ask and what to do if something goes wrong
Opening an account is one of the first procedures when you settle in Spain, and the bank uses words you won't find in textbooks. This guide doesn't tell you which documents they'll ask for, because they change depending on the bank and your situation. It teaches you the key words and what to say.
The words you'll hear
- →La cuenta corriente: the account where your everyday money comes in and goes out (a current or checking account).
- →El titular: the person in whose name the account is held (the account holder).
- →La comisión de mantenimiento: what the bank charges for having the account, monthly or yearly (the account fee).
- →Domiciliar: to make a payment or a deposit happen automatically in your account (to set up a direct debit or have your salary paid in).
- →El IBAN: your account number; in Spain it starts with ES.
Watch out for this«Domiciliar» has nothing to do with your «domicilio» (home address), even though it looks similar: it means letting a bill be charged, or your salary paid in, automatically on your account.
What to ask and what to request
¿Qué documentación tengo que aportar?Which documents do I have to provide? To ask for the list of papers
¿Hay comisión de mantenimiento?Is there an account fee? To find out whether the account costs money
¿La cuenta es gratuita si domicilio la nómina?Is the account free if I have my salary paid in? Some accounts are free only if you meet conditions
Necesito que me expliquen las comisiones por escrito.I need you to explain the fees to me in writing. You ask the bank to do something: «que me expliquen»
Watch out for thisIn English a bank «commission» is usually called a «fee» or a «charge»; in Spanish it's «comisión». And «cuenta corriente» is what you'd call a current account in the UK or a checking account in the US.
If something goes wrong
Perdí la tarjeta y quiero que la bloqueen cuanto antes.I lost my card and I want it blocked as soon as possible. You ask the bank to block it: «que la bloqueen»
No reconozco este cargo de ochenta euros.I don't recognise this eighty-euro charge. To point out an unknown charge
¿Pueden enviarme una tarjeta nueva?Can you send me a new card? To ask for a replacement card