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spending long periods of time or wishing to settle in Spain, expands its presence in the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia.

HolaBank, CaixaBank's specialised programme aimed at international customers who spend long periods of time or wish to settle in Spain, has expanded its presence in northern Spain with 10 branches in the Basque Country (San Sebastián, Hondarribia and two in Irún), Cantabria (three in Santander), Asturias (Gijón) and Galicia (two in Vigo), thus adapting to new market trends and potential customers, who are showing an increasing interest in settling in this part of the country.

Operating within the CaixaBank network, HolaBank branches serve international customers in the main tourist areas and large cities, areas where customers looking for holiday or retirement homes tend to gravitate, in addition to working expats, digital nomads and investors.

Unlike the traditional branches, these specialised branches can work with mortgage brokers who act as intermediaries between CaixaBank and international customers looking for the best way to finance a home in Spain, regardless of the currency in which they receive their main income and the currency used to apply for the mortgage, which can be any of 19 different currencies, including the pound sterling, US dollar, Swedish krona, Danish or Norwegian kroner and Swiss franc. All of this is done in an agile process, assisted by multilingual managers and with the advantage of not requiring the translation of certain documents.

The expansion of the HolaBank programme in northern Spain responds to the growing interest by people in neighbouring countries and even worldwide in settling in northern Spain. Of the total number of HolaBank customers in DT Norte, one third are Portuguese, about 15% are Italian, while French and English customers account for 10% and 8% respectively. Other notable nationalities, but with less representation, are American, German, Irish, Dutch and Swiss, with figures varying between 1% and 4%.

All these factors have driven CaixaBank's HolaBank programme. The HolaBank mortgage portfolio at the end of 2024 stood at €5.004 billion, an 11.6% increase versus the end of 2023. The bank also increased the number of branches by nearly 20% in the last year, reaching a total of 350 branches at the end of 2024.

Increased tourist spending and home sales in northern Spain

HolaBank is thus adapting to the new needs of its potential customers who are showing increasing interest in settling in northern Spain. According to the CaixaBank Research report entitled , an analysis of changing tourism expenditure reveals that the coolest areas of Spain were experiencing accelerated growth in tourism expenditure between the high seasons of 2019 and 2023, and that, in a context of rising temperatures, the boom in green and active tourism in the cooler municipalities highlights the growing appeal of these types of destinations.

This is reflected in the interest of foreign investors in homes in Spain. CaixaBank Research data indicate that demand among foreigners for homes in Spain has grown substantially following the pandemic. According to the Association of Registrars, purchases and sales of foreigners accounted for 14.6% of the total in 2024, peaking at 93,000 sales. This represented an increase of 6.4% versus 2023, very close to the record for sales of foreigners in Spain in 2022 (94,500) and 48% above the 2019 figure (63,000).

The data suggest that the upturn in interest in Spain has also shifted northward, an area that has often been overlooked by investors. While foreign purchases of property in December 2020 accounted for only 1.8% of the total in Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country (CaixaBank's Northern District), by the end of 2024 this figure rose to 3.9%.

Among these four communities, the greatest international interest is in the Principality of Asturias, where sales to foreigners represent 5.8% of the total number of transactions completed in 2024, followed by Cantabria with 3.6%, while the Basque Country and Galicia have ratios of 3.7% and 2.2%, respectively.

HolaBank's value proposition

HolaBank is CaixaBank's specialised programme aimed at international customers spending long periods of time or wishing to settle in Spain. Through this programme, the organisation accompanies international customers from their arrival in the country and throughout their stay, offering a comprehensive financial service that responds to their financial needs and facilitates their day-to-day life as much as possible.

To this end, the programme has its own network of 350 branches located in the main tourist areas, more than 500 managers specialising in this type of customer and the CaixaBankNow application, available in 20 languages, forming an omnichannel customer service model that accompanies customers at all times and from any location.

HolaBank also provides a wide range of financial and non-financial products and services designed to meet the specific needs of CaixaBank's international customers. These include the HolaBank Account, which includes a package of high-value financial services for customers, the HolaBank Club, featuring 24/7 telephone support in five languages, translation services and online interpreters, and registration for utilities, to name but a few of the services offered, all designed to ensure that all their needs in Spain are met.

The division is also a bellwether in technological innovation, and offer 100% digital solutions to open an account in 5 simple steps (digital on-boarding) and also apply for a mortgage* (MortgageNow).

In this way, CaixaBank is bolstering its strategy to deliver a specialised banking model segmented by customer profiles, meticulously designed to address the specific demands of individuals, and all with the goal of delivering an exceptional experience to our customers.

*Financing subject to prior approval by the organisation.

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