advice on setting up a UK bank account?

[tiki]

Hi,

I'm planning to come over the UK in late May, with a YMS 2-year visa. I don't know where I'll end up yet (probably wherever I can find work!)

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice about setting up a UK bank account?

What kind of supporting information etc do you need to have with you in order to open an account? Does it take long?


Thanks!

[jlms]

You need an address and money.

But in order to rent something some people may want to see you have a bank account :-)

So start by ensuring you have an address and then go an open an account, it should be a matter of a few minutes.

[iburrows]

you will need proof of address and proof of who you are e.g. passport, driving licence etc.

Probably easier if you already have a job as well

Good Luck

Ian

[Elliot Clark]

Try to open HSBC offshore banking account in Guernsey. I have been using it for years and I found it extremely convenient .

[WICKED]

Abbey bank is probably the best bank. UK banks are really weird, as they really get into your business about where you live, how long you've lived there, what your job is, how much you make, and a whole bunch of other very personal questions. Try to stay away from Halifax. i dont recomend halifax. i find them to be very foreigner unfriendly. they let you apply online for a basic account, but you will have to follow up with some very strict proof. most of the proof they require, only locals will have. in addition to passport, they will ask for these things - uk driving licence (obviously none of us will have this as we are new to the country), benefit book (why would a newcomer have this), grant from local authority, hm revenue tax notification, council tax, council housing, utility bills. i don't want to see anyone waste their time with halifax, thinking they have a chance at getting an account. if you apply online, it will take a week for them to reply to you. during that week, you can be doing other things, like trying other banks.

[sarah.c.dye]

I ran into the same dilemma of the bank wanting evidence of an address (e.g. bills sent to the address etc) and the real estate agent needing a bank account before I could rent a place.

In the end I went to HSBC's Passport Account. This is set up specifically for newcomers who don't have an address and other details that you might need to set up a bank account elsewhere. In order to set it up you need proof of identity such as a passport and some money to deposit in the form of cash or a bank draft. There are a couple of "catches" (that they make clear to you at the time) - you pay either an up front fee of around £60 or a monthly fee of £6 and you have to have the account for 12 months before you can "graduate" to a proper account. Otherwise there are no fees (i.e. withdrawals, deposits are free). You only have basic facilities - i.e. a cheque account with a debit card, with internet and phone banking. You can't get a credit card or overdraft on the passport account. I haven't found this to be a major issue - generally you can use your debit card where you would normally use a credit card (e.g. on the internet). There is the odd occasion where I haven't been able to use the debit card, so hanging onto my NZ credit card has been useful.

You can pick up your debit card and activate it a few days after setting up the account either from the branch or you can have it sent to a temporary address if you have one.

[wotalotigot]

I set up a bank account with Barclays Wealth via my bank back in SA (which happened to be affiliated with Barclays). I got the tip from friends, and when I asked the person at the branch foreign exchange desk about it, she gave me the details of a person at their personal banking branch, who was able to set it up before I arrived in the UK. I left it a bit late, so my card was sent to my UK address, but if I applied earlier I would even have received my card and PIN before I arrived here.

There is a charge for my type of account of GBP5 per month, but at least I'm not locked in for a year as with the HSBC passport account (which also carries a charge).

I have heard that banks in other countries do that as well, it all depends on their international affiliations.

Good luck!

[WICKED]

one reminder is hsbc passport accounts do require proof of address. it can be from your home country. i was going to apply for this but didnt have proof of address. the thing is, why would i carry an old electric bill with me when im moving to another country. that just doesnt make any sense. i get the feeling that brits have 0 trust in each other. everyone is guilty until proven innocent.