Banks which allow free ATM cash withdrawals in Europe/Spain specifically?

DIYhelp76

Hi,

I have a retired family member who moved from UK to live in Spain.

He has a pension payment paid into a UK account which he withdraws from an ATM in Spain in Euros.

He is charged a transaction fee on every ATM withdrawal which I think is around £8.

Are there any banks which he could switch to which would allow free (or cheaper) ATM withdrawals?

Many thanks in advance.

18cc

Look at Monzo, Starling although both require smartphone as they are app based.

msallen

If he now lives in Spain, why can't he open an account with a Spanish bank (one with a nearby ATM)?

eskbanker

Santander: If you have an adult current account and pay in at least £500 each month, there are no fees when you withdraw cash from a Santander cash machine in Spain.

Edit: his options will obviously be limited by not being UK-resident, but Santander's basic account is available to EU residents if he's determined to have an account with a UK bank (counting Santander UK as a UK bank, regardless of parentage!).

[Deleted User]

Starling/Monzo - I used both to get cash out in Ireland at the Mastercard exchange rate with no fees (£200 limit a month I think).

colsten

Deleted_User wrote: »

Starling/Monzo - I used both to get cash out in Ireland at the Mastercard exchange rate with no fees (£200 limit a month I think).

So does Transferwise, and I think Revolut, too. To get round the ridiculously low monthly limits, a Euro account, with a debit card in Euro denomination and without silly limits, seems the way to go.

PRAISETHESUN

The best options are above - get paid into Monzo/Starling and then withdraw cash out from an ATM. Otherwise Santander UK.

If this is to be a long term thing (which it sounds like it is) then using a service like Transferwise and transferring the money into a Euro account and using that for day to day transactions is likely to be cheaper in the long run.

System

Many of the Spanish ATMs now surcharge and this will apply to even free ATM withdrawals with Starling / Metro bank.

Santander UK is probably the best bet as they are unlikely to be surcharged by their local sister bank. TSB might be an option longer term.

eDicky

Does he use a smartphone and have the ability and confidence to use a banking app?

Does he still have a verifiable UK address, in order to easily open a new UK bank account?

Does he already have a Spanish bank account?

sausage_time

I think the OP was asking about the ATM owners applying fees, which seems a growing problem in Spain. There's a couple of other threads on that on this forum. I find it pays to shop around - I can usually find a machine that does not charge a fee for taking out in Euros with no DCC.



Good advice on cards here that minimise fees applied by the card themselves.

[Deleted User]

colsten wrote: »

So does Transferwise, and I think Revolut, too. To get round the ridiculously low monthly limits, a Euro account, with a debit card in Euro denomination and without silly limits, seems the way to go.

Well I think that depends on your needs. I didn't need anywhere near the £400 fee-free limit that was available to me across both accounts during a week in Ireland anyway.