garun

According to http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Visa_Validation-Australia, it is advisable to open an AU bank account on visa validation trip because it might be done using only a passport in 6 weeks after your arrival. However, I have asked the CBA, NAB and Westpac Customer Service and NAB and Westpac have answered me that they accept my passport in 6 weeks after my second arrival to settle permanently as well and the CBA has answered that it doesn't have any determined 6 week period for passport-only policy and I only need my passport to confirm my identity at all times.

Is it helpful to open a bank account on a validation trip or this action might postponed without any ramifications?

Thank you in advance for any help.

freebo

We're opening ours online before making the permanent move, when we arrive we just pick up the cards & chequebooks from a branch.

rishadsky

Hi Freebo,
Could you please give me the online link of bank address from where you open your bank account ??

pproehann

I have Foreign visitors staying with me in Aus on working visa. They were able to open NAB account no bother don't know if it's because they are on a working visa but able to do within one week of arrival.

freebo

Sure, we're chose NAB but I'd expect the other banks do something similar

http://www.nab.com.au/wps/wcm/connec...Finance/15/23/

morrisj3

We did ours like that - opened it online from UK, then simply picked up the cards etc when we went on our validation trip. We also chose NAB. It was very slick and easy

TakenThePlunge

I opened my NAB account during my validation trip.

Extremely simple it was, just one tip - make sure they set the telephone and internet banking up as they don't do it by default.

gmralston

HSBC told me that the 6 week rule does not apply anymore, that could just be their own policy though and not other oz banks. Opened up an account with them with just my passport/visa, very quick and easy.

Japonica

We opened our Westpac accounts while on our validation trip. There was no problem with it. We were listed as non-residents for tax purposes until we arrived permanently and it was changed then.

moneypenny20

We did our Commonwealth account from the UK. Able to send money over to it prior to moving but couldn't access it but then we didn't need to because we weren't here

Hills Boy

Did the same and simply arranged to pick up ATM cards from a nominated branch when we got here. Just remember to get your tax file number sorted as soon as possible after you move here and then lodge that number with the bank as soon as you can to avoid paying the higher level of tax in your interest.

Poitin

We are off next week and hope to do the same - what paperwork did you need?

I will pm you also if you don't mind.

Thanks in advance.

rosebee

We opened our account with ANZ online after our validation trip and it was all very straight forward. Three weeks prior to leaving the UK we exchanged all our money into dollars and sent the money over to out ANZ account.

However their was a major problem at the other end, the cash was in the bank but I couldn't get to it!

Just before we were due to fly out, my husband was offered a short term contract to work offshore, so he flew out ahead of me and the children. He basically arrived in Brisbane late on the Friday night then flew out again on the Saturday afternoon, leaving him no time to go to the bank. I arrived the following Thursday morning and settled myself at my sisters and got organised.

The following morning I took all my documents to the bank to verify my details and to withdraw some money for our living expenses. Only to be told by the bank staff that they wouldn't give me any! I at first thought that the girl hadn't understood my request (blaming it on my accent) and I repeated the request, only to be told no again. I honestly thought that she was winding me up but no she was being serious. In a nutshell they refused to give me any money out of the account as my husband hadn't verifyed his details and to quote them "they were under no obligation to give me any money until both signatures were on the account".

I managed to keep my cool and I got my point across, I also refused to leave the bank without any money and I got $1000 of our cash but god was it tough going. This $1000 was to last me and our two children for 14 days until my oh got back onshore. As I said I was fortunate to have my sisters help but can you imagine what it would have been like if I didn't have her and was responsible for paying rent for an apartment etc etc.

Leaving the bank that day I felt like a criminal and really embarrassed. Our two young children were there witnessing me arguing with officials to get our own money and they could see how upset I was getting. In the words of my 7 year old daughter at the time "my mummy only wants our own money, not a strangers".

I know that every organization has polices and they are there to protect us, however I felt that this was just going a step too far, considering that I had a copy of my oh passport and a signed declaration for me to access the bank account which was witnessed by a JP but that wasn't enough. And yes nearly two years on it still ticks me off!