Keeping a UK bank account
 

I know that some people have kept a UK bank account open once they have moved to Australia, if you have done this could you tell me which bank you are with? Are they quite happy to send statements etc to Australia?

Alliance & Leicester say that if I move abroad the account must be closed. The problem is that it's not my account, it belongs to an elderly relative for whom I have power of attorney. They say that even though the account holder is not moving abroad, the account would stull have to be closed because I help to operate it.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Had one with Lloyds for years, they have my Aussie address and forward everything here in the way of cards and stuff. I do all the banking over the internet, and that includes maintaining my Lloyds credit card.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Okay, thanks for that. Anybody with the Halifax/Bank of Scotland?

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

The UK building sociteies don´t allow non residents to have accounts.You can, if you want, have an account in say Nationwide Isle of Man. This kind of account doesn´t allow cheques or credit cards; it´s basically if you want to have your savings offshore with interest paid without deduction of tax. The normal high street banks in the Uk have no problem with your having an account when you are non resident. I have had one with Lloyds and have been non resident for over 40 years now, and manage everything via the internet with them.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I've got one with Natwest, do most of my stuff online, never had any problems.

Sam

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I too have a Natwest account and operate it with no issue from here.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I still have mine with HSBC, also still got a HSBC credit card. They send statements to Australia with no hassles, even after 10 years :D

The day before we last moved over, I even opened a new account for my daughter, in case she ever comes back, she was 2 at the time :lol:

But the £1,000 I put there, which was worth A$2,700 at the time, is now only worth A$1,660 :eek:

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

[QUOTE=Sunshine7;8547349]I know that some people have kept a UK bank account open once they have moved to Australia, if you have done this could you tell me which bank you are with? Are they quite happy to send statements etc to Australia?

Have an HSBC acc open though not used, an HSBC credit card. Also a Nationwide account. Internet banking. Will be closing soon as we are now here for good.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Had Halifax current and savings accounts and credit cards while living in the US they had our accounts registered at my US address and sent all paperwork there no problems.

Did all banking over the internet no problems.

Moving to OZ soon and fully expect to keep my Halifax account and expect no problems.

We have also opened a HSBC account as I have been told that it is very easy to open a bank account in OZ with them if you have a Premier account with them in UK or another country.

Hope this helps.:thumbsup:

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I have a Lloyds and a Nationwide account.

Nationwide are great, everything can be done online, I'd definitely recommend them.

Lloyds TSB on the other hand I would recommend you steer clear of. For the last 18 months they appear to be being intentionally awkward when I try to change my address (from Oz to Oz). You can't do it online and have to send a form to a central admin address. Every time I send them a change of address form and a certified copy of my passport they send me a letter back saying my signature doesn't match and that I must send the form with a certified copy of my passport!! This has happened 3 times now (the last certified copy was stapled multiple times to the form and I still received the same standard letter back!!). After the first time I received this letter I happened to go back to the UK so I went into my branch and verified my signature hasn't changed and matched their system (been the same for about 20 years). I'm now waiting for Lloyds TSB complaint department to hopefully sort it out before I have to go to the banking ombudsman.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Its easy to open an account with any bank in Oz. Just turn up at a branch with your 100 points ID (your passport will do for the first 6 weeks after arrival) and they will open up an account for you while you wait.

All the big 4 will also allow you to open up an account in advance of arrival and deposit money in, you just can't take it out again until you have completed the 100 point check which is easier done in Australia.

The problem with HSBC accounts these days is ATMs charge you if you haven't used a card which is from the same bank as the ATM (and there aren't many HSBC cashpoints around).

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I have some accounts with Halifax which we are leaving open. The only one which needs closing is the current account which requires a certain amount deposited each month. We also have an account with the Nationwide. They know we are moving abroad but we've given them my dads address for any mail. I tend to sort things out online anyway. If required he can scan things in and email them to me.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I must be missing something. I know about the advantages of having a credit card when you first arrive and keeping one until you have an Aussie one but whats the point afterwards. I also understand about investments overseas.

Who cares about banks thousands of miles away.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

That's strange...I have an Alliance and Leicester account. It was at my Mums address when we first emigrated but I changed it with no problems to my Australia address when she died in 2008.....They send statements and cards no problem??

:confused::confused:

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Yup, Halifax, no problems at all so far, my UK mortgage and a few other direct debits continue to come out of it and well, so far so good!

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

The exchange rate decided which card I was going to use in the US. If sterling was good against the dollar I would use my UK one, the other way round use my US one. I felt that I could often save money that way.
I will keep my UK card when I move as the exchange rate will also impact my decision in OZ.:thumbup::thumbup:

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I have one with Abbey National.....although I think it's called Santander these days. I have no problems and they send all my stuff to Oz for me.

