UK Banks for Expats in Spain

[Dunflittin68]

We are moving to Spain next year to join our daughter and need to retain an English bank account for our pensions, savings etc. We have a Santander Edge Account at the moment but although Santander are in Spain, I don't believe they are inter-exchangeable and act as completely separate banks. Can anyone recommend a good British bank account that accepts payments in and transfers out into Euros and do they have charges to transfer payments to a Spanish bank account?

[Wicksey]

Why not keep your current UK bank account and then open a Wise account to exchange to euros and to transfer to your Spanish bank? We do that and it's very quick and easy online.

I have a sterling and a euro account with Wise. I transfer pounds from my UK bank to Wise which is free. There is a small charge to exchange from pounds to euros at the full bank rate. Once it is in the euro Wise account it is then free to send onto my Spanish bank.

We gave up using Nationwide for anything in Euros as it did not give the full exchange rate and also their charges were going up and up. We've saved thousands using Wise.

[Dunflittin68]

Why not keep your current UK bank account and then open a Wise account to exchange to euros and to transfer to your Spanish bank? We do that and it's very quick and easy online.

I have a sterling and a euro account with Wise. I transfer pounds from my UK bank to Wise which is free. There is a small charge to exchange from pounds to euros at the full bank rate. Once it is in the euro Wise account it is then free to send onto my Spanish bank.

We gave up using Nationwide for anything in Euros as it did not give the full exchange rate and also their charges were going up and up. We've saved thousands using Wise.

I thought you had to keep a UK address to keep your UK bank account, at least that is what my daughter tells me as she used our address for her UK bank account when she moved to Spain and now does not know what she will do if NatWest refuses to accept her Spanish address on the account in the UK when we also move to Spain.

[El Cid]

I have a NatWest current account. I don’t have to have a UK address and they write to me and send my cards to Spain. They also use my Spanish mobile for security purposes. They seem to be the only major bank that is not affected by Brexit. Presumably they have chosen to have the relevant EU banking licences.

Sid

[Dunflittin68]

I have a NatWest current account. I don’t have to have a UK address and they write to me and send my cards to Spain. They also use my Spanish mobile for security purposes. They seem to be the only major bank that is not affected by Brexit. Presumably they have chosen to have the relevant EU banking licences.

Sid

Sounds like my daughter's account will be OK then. Perhaps I should open an account with them also !

[markwilding]

I have a NatWest and Halifax account. As already posted, nothing has changed with the NatWest one since brexit . Halifax limits me to a cash machine card but allows me to transfer money easily online either using a computer or on the phone App. for the moment I only use my UK account for UK payments and my Spanish one for Spanish stuff.
I also have an Nationwide savings account and have had difficulty setting up the online service, even though they have told me I can do it. It's a bit of a pain but I will visit them to sort it out the next time I'm in the UK as I have no way of accessing the the account without the old passbook.

[Dunflittin68]

I have a NatWest and Halifax account. As already posted, nothing has changed with the NatWest one since brexit . Halifax limits me to a cash machine card but allows me to transfer money easily online either using a computer or on the phone App. for the moment I only use my UK account for UK payments and my Spanish one for Spanish stuff.
I also have an Nationwide savings account and have had difficulty setting up the online service, even though they have told me I can do it. It's a bit of a pain but I will visit them to sort it out the next time I'm in the UK as I have no way of accessing the the account without the old passbook.

What are the fees involved in transferring sterling to a Spanish bank account from Natwest and Halifax or do you use a currency house like Wise as an intermediary?

[Wicksey]

We're with Nationwide and they have our Spanish address and send our debit cards here OK. We have needed to keep a UK account as we've had a rental property so it's been easier to receive the rent and then pay any bills. Otherwise, we only use it to transfer money to Wise. We were told we cannot open any other type of savings account with them, but their current account works as normal.

I would set up another UK bank account if necessary whilst you're still resident there. The thing that is difficult is opening a new UK account once you're resident here, but at the moment, it seems that most of us have retained our existing UK account without too many problems.

[gerryh]

... it seems that most of us have retained our existing UK account without too many problems.

My UK Barclays bank account was closed last November, due to Brexit, as I no longer lived in the UK.
Cheers
Gerry

[Dunflittin68]

We're with Nationwide and they have our Spanish address and send our debit cards here OK. We have needed to keep a UK account as we've had a rental property so it's been easier to receive the rent and then pay any bills. Otherwise, we only use it to transfer money to Wise. We were told we cannot open any other type of savings account with them, but their current account works as normal.

I would set up another UK bank account if necessary whilst you're still resident there. The thing that is difficult is opening a new UK account once you're resident here, but at the moment, it seems that most of us have retained our existing UK account without too many problems.

Yes i think we are going to have to sort it out before we give up our UK address. Just another thing to add to the list of "Things to do before leaving the UK" !

[Wicksey]

... it seems that most of us have retained our existing UK account without too many problems.

My UK Barclays bank account was closed last November, due to Brexit, as I no longer lived in the UK.
Cheers
Gerry

You seem to be the unlucky one Gerry, as most of us posting haven't had any problems. You can always have a Wise sterling account.

[KKKaty]

Chase bank is good.