Guide · banks · Spain

Spanish banks for your mortgage — which ones finance non-residents?

The Spanish mortgage market has far more lenders than the three household names. Here are the 37 most important — from the big banks to the regional cooperatives — with what matters when financing a non-resident purchase.

Which Spanish banks finance non-residents?

Perini compares more than 30 banks and approaches 15–20 suitable lenders per case — from the big banks and former cajas to cooperative, direct and foreign lenders. The most active for non-residents are CaixaBank (HolaBank), UCI, Banco Santander, Banco Sabadell, Bankinter, Abanca and Deutsche Bank España. Which one offers the best terms depends on credit profile, property, equity and region — not on the best-known name; the right house is found in a direct comparison after the credit review.

Why the choice matters

Not the brand decides, but the bank that fits

As an independent broker I compare and negotiate with the right banks for you. Which lender suits your plan depends on credit standing, equity, property type and region — not on the best-known name. Spanish banks typically finance non-residents up to 70 % of the lower of purchase price and tasación; the actual rate ranges are on mortgage rates Spain.

Which institution writes a specific special case is part of the mandate and is not listed here. This is a market overview, not a commitment from any particular bank.

Major banks

The five big lenders

The big banks have established non-resident programmes, broad product ranges and usually a German- or English-speaking international desk.

  • Banco Santander — largest bank in Spain; own non-resident programme, international desk.
  • BBVA — second-largest lender; its bid for Banco Sabadell failed in October 2025, both remain independent.
  • CaixaBank — largest domestic retail bank (absorbed Bankia in 2021); runs "HolaBank" for foreign buyers.
  • Banco Sabadell — independent after rejecting BBVA's bid; active non-resident desk.
  • Bankinter — strong for non-residents; currently integrating its digital arm EVO Banco.
Nationwide & former cajas

Further nationwide lenders

The consolidation of the Spanish savings banks (cajas) produced strong nationwide retail banks — often more conservative on loan-to-value, but with keen fixed rates for established profiles.

  • Unicaja Banco — fifth-largest domestic lender, from the 2021 merger with Liberbank.
  • Ibercaja Banco — Aragón-based retail bank, a former caja.
  • Abanca — Galician bank, active for non-residents; acquired Targobank España.
  • Kutxabank — Basque group, owner of the Cajasur brand.
  • Cajasur — Andalusian retail brand of Kutxabank.
  • Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar (BCC) — Spain's largest cooperative banking group.
  • Banca March — private bank with Balearic roots, strong in the premium and non-resident segment.
  • Laboral Kutxa — Basque cooperative bank.
Direct & neobanks

Digital lenders

Direct banks score with lean processes and sometimes very good online terms — for non-residents the reachability of an international desk is what counts.

  • ING España — leading direct bank, expat-friendly ("Hipoteca Naranja").
  • Openbank — digital bank of the Santander group.
  • imagin — digital brand of CaixaBank (lending booked via CaixaBank).
  • Pibank — digital bank of Banco Pichincha España.
  • MyInvestor — neobank (Andbank, AXA, El Corte Inglés Seguros); non-resident mortgages too.
  • EVO Banco — digital brand, being integrated into Bankinter.
Foreign & private banks

International lenders and specialists

Often the decisive group for non-residents: lenders with German-/English-speaking service, cross-border experience or a mortgage focus.

  • Deutsche Bank España — German-language service, active for non-residents.
  • UCI (Unión de Créditos Inmobiliarios) — mortgage specialist (Santander/BNP Paribas joint venture), strong cross-border.
  • Targobank España — sold by Crédit Mutuel to Abanca; brand being merged into Abanca.
  • Banco Mediolanum — advisory-led bank of the Italian Mediolanum group.
  • Andbank España — private bank (Andorra) for high-net-worth and non-resident clients.
  • Triodos Bank España — ethical/sustainable bank, residential mortgages too.
Professional & cooperative banks

Professional-sector and regional lenders

Regional cooperative and professional banks often finance particularly solid profiles at attractive fixed rates — regionally tied, but a real argument in a comparison.

  • Caja de Ingenieros (Caixa d'Enginyers) — cooperative credit bank for the professions.
  • Arquia Banca — professional bank (originally architects).
  • Banco Caminos — bank of the engineering and professional sector (incl. Bancofar).
  • Grupo Caja Rural / Banco Cooperativo Español — central bank of the rural cooperatives.
  • Caja Rural de Navarra · Caja Rural de Granada · Caja Rural del Sur · Caja Rural de Asturias — regional cooperative banks.
  • Globalcaja (Castilla-La Mancha) · Eurocaja Rural (Toledo) · Bantierra (Aragón) · Cajaviva Caja Rural (Burgos) · Caixa Popular (Valencia) — further regional lenders.

Strongest for non-residents: CaixaBank (HolaBank) and UCI as the purpose-built specialists, plus Banco Santander, Banco Sabadell, Bankinter, Abanca and Deutsche Bank España as reliable cross-border lenders. Which one offers the best terms in your case, I check in a direct comparison after the credit review.

Frequently asked

Questions about the Spanish banks

Which Spanish banks lend to non-residents?
The most active non-resident programmes are run by CaixaBank (HolaBank), Banco Santander, BBVA, Banco Sabadell, Bankinter, Abanca, Deutsche Bank España and the mortgage specialist UCI. Which one offers the best terms in your case depends on your credit profile, the property and the region, and is checked in a direct comparison.
How many Spanish banks does Perini compare?
Through independent access more than 30 Spanish lenders can be compared — from the big banks and the former cajas to cooperative, direct and foreign banks. Different lenders are strong for different profiles (credit standing, equity, property type, region).
Which is the largest Spanish bank?
By total assets Banco Santander is the largest bank in Spain, followed by CaixaBank, BBVA, Banco Sabadell and Bankinter. Size alone does not decide who finances a non-resident case best — the smaller specialists often have friendlier terms for cross-border buyers.
Did BBVA take over Banco Sabadell?
No. The takeover failed in October 2025 — too few Sabadell shareholders accepted the offer. BBVA and Banco Sabadell are two separate, independent banks.
Do Spanish banks lend to foreigners without Spanish income?
Yes. For non-residents Spanish banks typically finance up to 70 % of the lower of purchase price and tasación (bank valuation); the buyer contributes the rest plus the purchase costs as equity. Foreign income is accepted but must be fully and traceably documented.
Which bank is cheapest?
There is no blanket answer — the cheapest bank is the one whose programme fits your profile. The current rate ranges (fixed, variable, mixed) are on mortgage rates Spain, with source and date checked.
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