Question
“Hi, we are applying for a Spain non lucrative visa and we’ve been asked for a bank ‘certificate of account opening details and authorised persons’ from our bank for our visa application. Spoken to our bank and they have no idea… can anyone help please?”
Answers
“At first our bank said they couldn’t do this too. But we went to a higher person up at one of the bank branches. They asked us to provide a screenshot of the requirements and then had us do a handwritten signed letter with what we needed.
They sent that to the account department and they provided what we requested. The only thing they could not do was the average monthly balance for 2024. They did the average balance for the last 12 months.
They explained on the document that they cannot provide this since they do an average monthly rolling balance. They did say they could provide the monthly statements for 2024. The document was also signed by the bank official. We’re going to get this sworn translated and also provide the 2024 bank statements. I think you might need to push the issue with your bank. We had to do that.”
“There is no specific form for this so the bank wouldn’t know. I would ask the bank for a letter stating when the account was opened and who are any authorized people on it (or joint account holders). On bank letterhead even better. If they are not willing to provide it, write your own and have it stamped by the bank then notarized.”
“You should also have them include the closing balance as of 12-31-2024 and the average balance for 2024 as those are also part of the new requirements. Our bank (Chase) put all of that information in one letter.”
“Our bank described it as a ‘letter of introduction’. Which included date account opened, balance etc.”
“What if you have not had the account open for 12 months?”
“Does this letter have to be from the bank that has the required amount of money in it? Or all your banks? Or just your checking account? We had no luck getting one from an investment firm. Do we need to move money to our credit union just to get a letter?”
“In Spain, it is commonly referred to as a Bank Certificate. I’m sure US banks do something similar.”
“They do not at least my two banks, Huntington and Fifth Third.”
“unfortunately it seems to be, yes. Our bank couldn’t confirm the average balance information but we’ve submitted it without that information. Fingers crossed!”
“We got an email asking for this , Our bank just gave us a letter stating when the account was opened , as we switched banks last November and stamped it , and put a letter explaining that the bank don’t do certificates”
Conclusion
For the Spain non lucrative visa, providing a bank certificate or equivalent documentation can be challenging, particularly for applicants dealing with non-Spanish banks unfamiliar with this request.
Members of the community have found success by requesting a custom letter from their bank that includes account opening date, names of authorized persons, current balance, and average balance for the year.
Some banks will not provide a certificate per se but may issue a “letter of introduction” or a notarized letter with a bank stamp. Others needed to escalate the request within the bank or supplement with personal statements.
While not all banks can fulfill every requirement—such as a precise average monthly balance—many consulates appear flexible as long as the documentation is thorough and officially endorsed.
An expert immigration lawyer opinion on the newest 2025 bank certificate requirements
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