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Opened up a CajaMurcia Spanish bank account last week during our holiday. They set it up, cards, pin no's etc. even though we didn't have our NIE numbers yet. Just had to promise to send them a copy of the NIE once we had it. So easy and they were so helpful.

I've also set up with CajaMurcia and have had no problems. They've been very helpful and there's usually an English speaker available.

Do you know if you can open up an account with CajaMurcia on-line or do you have to visit in person?  They are who I was going to open an account with and it appears they have a branch in Corvera.

Anita.

I can't recall if there was an on-line option to open an account but would be extremely surprised if it existed. Spain seem to insist on face to face contact for most things and with the range of documentation needed and number of forms to sign to open an account I would really expect that you would need to go in person.

Thanks Chris.  What sort of documentation was required.  Which branch did you go to?  Questions, questions.....

Anita.

Hi Anita
I think you have to visit in person as they will not post out your cards or pin numbers etc. They have to be collected from the branch in person once again or you can sign a slip to allow someone to pick up on your behalf. Jane signed such a slip allowing me to pick up both our cards and pins the following day. I was also issued with another card with internet number and yet another pin in order that I may view my account and make transactions on-line. 
All we needed to open the account were our passports.
I looked around Corvera whilst we were over there but didn't notice a single bank or Caja within the village, although the reason I chose CajaMurcia is that they have more branches in the Murcia region than any other bank.

Make sure that when you go to open an account that it is actually a main branch or Banco that you visit as the first CajaMurcia branch that we went into was just that, a caja which translates into a chequeing place. You cannot open an account at these small branches.

We actually opened ours in Torrevieja, Dead easy, no problems,

Hi Anita,

I'm with Cajamurcia too, I opened my account in Murcia city when we were over. I also found them very easy to deal with and the online facility is very handy for transferring funds from here over. There are a couple of banks in Corvera and Cajamurcia is one of them, we didn't know this when we opened our account and were delighted to see them in the village.
Gina 

Thank you to both Steve and Gina.  Just the info I needed.  Gives me an excuse to go over to visit

Anita.

Hi All

Don't know if this has been posted before.

I'm currently in La Torre resort reading the Costa Blanca news. Front page headline is "Bank Embargo Shock"

Brits find their accounts have been frozen

By Nuria Pérez and Dave Jones
THE TREASURY is moving to embargo the bank accounts of EU citizens who are not residents in Spain, government officials have confirmed.

Foreigners who have opened accounts with either passports instead of NIE numbers or with NIE numbers without paperwork from the National Police declaring that they are not residents in Spain are being hit.

The situation came to light after an expat complained to CB News that her account had been emargoed while she was in the UK without her knowledge.

As a result and unbeknown to her the bank was no longer paying standing orders or making transfers.

A source at the Treasury department in Alicante explained that the Spanish government is following an EU directive introduced to crack down on tax evasion.

However the source added that they are not informing non-residents of the situation ‘because it would be impossible to do so’.

The source also stated that the Treasury is working ‘little by little’ and that all the accounts will not be embargoed in one go.

In order to have the embargo lifted clients are being asked to provide their banks with an NIE number and a certificate of non residence (un certificado de no residencia).

British citizens affected by the new regulations appear be to those who live in Spain for less than 180 days and who have not declared their ‘non residence’ with the National Police.

The initiative is not only affecing EU community residents – the government is using the legislation as a tool to clamp down on illegal immigrants.

Hundreds of Morrocans have been hit by the embargoes and thousands of non-resident workers from North Africa have been drawing money out of banks before their accounts are blocked.

In response to the information provided by CB News, the British Embassy in Madrid has advised British expats who are non residents to make sure they are registered as non residents with the National Police.

A spokesman at Orihuela town hall told CB News that certificates of non residence are available from the town hall building in Playa Flamenca.

People are asked to call between 09.00-11.00 from Monday to Friday to reserve an appointment.

Non residents all over the Costa Blanca are advised to contact their local town halls to find out where they should apply for their certificate of non residence.

Worth contacting your bank to check all is okay

PFC

Steve/Gina

Do you know if there is a Banco Santander in Corvera town ?

Ken

Hi Pompey
Thanks for that bit of info. When setting up our account I told CajaMurcia that we didn't yet have our NIE numbers but would be applying for them from the Spanish Consulate on our return to UK. All they asked was that we send a copy of the numbers etc. when we had received them.

That's interesting. In our case we had to produce our NIEs but for us it was probably more to do with the fact that we were setting up a mortgage at the same time as opening the bank account.