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opening a bank account in the UK

3026 Views 5 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Joppa, 
M
I've heard all sorts of horror stories about this. I'm going to need one soon, so... for those who already sorted this out, what are you required to open a bank account?

Also, I've seen that maintenance costs are outrageously expensive for the most part. How much are you paying?

Cheers
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J
You need two things mostly: a job and an address. Your employer should be able to provide all the necessary documentation to show you are employed. You need a bank account to get paid any way, so ask your employer to help you with this.

You will receive more scrutiny that would be normally expected from the bank if you are coming to the UK for the first time, but once you are settled you can even open accounts online with little hassle.
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jlms said:
You need two things mostly: a job and an address. Your employer should be able to provide all the necessary documentation to show you are employed. You need a bank account to get paid any way, so ask your employer to help you with this.

You will receive more scrutiny that would be normally expected from the bank if you are coming to the UK for the first time, but once you are settled you can even open accounts online with little hassle.
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Forgot to reply.

In the end I had someone from HR to come with me and hand them a recommendation.

Got refused in the first go, and I still wonder why. I just wanted to let them have close to 3000 quid a month, no overdraft, no risk on their side. :confused: Thankfully it was all solved during the first month.
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Joppa
You may have to start with a basic bank account first - no cheque book, no overdraft, no debit card, just ATM card to withdraw cash, plus setting up direct debits and getting salary paid in. Once you've run the account responsibly for a few months, you can then upgrade to a full account with bells and whistles. To open a basic account, the minimum requirement is ID (e.g. passport) and proof of address, such as utility bill, council tax bill or landline phone bill.
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Joppa said:
You may have to start with a basic bank account first - no cheque book, no overdraft, no debit card, just ATM card to withdraw cash, plus setting up direct debits and getting salary paid in. Once you've run the account responsibly for a few months, you can then upgrade to a full account with bells and whistles. To open a basic account, the minimum requirement is ID (e.g. passport) and proof of address, such as utility bill, council tax bill or landline phone bill.
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Yes, it's solved now. Got some overdraft (no need but anyway) and debit as well. Some insurance thrown in too. I find maintenance to be remarkably expensive, but I've asked around and it's normal for the UK.

Cheers.
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Joppa
muyuu said:
Yes, it's solved now. Got some overdraft (no need but anyway) and debit as well. Some insurance thrown in too. I find maintenance to be remarkably expensive, but I've asked around and it's normal for the UK.

Cheers.
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Good! Normal bank account is usually free of charges when in credit, but banks do push 'premium' accounts with a monthly charge in return for questionable(?) freebies like travel insurance. If you don't want to pay, just change your account to a free-when-in-credit one, and shop around for cheap insurance deals.
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