Where Wise, Revolut or a foreign IBAN works in Spain

Terms used

• IBAN — The IBAN is the international bank account number; Spanish ones start with ES.
• SEPA — SEPA is the euro payments area, where transfers and direct debits work across member countries on the same terms.
• Modelo 210 — Modelo 210 is the income tax return for non-residents.

Key rules

• Salary: Your employer may legally pay into a foreign SEPA IBAN, but may still ask for a Spanish one.
• Direct debits: Billers should not refuse a SEPA IBAN, yet some Spanish companies do, so keep a Spanish IBAN as a fallback.
• Tax refund: The refund goes into an account in your own name.
• Wise: Wise gives a Belgian IBAN, not a Spanish one.

These rules depend on where the account is held, not on your nationality: EU citizens, UK citizens with Withdrawal Agreement rights and non-EU citizens are treated the same.

Salary

An employer in Spain can legally pay your salary into any SEPA IBAN, so a Spanish IBAN is not required, though many employers ask for one. Some accept a foreign IBAN if you ask.

Fee waivers at Spanish banks need your salary paid in: see Spanish account fees and conditions: the real annual cost.

Bills and direct debits

Companies must accept direct debits from any SEPA IBAN, but some utilities, phone companies, insurers and landlords refuse, or their systems accept only IBANs starting with ES. If that happens, do this in order:

1. Ask the company to accept your foreign IBAN, and point out that the rule bars refusing it.
2. Complain to the Bank of Spain or the consumer authority if they still refuse.
3. If you need the service quickly, pay these bills from a Spanish IBAN instead.

Tax refunds

The tax agency pays refunds by bank transfer. A non-Spanish SEPA IBAN is accepted if you are the holder. Non-residents filing Modelo 210 can give an IBAN from another SEPA country. If you give no account, the refund can be delayed. Accounts outside SEPA are not accepted.

Which providers give a Spanish IBAN

• Spanish IBAN available: Openbank, ING Spain, Bnext, N26 (for customers based in Spain) and Revolut.
• Foreign IBAN only: Wise (Belgian IBAN), older Revolut accounts (Lithuanian), older N26 accounts (German) and Monzo (UK, outside the EU).

Is the provider safe to use?

Wise is supervised in Belgium. Revolut is a Lithuanian bank. N26 is a German bank. Bnext and Openbank are Spanish and supervised by the Bank of Spain. Fintechs serve Spain through EU passporting. Check any provider's licence on the Bank of Spain register. Whether your balance is guaranteed is in How safe is your money in a Spanish bank?.

If you work remotely for a foreign employer

Your employer pays you from outside Spain, so the Spanish payroll points on this page do not apply to you — see Paid by a foreign employer while living in Spain.