Banking in Valencia

There are many banks in Valenica, however opening a new account can be confusing. Some banks in Valencia employ staff who speak English, but many do not. In addition, many banks will require an NIE or DNI number. Thankfully there are some alternatives!

 

A German online bank, N26, has recently started providing Spanish IBAN numbers, meaning your account will act like a Spanish bank account. Signing up is easy and involves a video chat in which you’ll need your passport. The standard account is free of charges, making it a better option than many Spanish banks. If you’re interested in signing up, you can click here to open an account.

 

If you’d rather use one of the traditional Spanish bank accounts we’ve compiled a list of the major banks you can find in Valencia. Be aware that, although we’ve tried to be as accurate as possible, there may be hidden charges and we would strongly advise you to take a Spanish-speaking friend with you when opening a bank account if your Spanish isn’t great.

 

Bankia 

Bankia is widespread throughout Valencia and offers an account called Cuenta_ON with no fees or commissions. This is an online account with a debit card and can be opened online or in a branch. Bear in mind that, as with many Spanish banks, you’ll still be charged a fee if you use another bank’s ATM.

 

BBVA

BBVA is one of Spain’s biggest banks and claims to offer commission-free accounts. You can find more information here (in English) including options for a fee-less online account and a young person’s account for people between 18 to 29.

 

Santander

If you’re from the UK Santander will be familiar to you. Santander is Spain’s largest bank and branches can be found all over the city. They have a number of special ATMs in which you can pay your bills at any time of day or night directly into another Santander account, which can be useful given Spain’s limited banking hours.

 

Other banks include CaixaBankSabadell and Banco Popular Español. When selecting a bank, weigh up the pros and cons carefully – most of the above banks have branches all over the city, but if you’re living in a more rural area you might want to choose based on geographical convenience. Most ATMs have an English option (as well as other languages) but the level of English in branches may vary.