inOz2008

Yeah don't ask as to why I have left it to this late hour to do this...long story laden with stressful moments! But I am keeping my cool nonetheless!

I am in London tomorrow and wondered exactly what documents etc I need to open an account and how long it would take (am not too fusy which provider I go with - heck I don't have time to compare them!! ). Main use is to transfer money to Oz but if time does not permit then I will do so once I have opened an account when I land (we have a Nationwide Flex account for cash basic spending money).

Also, would I be able to open account in UK and have the cards sent out to me/collected in branch in Oz?

I used to have a BankWest account that closed cos of lack of activity! I may give them a call to see if anything could be done.

Any advice appreciated.

Centurion

If there is no desperate need to transfer the money now, wait until you land. Walk into any bank here and open an account. Start with a major such as NAB, Commonwealth or ANZ to get started then worry about the details and which product where is better for you when your heads stopped spinning.

The only thing you might want to do now is check with your UK that they will accept telephone AND/OR fax instructions from you and sign an authority to that if you have to now before you leave. Otherwise you could be waiting to send letters etc from Australia authorising stuff which is a right pain.

Enjoy.

nick72

I think you will find you missed one of the majors out !!

I totally agree though go to all of the banks and find the right account for you. All the banks offer the same products really but you need to find which one you like the look and feel of !. Leave it until you get here - less hassle.

Nick

sharonm5

i sent off for an ANZ account last week and got all the paperwork and account details last night. They based in Canary Wharf. All I did is fill out an application and post it off. I then have to go into an ANZ branch when I get there and show ID,and then I can draw money etc etc. As I am paying all my expenses for moving and then being reimbursed along the way, my new company will just deposit the monies after I scan invoices and send through to them. I then have instant cash (at an agreed exchange rate) when I arrive. Gosh, saying that makes me feel like a fraudster!

Bonzer Sheila

Lucky you! If you look online you will find most Aussie Banks have branches in London. When we moved out there for a three year stint we opened an account with the Commonwealth Bank in London. This meant we were able to arrange for bank debit cards to be waiting for us when we arrived in Sydney. We were also able to give our local employers in Oz a bank account number for salary payments as soon as possible. We were able to transfer money between the UK and Oz without incurring ridiculous bank charges. I opened the account using the usual forms of ID and quoting my Visa number. As you are probably aware the Aussie banking system is not 'free' and it is worth looking at the different monthly options on offer from the big banks. Remember also that our own HSBC is also an option downunder.

paddyo

If you have one week to go then wait until you get here, will take you 30 mins with your passport to set one up. Very easy and all of the major banks will have a system in place to go through all the different aspectys/types of account with you.

Centurion

For completeness sake then, Westpac is the other of the four majors. My comment was such as.....as in, for example.

cheekivimto07

We applied nearly 2 weeks ago to ANZ and as of yet haven't heard anything, im being to wonder if they got our application...

sharonm5

maybe give them a call and see if they got it...was amazed how fast and painless it was

spottydog

3 years ago I walked into Commonwealths Migrant Banking Centre in London to open an account, I wanted to put money in it so we could get it about a week later in Sydney. Within 48 hours I had my account details for the new account in Sydney so could send money to it and when we walked into the branch (48 Martin Place) our cashpoint cards had arrived that morning and we were able to set up our pin numbers and get our money out the cashpoint.

The biggest problem was (as with most the Aussie Banks) without $50k in it you get charged an account keeping fee.

HTH

Bonzer Sheila

Are you happy in Sydney? Where abouts are you, if you don't mind me asking?

paddyo

Ours was pretty simple to do as well, we have the streamline account which costs 6 dollars per month, you can get cheaper but we wanted full flexibility. If you have a decent amount going in each month open a savings account and you can get interest and just switch funds over as you like.
Our account was opened in Liverpool St Sydney and we are now in Manly and it just moves around with us.