How to open a bank account in Spanish
Buenos días, quería abrir una cuenta. ¿Qué documentación hace falta?
“Good morning, I'd like to open an account. What documents do I need?”
When: Opening line at a bank or council counter
The moment
You are at a bank branch in Madrid to open a current account. The clerk starts listing documents and financial terms you have never heard before.
B1 · Unit 3 · Practical adulting
The lines
The polite past 'quería'
Spaniards soften a request by putting it in the imperfect: 'Quería abrir una cuenta' sounds much less pushy than 'Quiero'. Ask about documents in the same breath.
Buenos días, quería abrir una cuenta. ¿Qué documentación hace falta?
“Good morning, I'd like to open an account. What documents do I need?”
When to use it: Opening line at a bank or council counter
What you’ll hear back: Necesita el pasaporte, el NIE y un justificante de domicilio. (You need your passport, your NIE and proof of address.)
Asking what a term means
Bureaucratic Spanish is full of jargon. Repeat the exact word back and ask '¿Qué significa exactamente...?' — 'exactamente' signals you want the practical meaning, not a dictionary one.
Perdone, ¿qué significa exactamente 'domiciliar el recibo'?
“Excuse me, what exactly does "domiciliar el recibo" mean?”
When to use it: The moment a clerk uses a word you don't know
What you’ll hear back: Que el recibo se le cobra automáticamente en la cuenta cada mes. (It means the bill is charged to your account automatically every month.)
Words for this scene
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| pedir cita previa | peh-DEER THEE-tah PREH-byah | to book an appointment in advance |
Para renovar el NIE hay que pedir cita previa por internet. To renew your NIE you have to book an appointment online. Tip: Nearly every Spanish office needs cita previa; walk-ins get sent home. | ||
| un justificante de domicilio | oon hoos-tee-fee-KAN-teh deh doh-mee-THEE-lyoh | proof of address |
¿Le vale una factura de la luz como justificante de domicilio? Does an electricity bill work as proof of address for you? Tip: A utility bill or your empadronamiento certificate normally counts. | ||
| rellenar el impreso | reh-yeh-NAR el eem-PREH-soh | to fill in the form |
¿Relleno el impreso aquí mismo o se lo mando escaneado? Shall I fill in the form right here or send it to you scanned? Tip: Say 'rellenar', not 'llenar' — 'llenar' is for filling a glass. | ||
Your objective
Say you’d like to open an account, ask which documents you need, and ask what one term on the form means.
- opening an account
- the documents you need
- what a term means
Lines that get it done
- Buenos días, quería abrir una cuenta. ¿Qué documentación hace falta?
- Perdone, ¿qué significa exactamente 'domiciliar el recibo'?
- ¿Le vale una factura de la luz como justificante de domicilio? · Does an electricity bill work as proof of address for you?
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You want to open an account without sounding demanding. Which opener works best?
- Buenos días, quería abrir una cuenta.
- Buenos días, quiero abrir una cuenta ahora mismo.
- Buenos días, voy a abrir una cuenta.
- Buenos días, necesito que me abras una cuenta.
Show the answer
Buenos días, quería abrir una cuenta.
The imperfect 'quería' is the standard polite softener at any Spanish counter.
2. The clerk says 'domiciliar el recibo' and you have no idea what that is. What do you ask?
- Perdone, ¿qué significa exactamente 'domiciliar el recibo'?
- Perdone, ¿cómo se escribe 'domiciliar el recibo'?
- Perdone, ¿me lo deletrea, por favor?
- Perdone, ¿dónde está mi domicilio?
Show the answer
Perdone, ¿qué significa exactamente 'domiciliar el recibo'?
You need the meaning, not the spelling, so '¿qué significa exactamente...?' is the right question.
3. The website says 'es necesario pedir cita previa'. What does that mean for you?
- Tienes que reservar hora antes de ir.
- Puedes presentarte cuando quieras.
- Tienes que pagar una tasa por adelantado.
- Tienes que rellenar el impreso allí mismo.
Show the answer
Tienes que reservar hora antes de ir.
'Cita previa' means an appointment booked in advance; without one they usually won't attend you.