Getting a bank account in Gran Canaria is a doddle if you have an NIE or residencia. Just pick a bank and give them your NIE number, passport and a proof of address (utility bill, rent contract).
Then sign a lot of bits of paper and you have an account.
In theory, you can open a non-resident bank account with a passport. You may have to try several banks as some won’t do it without a NIE certificate. Commissions are high, so swap over to a resident’s account as soon as you can.
There isn’t much between them, but bear these factors in mind.
Smaller banks have few cashpoints and charges for withdrawing money can be eye-watering.
Some banks, such as Santander, don’t charge monthly commissions if you pay in your salary or pension.
Queues in bank branches get long, so pick a bank with a decent online banking system.
Here’s a selection of the main banks in Gran Canaria
La Caixa
La Caixa took over Bankia and now has more offices and cashpoints than any other Gran Canaria bank. Big branches have English-speaking staff and there is English speaking telephone support and English internet banking.
Santander Central Hispano
The same company as Santander in the UK, but you can’t transfer an account or anything convenient like that. Santander has plenty of Gran Canaria branches, a decent network of ATMs, and offers commission-free banking if you have a salary.
Santander has plenty of Gran Canaria branches, a decent network of ATMs, and offers commission-free banking if you have a salary. It even pays interest on your current account balance.
ING Direct
Dutch bank with a couple of Las Palmas branches. ING has an excellent online bank system and even decent queue management in its branches. A good mortgage option.
EVO Banco
A specialist online bank with a handy branch on Mesa y Lopez.
Bank Inter
A bank that does offer good mortgage terms to non-resident buyers
BBVA
Like Santander, but blue instead of red.
Barclays
The same company as Barclays in the UK, but you wouldn’t know it. If you have a UK Barclays account there is no advantage opening a Spanish Barclays account.
Share this:
This is one of the most common questions we get in our Facebook Group (with over 30,000 members) and fortunately, it is an easy one to answer. The Gran Canaria Info admin team and the fans in our Facebook group agree...
The best car hire companies in Gran Canaria are local ones with desk at the airport and honest pricing policies that don't have any hidden insurance or fuel deposit costs. They just rent you a good car at a good price with no fuss at all.
We recommend Mr Car Hire Gran Canaria (Nick); an idependent car rental professional who works with all the main local rental companies in Gran Canaria. This means that he can always find you a good deal.
Mr Car Hire also offers fully comprehensive insurance on all car rental, three-day bookings, and delively of your car right to your door anywhere in Gran Canaria.
We advise all Gran Canaria visitors to avoid booking the cheapest possible car on generic car rental websites or via their flight company because you often end up paying large deposits, extra fuel and insurance costs and all kinds of other costs once you arrive to pick up your car at the airport.
More on Gran Canaria car rental problems here.
Lex Says: Our guide to driving in Gran Canaria like a local is pure gold (unlike the car rental company you really should avoid at all costs)
To get a free and no-obligations quote from Mr Car Hire, just fill in this quick form...
We have 4376 guests and no members online