Non-Residency Certificate required by Spanish Banks
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008All non-residents in Spain are required to obtain a non-residency certificate either if they already hold a bank account or if they are planning to open a bank account in Spain. Failure to do so may result in the bank blocking your account until this certificate is cleared. This implies that all invoices set as standing orders against your Spanish bank account, namely your mortgage repayments and utilities, will not be timely met.
The certificate must have been obtained in the 2 months prior to opening the Spanish bank account if you are opening a new one. This certificate will have to be renewed every 2 years. The process is identical to obtaining a NIE number. You may obtain it from either a National Police Station’s Foreigner’s Department or through the Spanish consulates in the UK or Ireland. You will have to queue and fill in the Spanish form with your NIE or passport number. The form is almost identical to the NIE number application.
If you do not wish to go through this hassle, you can always hire someoene in Spain to have it arranged for you. NIE Number Direct is currently offering this service for a very competitive fee. Please note that a Power of Attorney and a legalized copy of your passport is required.
Article from Times Online: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/mon…cle4691513.ece