Love

Rudi
x

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Have to say Lloyds have been good for me. Its a pain changing the address by mail, but I have done 4 Aus-Aus address changes now, and phoned them about a few things, and they have been great.:fingerscrossed: it continues

Depends on your circumstances. I go home on holiday a lot so its handy to have a UK card and account. I can move money easily for birthday pressies to the kids in the UK and my mum likes to give me £10-£20 here and there - she can deposit that with no issues. I can move cash to my friend's UK account when paying for tickets, subscrptions, anything like that.
A few times recently I've bought things on the net like the ticket for my niece to go to T4 on the Beach - that only worked with a UK card.

And there is always the thought...what if you move back? Having an account already there can be a bonus.:thumbup:

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

My family pay money in for birthdays and christmas and I take out here using my UK switch card. I use it for paying for things that need a UK payment. I will also use it when I go on holiday to UK next month. For some it is useful.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Nice to hear that in fact you can have accounts with UK building societies as non residents, as the last time I asked about having one as the interest rates were better than those offshore, they told me they didn´t accept non residents. Perhaps it´s different if you had one before leaving the UK. I´m going to try again and see what happens

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I'm pretty sure you have to be UK resident to open the accounts but once they are open most let you change your address to a foreign one.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I think you´re right as I went into the Halifax site and it will only let me open an account if I´m a resident. Same with Nationwide

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

Halifax is a bank, not a building society? They are under the Lloyds banking group I think, they haven't been a building society since about 2006.

Anyway, I have several bank accounts/savers and don't have any problems.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

You can use your HSBC card at any HSBC or Westpac ATM for free.

So it isn't too bad :thumbup:

Also any supermarket, and many other shops, will allow you to get cash out from the counters, free of charge.

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http://www.halifax-international.com ... banking for Expats

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Halifax are now part of HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland Group), Halifax haven't been a building society since they demutualised in the 1990's.

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We still bank with the Co-op and they send us letters, new bank cards, pin numbers etc to our Adelaide address with no problems :)

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I have been phoning around and it seems that any account opened with a building society after 2004 has to be closed if you leave the country.

The banks, on the other hand, don't have a problem with you leaving the country and will send all statements etc to Australia.

Thanks for all the replies.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

We have kept our Barclays accounts open. They just need to be kept up to date on your whereabouts, otherwise, for security reasons, they'll stop your cards. Apparently, Barclays and Westpac also have an 'accord', so there should be no charges for using your Connect card at Westpac. You just have to pay the exchange rate. :cool:

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I kept a HSBC account open, but after about a year here I had some trouble accessing it online. I called the bank and was told the only way I could get access again would be togo into a branch. I explained that I was now in australia but after speaking to other mangers they still insisted that the only way would be to go into a branch.

I havent been able to access it since

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I'm in a similar position. Left our HSBC accounts cashed up and open so we could transact easily from OS. HSBC decided we needed new cards, posted the PINS to Aust.(where they also send statements) but insist we turn up at the branch to collect the cards.. freakin annoying.

HSBC Aust. (Bris.)... sorry sir, can't help you.. would you like to become a premium customer (so we can tell you nicely how we can't help you)

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

I would have thought the only building society left in the UK is Nationwide (all the other big names demutualised in the 1990's when those with accounts decided they wanted free shares).

I only opened my account with Nationwide in late 2005 and they have had no problems with me having an Aussie address

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

It's Alliance & Leicester I am having the problems with.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

HSBC here in Ikebukuro will only consider us as customers if I/we deposit TEN MILLION YEN with them - that's not joint accounts either which they don't do full stop!

Their branch offshore is in Jersey and there is no sign of any form of depositors' compensation scheme.

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

if you already have a Nationwide account you can keep it when you move abroad no problem, especially with internet banking. We did this.

If you want an account in the UK then open one before you leave.

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I am sure HSBC UK posted mine to me... just checking wallet... yep, I got a new credit card in 2007, and a debit card in 2009.

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They post mine and the Mrs' too.

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Must be just the Alliance & Leicester who won't accept it then

Re: Keeping a UK bank account
 

A&L now Santander so are going through some changes. I have had some issues recently because of this.

Transferring an account from A&L to Abbey (both now Santander but offering dif. deals) was a nightmare because they were changing their systems - kept getting different information from different people!!!!

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A&L and the whole Santander lot are becoming mega strict about conditions for even opening an account offshore - I wouldn't touch 'em with a barge pole now. Getting bad press on MSE back home too.