Preparation to buy

[pine.man]

Hi every one.
I see there are a number of people completing there purchases, Villas and Apartments,
I am coming over to PP this week (Friday) with a view, to view some properties,
What comes first,
the ID number or the Bank account,
I have been told you need to go to the police station to get your ID number, can I get this in PP and do I need 2 ID numbers one for me and one for my wife,
The Bank account, which Bank should I use and where is it located, Also can you get a account that you don't incur charges,
Many thanks

 

[Alcanada]

From memory you will need a NIR number and a bank account for anyone who is a registered owner of a property. If you jointly own the property with your wife you will both need a NIR number and you will need a joint bank account. You need the NIR number in order to open the bank account so the NIR must come first. I would suggest you engage a local lawyer and they will tell you how to proceed. They will also sort out most of the process. We used Oscar Coll at De La Cruz Coll who was excellent but I'm sure there are others. Hope you find what you want.

 

[Nick]

If you're spending money on a property I'd get the estate agent to help you? Make them earn their money! Can't see why they'd turn a deal down?

I think you'll find it's actually an "NIE" number and yes you'll definitely need one along with a bank account.

 

[Alcanada]

Apologies - NIE it is.

 

[jjacks]

Hi Pine.man

When we started our search for a property, I found this forum to be a wonderful resource for information. Before we came out we knew we would be using Tony de la Cruz at Cruz Coll solicitors and we had also chosen Banco Sabadell to bank with. Tony de la Cruz arranged our NIE documents. For our bank account we just needed our passports plus one other form of id with our home address. Banco Sabadell is situated on the main road into PP (I think it is Carrer Juan XXIII) and Tony de la Cruz has an office on Carrer Formentor, just by the Bellsreguard complex.

Before we arrived I emailed Tony to make an appointment (his details are here on the forum) and with the bank we just went in and opened the account. Banco Sabadell has an english option on its website which gives quite a bit of information about types of accounts and bank charges. When we completed our purchase we also used Banco Sabadell for property insurance. Juan (I'm not sure if he is the manager but we always deal with him) is always helpful and explains everything in detail. He was very patient with our endless questions!

So in answer to your questions, yes ,you both need an NIE number and we found the easiest way was to ask our solicitor to do it. You will need a joint bank account if it is a joint purchase and we found Banco Sabadell to have the least amount of charges (unfortunately Spanish banks all charge one way or another).

Happy house hunting!

 

[Shaun&Caro]

We used Oscar Coll at De La Cruz Coll who was excellent but I'm sure there are others.

I would also highly recommend Tony de la Cruz (Oscar's partner in the firm) who speaks perfect English and made our purchase last year very straightforward.

Good luck

 

[Nick]

I would also highly recommend Tony de la Cruz (Oscar's partner in the firm) who speaks perfect English and made our purchase last year very straightforward.

Good luck

I've heard so many raving reports about this firm of solicitors (abagado I think in Spanish) and no doubt they're highly recommended. However, my only concern is that they're based in PP so ultimately how impartial are they? Advice has always been to use a property lawyer away from the area.

I'm sure with so many recommendations they're fine, and they've been around for ages, but just a thought.

 

[pollensa]

Contact details for de la Cruz-Coll (for both Tony de la Cruz & Oscar Coll) plus other solicitors can be found here Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca (Majorca) - Property Services. When we bought we found that our solicitor organised NIE numbers & set up Direct Debits for utility bills, local taxes, annual tax declarations (& payment) etc. & later on Spanish Wills.

 

[mallorcaboy]

We have NIE numbers from when we owned a property in PP but moved back to UK in 07. Will they still be valid if we buy again in a couple of years?

 

[Bekki]

I would also highly recommend Tony. Very professional.

 

[pine.man]

Hi
Thank you for every ones advice,
I has hoping at this stage not to involve a solicitor,
I was just wanting to open a bank account in preparation,
It appears I need the NIE No first, But where do I get one??? is it the local police station ?
Dose any one know if there is a account without charges,
Many thanks Barrie
Dose any one know of a detached Villa that needs a full refurb at a good price ????

 

[Shaun&Caro]

Hi pine-man

I found this online which appears to be useful but, as mentioned earlier, I got my NIE through a solicitor so hopefully nothing in this link is incorrect / out of date: Getting your NIE number in Mallorca - All about Mallorca

We use Bankia (who have a branch in PP). They are very helpful, speak good English, and there are no charges on the account we have. It is also easy to manage online from the UK. If you get a chance to pop in and speak to Paula - if you explain what you are looking for from your account, she will point you in the right direction.

Cheers
shaun

 

[pollensa]

Are you sure you need an NIE to open a non-resident bank account? We opened ours years ago but I thought that using our passports was fine. Recently they asked to scan our passports again to update a new system.

Why don't you visit the banks mentioned here & ask. You can then ask about charges etc. at the same time.

 

[Sparky]

We didn't have an NIE when we opened our first bank account, passports and rental contract were all they asked for. When we eventually got our NIE we took the certificates to our branch and they changed our account.

 

[jjacks]

We didn't need an NIE to open a bank account, just our passport. We needed a second form of ID when we requested a second debit card on the account.

 

[lollipop]

You would need to go the extrajeneros office in Palma for your NIE if you choose to do it yourself.

 

[pine.man]

Hi
Thank you for all your help and links, It would appear it is best to get the NIE number linked in with opening the bank account especially if I am looking to buy a property, The NIE number has to be obtained from Palma, no problem in that,
The bank that has been mentioned I think is Bankia (not sure of the address) with a account that dose not incur charges,
Has anyone had experience with this bank and dose it have branches through out Spain?
Or is there a bank you could suggest.
Barrie

 

[Carol]

Remember - you also will need to make a will when you eventually buy your property - done at the Notary's office with a solicitor. Lodged in a central place - I think Madrid so everyone knows that you have made it. Laws of intestacy in Spain are draconian compared to UK