Proof of uk residency required...bank says info required from British embassy?

Hi

Hope you can help...

We have opened a Spanish bank account and are being told we need to proof of our UK residency. The apartment we have bought is a holiday home and our permanent residence and places of work are in the UK.

The bank has said toprove this we need to get a letter from the British embassy? Has anyone else had to do this and if so what did you ask for and to whom?

Secondly , if you have provided other proof of UK residency, what was this please?

Many thanks

paul and Sue

Who do you bank with ? I can't what the  British Embassy can do for you, they could ask you to provide Uk Council Tax bills and Utility Bills, which do your self anyway to show the bank yourself.

Sounds a bit drastic just to open a bank account, surely not like they keep on about these days " Anti terroism checks".

The British Embassy bit also sounds drastic and over the top,  you could take plenty of service / utiltiy bills / Inland Revenue letters / mobile phone bills, etc etc into the bank and call the banks bluff and see how you get on then. 

This does sound like a jobsworths mission for the day.

The bank manager is following protocol when faced with individuals he may have suspicions about ,dont take it personally if you were Terrorists he could go to prison for allowing you to slip through it may help if hubbie shaves that two foot beard off and arrive in a car next time not a camel.

Love Hugh xxx

Milly. (Paul and Sue)

  Those who have a non resident bank account must prove they are non residents. 

You get the certificate from the National Police, and I believe it must be renewed every two years,

Usually if you ask the bank,  for a small charge they will do it for you. 

I suspect that is what you are being asked to do

(Paul and Sue) have you joined this forum this its the best for owners http://latorreinfo.com/

You need to have proof of residence like a rates bill /UK bank account/UK driving licence its know big deal all EU countries have the same rules for none residents it's to stop money laundering and so on.

windtalker You need to have proof of residence like a rates bill /UK bank account/UK driving licence

Sorry but that does prove one is resident in UK (non-resident in  Spain). Many people who are resident in Spain still have UK properties so have rates bills, I have UK bank account even though I have been resident in Spain for almost 30 years, also many Brits who are resident in Spain, still have a UK  D/L.

It is a Spanish non resident certificate which is needed to prove one is not resident in Spain.

Confusing to say the least, if you're not a legal resident of Spain, then where are you a resident? If you are a legal resident of Spain and own a house in the UK then you not a resident of the UK as you cant be legally resident full time in two places at once.

If you have to prove your resident in the UK then surely a UK inland revenue letter / invoice / tax demand would suffice because if you were resident in Spain after so many months don't you pay only Spanish taxes'? Your UK tax bills would prove it, wage slips also prove you live and work in the UK.

To have a UK bank account in Spain after so many years means nothing in the eyes of the banking laws, doubt if they would they even ask?

Don't you have to surrender your UK driving licence if you're a permanent full time Spanish resident, I thought when you applied for the Spanish one they got in touch with UK DVLA and you had to surrender / destroy  your UK one.

baz

legally resident full time in two places at once.

you can have dual residency (obviously you can't physically be in  2 places at the same time)

there are a number of tests to test your tax liability NOT just the 183 day rule

This is drifting off the question which 'Milly' asked.

You can apply online at HMRC for a certificate of tax residency in the UK which they provide with a spanish translation. Very straightforward and has done the job for us with our Spanish bank.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-certificate-of-residence

Great thank you, Did it cost anything to get this? Cant get onto the second page without inputting our details....

 I just had a thought.

I believe there are two  documents,  which are required.

1    The Non Resident certificate, issued by National Police (and or Spanish consulates).

2    The Money Laundering info., in accordance with Act 10/2010 of 28 April, 2010.  See http://www.tmzabogados.com/docs/ESP_162.pdf  

The second one is required from all holders of any bank accounts in Spain, although the various banks interpreted the requirements very differently.  In the case of my son who is non resident but  has a joint account with me,  many of the questions they asked we refused to answer as they were too intrusive, like what was his income in UK and what political connections did he have.  The bank accepted that we did not fully completed their questionnaire.

Hi Milly,

No there was no charge, make sure you specify that it is for Spain then you will get it in English, with a Spanish translation.

HMRC check your tax status, and if you have a tax record in the UK which indicates that you are paying tax through the normal channels (PAYE etc) they can certify that 'to the best of knowledge' you are resident in the UK for tax purposes.  I don't see how the British Embassy can do this type of check.

We still have to pay our bank every two years for non-residency checks, on alternate years they are satisfied with this document from HMRC.  I haven't had time to check it out fully, but think that the bank has to do their own checks every two years. 

Good luck.

We still have to pay our bank every two years for non-residency checks, on alternate years they are satisfied with this document from HMRC.  I haven't had time to check it out fully, but think that the bank has to do their own checks every two years. 

I think you just hit the nail on the head. The HMRC form is when there is a double taxation issue. In the case of Non-resident accounts the banks will always charge every two years. Usually about 60 Euros. For why and for what....nobody knows. We provide nothing, get charged, life goes on.

Saludos

Sorry but that does prove one is resident in UK (non-resident in  Spain). Many people who are resident in Spain still have UK properties so have rates bills, I have UK bank account even though I have been resident in Spain for almost 30 years, also many Brits who are resident in Spain, still have a UK  D/L.

So your post didn't drift of then?

I am non-resident and it's certainly been more than two years since I was last asked to complete a form. The bank sent a form, I just filled it in with uk nat insurance number etc.  But my bank has bounced from Halifax, to LLoydsTsb and now to Sabadell, so that may explain why. I bet I'll get a form next week.

Entirely understand that those opening accounts now, may be asked to jump through different hoops.

If you can remember back a couple of year's the banks insisted that none residents with account's brought proof of who they are otherwise their bank account would be frozen ,the police regularly check none residents accounts for activity and will shut you're account down if you have a none residents account when you are living in Spain permanently their was also a large thread on eye on spain regarding this subject . 

Milly I have just spoken with Caja Murcia ( Pso de la Feria, s/n, 30710 Los Alcazares, 968 57 58 47). They say non-resident customers must produce a Certificate of Non Residence from the Policia Nacional and sign a paper in the bank that you pay your income tax in UK. No official paper is required for the latter.