Latin American clients are around half of their heritage outside their country of origin and Spain is in their spotlight: it has become a destination with an important attraction, not only in terms of investments – financial and real estate companies – but also by factors such as language, quality of life or security. That has led BBVA to create a Specialized International Private Banking Unit In the country, with the aim of serving global clients who want to invest in Spain. This new unit adds to existing platforms in Switzerland and the United States, reinforcing the international model of BBVA and consolidating Spain as a strategic hub in its global proposal for high value added services.
The entity, which It already has 583 international clients in this unit in Spain, with 440 million euros in volume And a growth of 43 customers so far from 2025, was working during the last three years with Latin American clients from their local private banking; Now, the business achieved has been the incentive to give this new international structure, with slightly different protocols. Although Concrete growth objectives are not marked, they are ambitious with what can be achieved in international private banking, and believe that this is only “the tip of the iceberg”explained the BBVA Private Banking Director in Spain, Fernando Ruíz, In a meeting with journalists.
Because the creation of a specialized private bank that only serves international clients allows them to better adapt to these clients (which have their particularities, such as in the case of Latin Americans, the appetite for real estate or investments in dollars), expand the international offer of the group to a third market and become a Reference in Spain in International Private Banking, taking advantage of the positions and synergies of the group in Latin America. “Having a specialized team will allow us to better understand the customer, analyze how it invests and adapt,” he said, with a face -to -face relationship model (through the office destined for it in Madrid and trips to countries of origin) and digital communication and operational capabilities.
To this office, located in Goya, 31, which is a first step, more centers could join soon, in potential areas such as the Mediterranean Strip, cities such as Barcelona or the Northwest Area (Galicia especially), taking advantage of the 218 locations in which the local private bank of BBVA in Spain is present. «In the US we started with centers in Miami and then expand to Houston (Texas) and California. In Spain we could follow the model, whenever we see that for international clients it is convenient, ”he said Jaime Lázaro, director de Asset Management & Global Wealth.
Colombia, Mexico and Peru
The new unit was born with the objective of offering an exclusive service and adapted to the particular needs of international clients, especially those from countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Peru, that seek to diversify their heritage outside their places of origin. Goya’s office has a Team of five professionals dedicated to these clients, formed by Javier Domínguez Freijo, as director, and four bankers: Alejandro Valverde Carranza (for clients of Mexico), Silvia Díaz Henao (Colombia), Gonzalo Martín Soria (Peru) and María López Moral (other geographies). All of them – highly specialized and exclusive workers, capable of understanding the patrimonial, fiscal and legal particularities of each country – already worked in the private bank of BBVA. The team will also grow with the business, with preference for internal talent although they do not rule out external signings.
«Latin American clients have 50% of their heritage outside their country of origin. In some cases, they want to diversify and help them come to Spain; In other cases, customers are already here and serve them with the support of the Latam franchises. In the end they are usually clients with investments in some Latin American country, who asked us about BBVA’s offer in international private banking and now, as a third way in addition to the US and Switzerland, we can offer them Spain, ”Ruíz added. «With this new unit, our goal is to raise and differentiate international private banking in Spain, replicating the model of excellence that we already offer from our offices in Switzerland and the United States. We have created an exclusive, highly specialized team, capable of meeting the specific needs of international clients, in many cases different from those of national private banking. We want to offer a unique service in the Spanish market, both those who reside in the country and those who have interest here from other geographies, ”he added.
Customers can access the International Private Bank offer from 500,000 eurosunder the same conditions as local private banking, and with the same service scales in which BBVA BBVA and the Ultra Rico unit come into play. Currently the average volume of international clients is around 800,000 euros. Of these clients, half are from Colombia, 30% of Mexico and approximately 20% Peruvian. From the firm they explain that the end of the Golden Visa in Spain will not be a conditioning factor for the arrival or withdrawal of investments, in the same way that it has not been a significant attraction lever in recent years.
International platform umbrella
The value proposition of this specialized unit is based on the BBVA International Platform, Global Wealthwhich connects all local benches of the group and allows global and homogeneous attention in any geography. In this way, the personalized attention provided by the team of the New Office of Madrid is complemented by a close coordination with the local teams of the Bank of the countries of origin of the clients, guaranteeing an integral management of the equity at the international level, they explain in the firm.
“Private banking is one of the strengths of the BBVA Group, and therefore our Global Private Banking Unit, Global Wealth, has as a priority objective to provide a unique and homogeneous experience to customers with interest in different geographies becoming their best financial ally, through a model of transparent relationship and advice Lázaro
The person in charge of these units recalled The strength of your service, between the local and the globaland the strategic priority of the development of private banking for the group, already present in nine markets, in Europe (Spain, Switzerland and Turkey) and the Americas (Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and the USA), with 200,000 million euros in assets. “We want customers to have the perception that they work with a single bank, even if they have accounts in more than one country,” he said, ensuring that bank communication circuits will allow holistic and global advice and reporting.
BBVA makes available to these clients not only specialized bankers, but also expert teams in heritage planning and strategic analysis. The Global Wealth Planning area stands out, with a presence in Spain, Mexico and Switzerland, which allows to order the heritage efficiently and personalized. It is also collaborated with international prestigious signatures, as well as with local offices in each country, to offer complete coverage in legal and fiscal aspects.
An adapted value offer
Specifically, the Value offer For international private banking clients, coordinated among the experts of the International Unit with the premises of the different geographies, it is focused on the patrimonial planning, as well as in services for which they show appetite, Like the real estate (BBVA has agreements with Intrum and Cbre) or the alternative (in which the bank has recently launched proposals), Financing facilitation, helping with arrival in Spain and residence (The Bank has agreements with different top -level entities), it helps companies and families to transfer their generation to generation and The offer of the same products that are available to the client of local private banking.
In summary, in terms of investment solutions, BBVA international clients access discretionary management or advice portfolios adapted to their risk and currency profile, own or third -party investment funds (through Quality Funds), opportunities in private markets, personalized financing, real estate services with specialized brockers, solutions for international payments and premium card Advice on business investments. Thanks to the BBVA Group International Network and the global capabilities of its different areas such as BBVA Research, BBVA Asset Management, Quality Funds or Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), the entity can offer a comprehensive, flexible and dynamic approach in heritage management, adapting to the circumstances and objectives of each client.
«It is about giving them the same as in Spain, but with adaptations to their peculiarities, for example adapting their investments in dollars. We also remember that in all BBVA countries it facilitates the offer of products with Abiert architecture through BBVA Quality Funds. We do not want the client’s preference to be conditioned by the product offer, which is available in the three international private banking centers, ”added Lázaro. The offer also includes services beyond traditional financial, such as training, sports or cultural issues.
Growth in local private banking in Spain
In this context, BBVA’s private banking in Spain continues its growth strongly. The entity manages about 140,000 million euros in assets under management, and has 158,000 clients and 722 bankers. The objective is to achieve the 200,000 clients in three years and manage 150,000 investment portfolios in the next two exercises, thus consolidating its personalized advice model based on the combination of the banker’s knowledge and the support of technology.
