Hi.
Since most of the forum users are Brits, where better to ask the question??? Is there a bank (1 group) that covers the UK and Spain, NOT USE THE SAME NAME but literally is the same group. As most of you know, when one arrives in Spain ,we have to start a whole new line of credit history  and so-on. Some of us have to do that in both countries and I am trying to kill two birds with one stone. Any suggestions???

Halifax. If you have an account with them in the UK you can easily get one in Spain. Get free bank transfers at excellent exchange rates etc. Nearest branch is in Barcelona but you can do internet banking with them. Look on the Halifax website:

http://www.halifax.co.uk/bankaccounts/international.shtml


don't use them myself as I am a happy La Caixa customer but some friends do and they are very happy...

If you need cheap bank transfers in EURO currency to Spain ask your UK bank about Tipanet. Shouldn't cost more than £7-8 per transfer and you get commercial exchange rates and pay no fees to your Spanish bank. Beware: you can only transfer up to EUR 12,500 as otherwise your Spanish bank will inform the central bank in Madrid (money laundring laws). Having said that, we transferred a whole lot more when we purchased our finca and nobody bothered us - probably because we said it was for a property purchase...

In addition to Nigel's comments - yes, Foreign Currency Direct give a good deal. We have just completed our property purchase - I registered with both Foreign Currency Direct and Moneycorp and found them both to be most helpful.  We also let them both know that we were registered with someone else and looking for the best deal - and in the end we got a lot better rate ( in the end with Moneycorp) by playing them off each other.
Regards, Haze

There is another way to make comparisons. Get a sterling account and euro account with La caixa and when this is up and running you can get sterling transferred from your UK bank into the sterling account in Spain then watch the euro rate which at the moment is something about 1.485 and  the Spanish bank will give you about 1.465 to put into your euro account and a charge which will maybe cost a lot less than money dealers who live off your money,and you can negotiate with both banks. I have been doing this on a regular basis for the last two years.